Drawing and Painting Online Studies Certificate of Art

• Students must enroll in the Drawing and Painting Online Studies CA in order to accumulate courses toward completion.  See How to Enroll below.
• This program is composed of six credit-bearing/30-contact-hour Continuing Education (CE) courses, to be completed in one to three years.  Up to six non-credit 6-week/18(+)-hour Short Courses may be combined to fulfill three of the credit-course requirements, with Director's approval. Students may track their progress with PAFA's Drawing and Painting Online Studies CA Course List.
• Credit-bearing, 30-hour courses must be taken for credit where available, which entails assessment for a grade based on attendance, participation, and quality of work.  Grading requirements vary by course/instructor.  Credits will appear on PAFA transcripts, available upon request.
• Approved short non-credit courses being combined to fulfill requirements must be submitted with a signed Verification of Satisfactory Completion by the instructor, confirming satisfactory attendance, participation, and quality of work.  
• A limit of two previously completed PAFA CE course(s) may be transferred into the program, upon review and approval of the CE Director.  Courses must have been completed within two years of the Certificate application date and must have been taken for credit to be applied. Courses from other institutions are not eligible for transfer.
• Certificates may be completed within one year at a rate of two 30-hour courses per semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer); however, students may complete the program at their own pace within a three-year limit. 
• Students must complete their certificate course of study within three years of their semester start date. Resuming Certificate course requirements after this time limit will require re-enrollment into the program with application fee and evaluation of previously completed courses for transfer based on date of completion and satisfactory work.   
• This program is offered for online-only participation.  For students who wish to attend in-person classes on PAFA's campus, the Core Curriculum CA and Figure Studies CA offer in-person instruction that can be combined with online study for select courses, if needed.
• Online courses feature asynchronous (Canvas online learning platform) instruction, allowing students to take advantage of posted course content any time of day, and/or synchronous (Zoom) instruction, scheduled for specific days and times via live videoconferencing sessions.  Many courses utilize combination of these formats.  See course descriptions.  Standard courses consist of approximately three hours of weekly content, either Zoom-only or as a combination of synchronous Zoom instruction and asynchronous Canvas content in the form of assignments/feedback, artist references, and/or posted handouts or videos.  Condensed Courses are comprised of a greater number of content hours over fewer weeks.

• Estimated program cost: Approximately $3,600 + non-refundable $75 application fee.  Course tuition is paid incrementally, per course each semester. Average credit tuition per 30-hour course is $595; average non-credit tuition per six-week course is $250 - $295. 
• Tuition rates are based on course length and contact hours.  For credit-bearing courses, students must pay the for-credit tuition rate in order to be assessed for a grade and fulfill Certificate enrollment requirements.
• PAFA Friend-level and above membership discounts apply to regular CE classes.  
• Limited scholarship assistance through the CE Community Scholarship application is available.  Partial tuition scholarships are available for up to 1 course per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer).  Scholarship awards vary in amount and are not guaranteed upon application.
• Course tuition must be paid in full at the time of enrollment in each course.

Register Now!

• Students must register for the Certificate Program of their choosing via the CE course catalog with payment of a non-refundable application fee. This marks the semester start of their Certificate enrollment and when classes may be counted toward completion requirements (except for limited/approved course transfers).  Certificate enrollment is by registration-only -- no further application requirements are required for participation/approval.
• Students are encouraged to start enrolling in courses within the same semester of their Certificate registration. Available courses are listed in each semester's CE course catalog for enrollment online.  Remember to select the credit option for credit-bearing courses in order for them to count toward completion requirements.
• For limited non-credit/short courses (up to six for the Online Studies Drawing and Painting CA, to be counted in combination to replace three credit-bearing classes), please contact the CE office at 215-972-2029 for advising/approval.  
• For course selection, please see course requirements below.  For questions or course advice, contact PAFA’s Continuing Education Programs Office at 215-972-7632 or continuinged@pafa.edu.

View/search for the required CE courses below via the online catalog.  Courses need not be taken in a prescribed order; however, it is recommended that students begin with at least one drawing course.

Keep track of your progress with PAFA's Drawing and Painting Online Studies CA Course List.

* 30 hours = One 10-week/1.0-credit course or two 6-week/non-credit courses with document of completion (limit of six 6-week courses to substitute for three credit-bearing courses).  1.0-credit Condensed Courses, which offer 30 hours of content within a shorter period of time, also fulfill requirements.

Drawing - Three 30(+)-hour courses (or equivalent with electives), including:

• An introductory-level or foundations class, such as fundamentals/beginning drawing, foundations of art, drawing with graphite/charcoal pencil, still life drawing
• Perspective drawing
• A second-level course or featured topics class, such as intermediate drawing, illustration, color media (colored pencil or pastel), techniques, or featured topic (portrait, life/anatomy, landscape, nature, etc.)
• Drawing electives (non-credit courses that can be combined with 6-week versions of the above requirements): additional foundations or featured topics class, composition/design, abstract concepts, or other drawing media/techniques

Painting (Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor/Water-Media, or Combination) - Three 30(+)-hour courses (or equivalent with electives), including:

• An introductory-level or foundations class, such as beginning painting, still life, alla prima topics, introductory-level figure/portrait painting
• A color course such as color theory or mixing or a color-focused course on a featured topic (figure/portrait, landscape, still life, etc.)
• A composition-focused course or abstract concepts
• Painting electives (non-credit courses that can be combined with 6-week versions of the above requirements): other painting media or mixed media, featured topics class, illustration class using painting techniques, additional composition/design or abstract concepts, or other techniques-focused course

1. A portfolio review and exit discussion with CE staff (via Zoom)
2. A signed Certificate Credit Fulfillment Form, acknowledging the completion of all program requirements
3. 10 digital images of artwork completed during the program

• Certificate programs provide the benefit of a prescribed course of study toward a learning goal.  Students are not required to enroll in Certificate of Art programs to register for individual CE classes: members of the public are welcome to study on a course-by-course basis, for credit or non-credit, as their time and interests allow, for personal enrichment and enjoyment.  However, only students who are registered for a certificate program, and are completing credit course requirements, are eligible to earn a certificate credential upon completion. 
• Certificate of Art students are subject to the same expectations and rules as regular CE students, with regard to registration deadlines, credit requirements, withdrawal and refund procedures, and rules of conduct.  View Continuing Education's registration and policy information here.  
• Certificates of Art do not constitute official academic undergraduate or graduate degrees (such as college associate's, bachelor's, or master's degrees).   A certificate is a credential awarded upon the successful completion of a course of study, usually one year or less but at times longer, primarily in accredited institutions of higher education, university extension programs, or non-degree granting post-secondary institutions (e.g., career and technical education schools).  
• Because Certificates of Art are not degree programs, they do not qualify for federal financial aid.  CE promotional and membership discounts, as well as partial tuition scholarships (limit 1 per academic year), are available to provide partial financial assistance (see CE's Discounts and Scholarships information).  Please note that full-course or full-program scholarships are not available.
• Students enrolled in a certificate program are not required to complete the program if they choose to discontinue their studies. Students withdrawing in advance from courses in which they are enrolled, or discontinuing courses in-progress, are subject to CE's per-course standard grading and withdrawal/refund policies, as outlined in its policy information.  Students will not be charged for remaining requirements if they choose not to enroll in future classes.  Courses completed or dropped in-progress will remain on transcript records with appropriate grading or withdrawal records; discontinuing the program itself will not result in any indication or negative impact on a permanent academic record.  
• Students interested in using PAFA's certificate programs toward applying and transferring credits to another undergraduate program should consult with the application school's office of admissions for their credit transfer/acceptance requirements.  CE undergraduate credits typically are not transferable to graduate programs.