Figure Studies Certificate of Art

Certificate of Art (CA)

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The Figure Studies Certificate of Art (CA) is designed for students who want to embrace the PAFA figurative tradition as the core of their artistic practice. Comprised of eight required Continuing Education courses in drawing, painting, and sculpture, this curriculum provides students with a structured approach to exploring the proportions, anatomy, and expressive possibilities of the human figure with an emphasis on observational practices.  This program is ideal for students with an interest in improving their understanding and rendering of the human form for academic anatomy study, portfolio building, or personal studio practice.

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Program Overview

  • Students must enroll in the CE Certificate in Figure Studies program in order to accumulate courses toward completion.  See How to Enroll below.
  • This program is composed of eight credit-bearing/30(+)-contact-hour Continuing Education (CE) courses.  Up to four non-credit 6-week/18(+)-hour Short Courses may be combined to fulfill requirements, with Director's approval. Students may track their progress using PAFA's Figure 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 courses per semester/session (Fall, Spring, Summer Session 1, and Summer Session 2); 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.   
  • Figure Studies requirements are designed for in-person attendance, but select courses may be substituted with credit-bearing online requirements. This program is not designed for online-only participation.  The Drawing and Painting Online Certificate is offered as an online-only course of study.

* Students enrolled in a Certificate program prior to COVID, who had their studies disrupted by the shutdown or other COVID-related issues, may be eligible for additional course transfer options or extensions to completion time.  Application fees for re-enrollment may apply for extended periods of absence, per previous and current policy.  Please call 215-972-2029 for more information.

Tuition

  • Estimated program cost: $4,700 - $6,000 + non-refundable $75 application fee.  Course tuition is paid incrementally, per course each semester. Average credit tuition per 30- to 36-hour course is $595 - $695. Additional lab/materials and models fees may apply.
  • 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.  Master classes, studio rental, and other special programs are not eligible for deductions. 
  • 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.

How to Enroll

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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 four, to be counted in combination to replace two 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.

Requirements - Eight 30(+)-Hour Courses or Equivalent*

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 complete at least one drawing course before enrolling in courses in the other disciplines.  Courses that feature both drawing and painting (such as Portrait Drawing and Painting) can be used in either category, depending on the area of focus.

Keep track of your progress with PAFA's Figure Studies CA Course List.

* 30+ hours = One 10- to 12-week/1.0- or 1.5-credit course or two 6-week/non-credit courses with document of completion (limit of four 6-week courses to substitute for two credit-bearing courses).  1.0- and 1.5-credit Condensed Courses and One-Week Intensives, 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:

  • Cast drawing 
  • Portrait drawing
  • Life/anatomical drawing
  • Drawing electives (non-credit courses that can be combined with 6-week versions of the above requirements): additional portrait-/figure-based featured topics class, other drawing media/techniques featuring the human form, or composition/design featuring the human form

Painting - Two 30(+)-hour courses (or equivalent with electives), including:

  • Portrait painting
  • Life/figure painting
  • Painting electives (non-credit courses that can be combined with 6-week versions of the above requirements): beginning/fundamentals painting course that includes portrait/figure subjects, additional portrait-/figure-based featured topics class (extended pose, clothed figure, figure in interiors), composition/design featuring the human form, other painting media/techniques applicable to the human figure, color mixing/theory including portrait/figure subjects

Sculpture - One 30(+)-hour course (or equivalent): 

  • Figure/portrait clay modeling or écorché
  • Two 6-week sculpture courses utilizing the human form may be combined to fulfill the requirement

Elective Courses - Two 30(+)-hour courses (or equivalent with electives) that advance your interests, including any combination of the following:

  • Any additional or more advanced courses in the topics/disciplines above
  • A course utilizing figure/portrait subject matter in other media, such as printmaking, illustration, or other drawing/painting/mixed media
  • An atelier or open-studio course using the figure
  • A course focusing on abstract applications of the human form
  • Two 6-week courses utilizing the figure may be combined to fulfill the per-course requirement

Certificate Program Completion Requirements

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

Policies

  • Certificate programs provide the benefit of a prescribed course of study toward a learning goal.  Students are not required to enroll in CE's certificate 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 students are subject to the same expectations and rules as regular CE students, with regard to registration deadlines, credit requirements, withdrawal and refund procedures, classroom and campus policies, 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 are not degree programs, they do not qualify for federal financial aid.  CE promotional and membership discounts, as well as partial tuition scholarships (limit one per academic year), are available to provide partial financial assistance (see CE's Discounts and Scholarships information).  No full-course or full-program scholarships are 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.