Certificate Program

The Parsons Pre-College Academy Certificate Program is for students in grades 9–12 who plan to apply to colleges of art and design. The certificate curriculum is designed to help students create a body of work that reflects the strength of their ideas, skills, and understanding of art and design. Parsons Pre-College Academy courses promote design thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

Certificate students may choose courses in a variety of art disciplines, or they may focus on a specific area of study.

PRE-COLLEGE ACADEMY CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

• Two (2) foundation courses: Choose from: Drawing, Painting, 3D Studio, Advanced Drawing, Digital Design Lab
• Three (3) elective courses
• Portfolio Development

Students may fulfill the requirements by attending a combination of Parsons programs offered for pre-college students by Parsons SPACE, described below.

CERTIFICATE COURSE FULFILLMENT

Fall and Spring students may take one course each semester toward their certificate on Saturday mornings.

Summer students have two options:

• Parsons Pre-College Academy classes meet five days a week for two weeks in early August. Classes taken in the Academy summer program may be counted as one (1) foundation course and one (1) discipline-specific course.
  
• Summer Intensive Studies (SIS) pre-college courses meet five days a week for four weeks in New York or Paris and offer undergraduate credit. A grade of B- or higher in any SIS course will also count as three course requirements towards a Parsons Academy certificate. NOTE: Students must be 16 years of age or older by the beginning of the SIS program in order to register.

Students who have completed senior level Pre-College Academy courses in the previous academic year may have them applied toward their certificate, pending approval by the course instructors and staff of Parsons SPACE.

Upon completion of all required courses, students should file a petition form with Parsons SPACE. Please submit the petition after the last class is completed. Certificates are issued three times a year, February, August, and October.

Download the Certificate Petition Form (PDF)

Attendance Policy

The success of Parsons Pre-College Academy is dependent on the attendance and motivation of the student body. Each student's sense of achievement will be enhanced by attending and actively participating in the program.

Students taking the class towards a Pre-College Academy Certificate cannot miss more than two classes. Certificate students who miss class more than two times or fail to participate fully in class will fail the course and may be asked to leave the program.

Students are always expected to be on time for class. Student participation in class is essential and arriving late is disruptive to the entire class.

If students are going to be absent, please contact the office at 212.229.8933 or inform the faculty.