Policies and Disclosures

Academic and Graduation Requirements

The College reserves the right to make changes in graduation requirements or faculty schedules without notice. Degrees are conferred in accordance with the following requirements. ArtCenter reserves the right to institute such changes, and will provide students and applicants with the appropriate information about specific changes in the study programs as soon as they are available. Please refer to ArtCenter’s website and the Student Handbook for the most current information.

Graduation from ArtCenter is based upon successful completion of the curriculum of the department to which the student was admitted. This is estimated to take a minimum of eight terms, depending on availability of classes and amount of transfer credit.

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students must complete a minimum residency of four terms at ArtCenter to be eligible to receive their initial Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from ArtCenter. To graduate, students must complete all studio and Humanities and Sciences (academic) course requirements within their department, including a minimum number of units by subject area.

Current course requirements are listed online at Inside ArtCenter (inside.artcenter.edu) under “Degree Audit.” Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. Students are expected to assume responsibility for their progress toward graduation. All course work must be completed prior to the date of graduation.

Students must graduate in the term in which they complete their Humanities and Sciences course requirements, all required studio courses, and any needed studio electives, and in which they have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher. Students may not enroll in a subsequent term and defer graduation.

Students are ineligible for graduation until all requirements are complete, all account restrictions are cleared and all money due for tuition, fees, fines or supplies is paid.

Undergraduate students must complete 45 units of Humanities and Sciences classes to graduate. Each student must complete the foundation academic courses applicable to his or her program of study (i.e., Writing Studio, Art of Research, Critical Practice 1 and Introduction to Modernism) by the end of their fifth term. Students who do not fulfill these requirements will be given the opportunity to do so in one ArtCenter Lite term. If a student with third-term standing has enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) but not passed the course, they will be placed on ESL Probation. A student who fails ESL twice will be placed on ESL Suspension. In order to return to ArtCenter after an ESL suspension, students must pass an oral and written exam, administered by the Director of Writing, and submit official transcripts from a regionally accredited college showing a grade of C or better. Transcripts must demonstrate that students have been enrolled in a full-time, multi-skills English language course of study for at least one term.

Graduate Students

Graduate students must complete all course work required by their individual program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.

When a student has successfully completed the required five–seven terms, ArtCenter will consider the student’s graduate program course work to be complete. However, the student must complete a thesis in order to be eligible for graduation.

All course work, including thesis, must be completed prior to the date of graduation. Students are ineligible for graduation until all course work requirements are complete, all account restrictions are cleared and all money due for tuition, fees, fines or supplies is paid. Students must be enrolled at ArtCenter during the term in which they graduate.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid office monitors academic progress at the end of every term. Students who do not meet minimum standards may lose financial aid eligibility.

Students who are found to be abusing their financial aid privileges by misrepresenting their academic status, and therefore violating federal or state law or College policies, may be subject to more severe penalties. For more information about the SAP policy, please contact the Financial Aid office at 626 396-2215.

Minimum GPA for Graduation

Undergraduate students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 to graduate. Graduate students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 to graduate.

Graduation

All students must submit an Application for Graduation form to Enrollment Services by Friday of Week 11 of the term prior to the term in which they intend to graduate.

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate students entering Spring 2002 to Summer 2014

• BFA programs must complete 135 total units (90 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units).
• BS programs must complete 144 total units (99 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units).

Undergraduate students entering Fall 2014 to Summer 2020

• BFA programs must complete 120–132 total units (75–87 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.
• BS programs must complete 144 total units (99 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units).

Undergraduate students entering Fall 2020 or later

• BFA programs must complete 120–132 total units (75–87 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.
• BS programs must complete 132-144 total units (87-99 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.

Participation in the Commencement Ceremony

Undergraduate students must be on track to complete all requirements for their degree in the commencement ceremony term.

Graduate students must be on track to complete all course requirements for their degree in the commencement ceremony term. Graduate students may participate in the commencement ceremony if they have completed all courses but have not yet completed their thesis. Actual graduation will occur only after all courses and the thesis have been completed. The degree will be awarded and will carry the date of the commencement following the completion of the thesis and all requirements.

Graduation Check and Ceremony

During Week 1 of their final term, students must verify their graduation status with the Enrollment Services office to confirm that they have completed all graduation requirements.

Graduating students are required to attend a rehearsal ceremony during the last week of classes. Graduation announcements and graduation information packets are available in the Enrollment Services office.

Degrees and Honors

Undergraduate Students are recommended for baccalaureate degrees and honors by their department, according to the following standards:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.50 to 3.79: With Honors
• Cumulative GPA of 3.80 and higher (with portfolio review and endorsement by the faculty): With Distinction

Graduate Students are recommended for master degrees with honors by their department, according to the following standard:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.97 and higher with endorsement by the faculty and chair of their department: With Distinction