The University of the Arts

For more than 140 years we’ve been developing innovative creative leaders – because we see you differently. It’s true that our top-level faculty provides a rigorous arts, design or writing education; but to be honest, so do most art schools.

UArts is much more: we’re the only art school in America that makes it possible to work and collaborate across traditional boundaries. More than 30 minors are open to all students, so animators can study guitar, industrial designers can minor in ceramics, creative writers can take classes in illustration.

No arts school in Philadelphia offers more galleries and performance spaces than the University of the Arts. From our award-winning Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery to Gallery One, Philadelphia’s only student-run gallery, to our 21 performance venues, UArts has the widest range of spaces to showcase students, outstanding visiting artists and more.

The University of the Arts is located in downtown Philadelphia, at the center of the vibrant Avenue of the Arts. UArts is at the heart of everything artistic and cultural in Philly. Within walking distance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and literally hundreds of visual and performing arts venues, our Avenue of the Arts address offers major perks.

The arts have the power to transform society. They play an essential role in ensuring and enhancing the quality of life. The University of the Arts is committed to inspiring, educating and preparing innovative artists and creative leaders for the arts of the 21st century.

The University of the Arts is devoted exclusively to education and training in the arts. Within this community of artists, the process of learning engages, refines and articulates all of our creative capabilities. Our institution was among the first to contribute to the formation of an American tradition in arts education. We continue to develop interpreters and innovators who influence our dynamic culture.

We serve the community in which we reside, the professions for which we prepare new members and, ultimately, the society whose culture we both sustain and advance. The University’s goal is to direct each student’s quest for creative self-expression toward a productive role in society. Our programs develop the student’s talent, aesthetic sensibility, conceptual and perceptual acumen, cultural awareness, and professional expertise. The curricula integrate specific knowledge and skills needed for technical mastery of the various arts disciplines with a significant examination of conceptual and humanistic studies.

To this end, the University must gather and retain a distinguished teaching faculty and highly qualified, dedicated staff offering a breadth of professional expertise. Their scholarly work and artistic exploration have national and international consequences for the institution. Our educational programs seek to stimulate and influence not only our students but the very disciplines that we teach.

Applying for admission to pursue an education rooted in the arts: this is where dreams meet reality. Imagine being part of a community of student artists who are creatively minded yet career-driven. Imagine shaping your artistic abilities into lifelong skills. Imagine forming lifelong friendships with your classmates and being mentored by working artists. Whether you're ready to submit an application or just starting to learn about UArts, we invite you to connect with us. UArts offers a range of ways to visit, from on-campus visits and special events, to off-campus sessions with UArts faculty and representatives. Explore the options below, connect with us on social media or call us today for more information.

We are a supportive community committed to individual and artistic integrity and inclusion. We promote and respect self-expression, a wide range of ideas, and diversity in all its forms. With a focus on excellence, we inspire, challenge and support the unconventional thinkers, dreamers, and doers who are passionate about using their creative works to impact society.

UArts is the Place of Choice because we are the place of choices. With a unique environment that encourages risk-taking and exploration, visual artists, dancers, designers, actors, writers, filmmakers and musicians collaborate and find their creative paths in their desired areas of study.

Established in 1876, the university was formed by the merging of two century-old institutions: Philadelphia College of Art and Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. After being granted university status in 1987, the University of the Arts became the largest institution of its kind in the nation, offering programs in design, fine arts, media arts, crafts, music, dance, theater and writing.

With nearly 1,900 students, more than 40 unique undergraduate and graduate programs, and close to 500 faculty members, it's hard to imagine a time when interest in formal education in the arts was just gaining momentum. Our rich history tells the story of arts education in the United States. It is not just the history of UArts; it's the history of arts education, too. We're proud of our part in the story.

The University of the Arts was created from two pioneering, century-old institutions, the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA) and the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (PCPA). PCA was established in 1876 as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Together, they were originally known as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, created in response to the growing interest in art and art education stirred by the country's Centennial Exposition.