Summer Art Institute

Experience life as a student at the world-renowned UCLA Department of Art

Designed for talented and highly motivated high school students, the UCLA  Summer Art Institute offers in-person coursework structured around a rigorous and immersive studio experience that includes daily instruction, focused studio work, artist lectures, group critiques, one-on-one meetings with faculty, and an exhibition. Students choose from one of our specialized area studies tracks (Drawing, Painting, Photography, or Sculpture), and should be prepared to work hard during this intensive credit-granting three-week program.

Hone your skills in your preferred artistic medium

Program Overview

  • The Summer Art Institute curriculum encourages students to explore and expand their creative work and develop their artistic vocabularies. Each three-week session carries four units of UCLA college credit, and is structured around a combination of daily, focused studio work; artist lectures; group critiques; one-on-one meetings with faculty; and an exhibition. Students should expect an intensive three-weeks of immersive studio instruction and come prepared to work hard.

    Students will choose from one of our specialized area studies tracks:

    • Drawing: Working in a variety of media, students in the Drawing course learn techniques for drawing from observation as well as from imagination. Students explore form, content, material, and ideas, to develop new approaches to making art. Individual and group critiques led by artist instructors help students expand their body of work, think conceptually, and learn to discuss the work of others. The course also addresses historical, contemporary, and experimental traditions in drawing.

    • Painting: The Painting course offers students opportunities to investigate contemporary and historical concerns in painting, and to develop new approaches to making work. With instruction in composition, color mixing, technique, and exploring conceptual content, this course encourages students to experiment and innovate. Students also strengthen their art-making practice at the university level using class discussion and group critiques as critical tools for growth and development.

    • Photography: This Photography course examines contemporary and historical photography with a focus on form, content, and new approaches to making photographs. Through workshops on camera operation and printing techniques, students learn the fundamentals of digital photography, experiment with Dark room techniques, and execute a wide range of projects and experiments. Individual and group critiques led by artist instructors help students expand their body of work and learn to discuss the work of others. Students must bring their own DSLR camera with manual mode.

    • Sculpture: The Sculpture course is a unique opportunity to introduce students to sculptural techniques and interpretation rarely offered in high school curricula. Students examine the complex relationships between form, space, materials and meaning as they relate to contemporary and historical sculpture. Students in the sculpture concentration learn about a wide array of conceptual processes, construction methods, and materials in the UCLA sculpture lab. Through this course, students strengthen their art-making practice at the university level using class discussion as a critical tool for growth and development.

    • Age: Students must be 15 years of age or older by June 22, 2026 and not older than 18 years of age or enrolled full-time in college.

    • Transcript: You will be asked to upload a high school transcript when you begin the Program Application. Please be sure to have a digital copy of your transcript before you begin the application.

    • Prerequisites: There are no course or subject matter prerequisites for these programs. However, students should have a serious interest in the course material–and be motivated to study and work hard.

  • The program has application requirements for admission. Applications are reviewed and admission to the program is granted on a rolling basis starting February 18th. Eligible applicants who successfully submit all requirements will be reviewed and notified via email of an admission decision within three weeks of submitting an application. Applying at your earliest convenience is highly recommended.

    Applicants are required to provide the following during the online registration process:

    1. An unofficial transcript from grade 9 to present

    2. Upload four examples of your original and recent artwork in JPEG format (width greater than 500 pixels, length lesser than 1024 pixels at 72 dpi).

    3. Complete a brief questionnaire answering the following questions:

      • What is your main reason for applying to the Summer Art Institute? What do you hope to learn?

      • What art experience do you have, if any?

      • How would you best describe the kind of art that you make now?

      • The Summer Art Institute is an intensive work environment that requires students to be self-motivated, engaged, and creative in their use of time and resources. Describe a project that you initiated or worked on independently that demonstrates these qualities and your readiness to participate in the program.

      • College level art classes can be very social and diverse environments. Students share the studio and equipment to execute their artwork and are often asked to work together. Students are, also, expected to support each other in their artistic work. Describe a situation where you worked in a group and what your role was.

      • Provide the name, email address, and phone number of one previous art teacher.

    Important: Students must write their own original responses. Do not use generative AI tools to write your answers. We are looking for authentic reflections that represent your own thoughts and voice.

    Enrolling in the Summer Art Institute requires three steps:

    1. Complete the program application and pay the program fee—you'll receive a confirmation email with further instructions.

    2. Register as a UCLA student at and pay the $350 non-refundable fee to receive your University ID (UID).

    3. Create a MyUCLA account using your UID, add your student to the course waitlist, and pay remaining fees through Bruin Bill. After completing all three steps, your student is fully enrolled.

  • Commuter Program: June 22 – July 10

    Participants of the Summer Art Institute commuter program commute to the UCLA campus each day of the program. Specific location information (e.g. classroom) will be provided to enrolled students closer to the start of the program.

    • Parking: Summer Sessions parking permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Students have the option to purchase a summer term permit or a daily permit. Please review the Transportation and Parking Services web page and read the “Summer Quarter Parking (All Students)” section for more information on all permit types, including cost.

    • Housing: Although we are not offering organized on-campus housing for the commuter program, any student age 17 years or older may be eligible for an independent Summer Sessions Housing Contract. For more information, please visit UCLA's Summer Sessions Housing page.

    Residential Program: July 12 - Aug. 1

    The residential program offers supervised housing for all students–including weekends–starting the first Sunday of the program (residential hall check-in and campus orientation day). Students will be able to walk or take a campus bus to and from their residential hall to classes, and breakfast and dinner in a nearby dining hall are also provided every day (including weekends).

    Note: Students will need to bring money for lunch every day, which can be obtained at various campus food courts.

    Complete details about campus life will be provided through an email welcome packet before the program start date. 

  • Coursework
    ART 70 Painting; 4 units
    ART 71 Drawing; 4units
    ART 72 Photography; 4 units
    Art 73 Sculpture; 4 units

    Grading

    Students will be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis upon completion. See University Credit, Grades and Transcripts for more information about academic credit.

    In order to successfully complete the program, students must not have more than 2 excused or unexcused absences.

2026 Program Dates:
Commuter: June 22 – July 10
Residential: July 13 – Aug. 1

Program Eligibility: 9th-12th grade in Spring 2026*

*All participants must be at least 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions 2026 on June 22. No exceptions allowed.

Applications Open: March 6, 2026

Contact program

Fees and Payment Info

The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer.

Residential Program Fees

Program fee (includes housing)*
Registration fee
Course and Institutional fees***

$2,795
$350
$1,791

Total Estimated Fees

$6,641

Commuter Program Fees

Program fee*
Registration fee
Course and Institutional fees**

Total Estimated Fees

$4,500
$350
$1,791

$4,936

*Refundable until May 15
** Refundable until June 25
*** Refundable until July 16

Summer Art Institute FAQ

  • Yes! The Summer Art Institute offers undergraduate-level, intro studio art courses. Our courses are designed to accommodate students who are experienced artists, as well as those who are trying a medium for the first time. No experience with the medium is necessary. Our instructors are also skilled at responding to students working at a variety of levels with challenging assignments to help them explore and develop their work.

  • The Summer Art Institute is not a portfolio building program – we find that a concern towards building a portfolio can deter students from taking risks or being experimental and ambitious in their work. However, students in the Summer Art Institute can expect to make a significant number of works during the session, including many portfolio pieces, and will have access to a Department of Art admissions advising session. Students will also have ample opportunity to discuss their portfolios with their instructors throughout the program.

  • Students in Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture classes will have Art Kits supplied to them from  Blick Art Materials. Kits include all of the tools and materials necessary for the class.

    Photography students will have a film camera loaned to them. All film and paper will be provided.

Still have questions?

Contact Program

  • I loved the program … it helped me expand my boundaries and become more confident with different mediums I hadn't experienced before.

    –Alix, Summer Art Institute

  • I can't put it into words what UCLA has done for me. They helped me develop my portfolio, different artistic ideas, and different ways of working with other people. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had.

    –Colby, Summer Sessions

  • I enjoyed every moment of this program. It was an unforgettable experience to talk, laugh, and live with the people I did. Being able to share the same tasks everyday challenged me to see eye to eye with my classmates.

    –Ashley, TeenArch

  • “I loved how we were challenged to think outside the box when creating our designs and receiving our critiques. It really expanded my idea of what architecture can be and how it can interact with the environment around it.”

    –Samuel, TeenArch