Procedures & Policies

Please don't hesitate to contact us for questions, concerns, or advice on course selection.

• Phone: 215-972-7632 (We encourage you to include your email address in your message so that we can respond by sending documents and links when needed.)
• Email: continuinged@pafa.edu
• Visit: The Continuing Education Programs is located on the 3rd floor of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. Enter the building through the School Entrance on Lenfest Plaza and check in at the Security Desk. 
• Fall 2024 office hours (starting September 9; subject to change for summer-fall interim, holidays, and course scheduling):
  • Monday, 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (remote assistance available after 9 a.m. via continuinged@pafa.edu) 
  • Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (when classes are in session)
  • Sunday, closed

To enter PAFA’s buildings and participate in on-campus classes as a CE student, the following documentation is required, per the directives of PAFA’s Office of Safety and Security.  

• CE students enrolled in multi-week classes must present a new or updated PAFA photo ID card.  Enrolled students will be emailed instructions on how to submit a photo to obtain new ID; returning students with an ID from a previous course should reuse the same card, which will be updated for the current semester by PAFA security (always save your card!).  Note:  Your PAFA ID confers school access and benefits for the length of your semester course(s), from the start date to the last day of your classes.
• Students enrolled in workshops or courses running one-week or less are not eligible for PAFA ID cards but must check/sign in at the Security Desk with alternate identification to enter PAFA’s buildings for the length of their courses.  Semester access privileges are not issued to students enrolled in workshops or one-week intensives.  
• Students enrolled in online or off-campus/outdoor courses are not eligible to receive a PAFA ID card.
• There is a $15 replacement fee for lost or damaged IDs. Contact the Continuing Education office at continuinged@pafa.edu to arrange to pay the fee before obtaining a new card.

PAFA no longer requires COVID vaccination as of May 4, 2023, based on current science and City of Philadelphia regulations.  However, PAFA and the CDC strongly recommend full COVID vaccination and booster shots for all students and employees who are eligible, including the bivalent booster. We will continue to monitor campus policies for COVID-19 safety and prevention, in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines.  

• Masks are encouraged. 
• Hand sanitizer is available throughout PAFA’s buildings. 
• All individuals who receive a positive COVID-19 test must follow current City of Philadelphia guidelines (https://www.phila.gov/media/20221208093546/IE-Calendar-12.221.pdf) for isolation. 
• Students and staff must inform Jimmie Greeno III, Senior Director of Safety, Security and Facility Services, at jgreeno@pafa.org if they test positive for COVID-19. PAFA will treat information regarding the identity of staff or students with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 as confidential to the extent practicable and will comply with applicable laws regarding the handling of such information.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to a safe and productive campus.

If minimum enrollment is not met, a class will be canceled on or shortly after its registration deadline date.  Students will be notified by phone and may choose to transfer into another class or receive a full tuition and fee refund.  Please register early to help prevent course cancellations!  Travel insurance is recommended for students attending from a distance for onsite classes.

In the rare event that COVID-19 or another urgent issue requires PAFA's cancellation of a course in progress, a prorated refund or credit will be issued to enrolled students for all missed sessions.

PAFA is accredited through the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).  PAFA is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). 

UNDERGRADUATE CREDIT

Courses meeting contact hour requirements (30 hours minimum, not including lunch breaks) are available for 1.0, 1.5, or 3.0 undergraduate credits as marked.  If taken for credit, you may incur additional coursework, and will receive a course grade and appropriate credit that will appear on an official PAFA transcript, if requested.  For an official transcript, please submit a completed Transcript Request Form to PAFA's School Registrar with appropriate payment.

Changes in credit status (for both non-credit to credit and credit to non-credit) must be completed through the CE office (not the course instructor) by the following deadlines:

• Fall/Spring Twelve- to Fifteen-Week Courses - Prior to the third class.
• Fall/Spring Short/Condensed Courses (fewer than 12 weeks) - Prior to the second class.  
• Summer Multiple-Week Classes and One-Week Intensives - Prior to the second class. 

Email continuinged@pafa.edu to arrange changes in credit status and payment of associated tuition fees, if applicable.  Credit status cannot be changed after the deadlines above or retroactively after courses are completed.  No refunds are issued for changes from credit to non-credit.

GRADUATE CREDIT (Summer Only)

The Summer Studio/Critique Program is available for 3.0 graduate credits.

PAFA is approved to provide Pennsylvania Act 48 hours and New Jersey Department of Education Professional Development Credit for its courses and workshops.  Courses and workshops are eligible for the number of contact hours for which they meet (excluding lunch breaks). Courses need not be taken for PAFA undergraduate academic credit to be eligible for professional development credit hours (see credit options and tuition pricing on individual courses).  Educators electing to receive PA Act 48 or NJ Professional Development Credit should notify the Continuing Education Programs office when registering.  PA educators must provide their six-digit Professional Educator Identification Number. 

Access to PAFA’s classroom facilities is granted only to students enrolled in in-person on-campus courses, with appropriate ID/vaccination requirements, for the length of their courses.  Students enrolled in online courses are not approved to access PAFA’s classroom and shop facilities.

• Students are required to use odorless solvents, i.e. Turpenoid.  NO TURPENTINE.
• Spray fixatives must be used outdoors or in the 10th floor spray booth.  No indoor spraying allowed.
• Please do not empty solvents and/or paints into sinks or trashcans.  Use appropriately-labeled barrels, located near each floor’s utility sinks.
• Students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves before leaving class.
• Students may not touch, move, or place anything on/against the bases or any part of the antique cast collection in the Cast Hall.
• PAFA is not responsible for artwork or other belongings left in any PAFA studio or classroom.
• Only students currently enrolled in printmaking or sculpture classes are approved for access to PAFA’s Print and Sculpture Shops.  Students enrolled in sculpture or printmaking courses must abide by the rules established by the Shop Managers. 

Complete information about the policies, procedures, and services offered at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, including general campus policies, expanded classroom regulations, disciplinary procedures, and sexual harassment and misconduct policies and resources is outlined in PAFA's Student Regulations and Policies. 

By registering for a CE class, students agree to abide by PAFA's policies and regulations.  Failure to comply with school policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal with forfeiture of tuition and fees.  

The closure, delayed opening, or early dismissal of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will be determined jointly by the Dean of the School and the Museum Director, with approval of the President. Such closing or delay would include the school, galleries and administrative offices. Decisions regarding the cancellation of special events and evening classes may be made later in the day.  To find out if PAFA is closed or delayed, check one of the following:

• PAFA's homepage - A banner message will be displayed only in the event of a closing or delay.
• PAFA’s main number, 215-972-7600 – An outgoing message advising of a close or delay will be recorded by 6:30 a.m.
• KYW-TV (CBS 3)  – Lists the school by name
• WPVI-TV (ABC 6) – Lists the school by name
• CAU-TV (NBC 10) – Lists the school by name

PAFA is conveniently located near the SEPTA Market East and Suburban train stations, bus and trolley stops and PATCO Hi-Speed Line station stops.  For maps and directions, please see PAFA's Visitors' Information page.  Discounted parking is available at the Parkway Corporation Garage at the southwest corner of Broad and Race streets and at their outdoor lot at the northeast corner of 15th and Cherry streets. Wheelchair accessible spaces available on the 3rd level of garage and in the outdoor lot. To receive discounted parking rates, please obtain a validation sticker from the Security Desk at the Lenfest Plaza (Student) Entrance of either the Hamilton or Historic Landmark Buildings.  Look up location and rate information at Broad & Race | ParkwayCorp and 15th & Cherry | ParkwayCorp.  Students with validation stickers receive 20% off the posted rates.