Art and Design in Paris
Paris College of Art joins forces with Accent Global Learning to offer an exciting opportunity in Paris for individuals studying at U.S. colleges and universities. Students will enroll directly at PCA and pursue coursework in art and design, as well as study the French language and explore the local culture.
2024 has been a landmark year for PCA, as the school moves to a new location in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, steps away from the Arc de Triomphe. This new campus has been carefully selected to provide PCA students with an improved facility in which to foster their creativity, collaborate, and have a unique educational experience.
Stay tuned for updates about Paris College of Art via Instagram.
Academics
PCA curriculum spans all areas of art and design, incorporating a focus on social impact through creative, community-based innovation. All curriculum embraces Paris as a classroom, with studio and academic work extending beyond the walls of campus into the city’s streets and squares, museums and galleries. Offering six distinct undergraduate degree programs, PCA curriculum embraces transdisciplinarity and emphasizes dialogue between the arts, sustainability, and core craft and skill development.
Faculty, most of whom are active professionals in their own fields of art and design, guide students through both theory and practice-based coursework that culminates in end-of-semester projects and portfolio development.
PCA Curriculum and Sample Course Offerings
The cornerstone of PCA’s Art & Design education, the interdisciplinary liberal studies and art history courses offer students a strong grasp of the creative world and history of the chosen focus of study. Offerings in history, philosophy, languages and literatures, and sciences ensure that students are able to navigate the complexities of contemporary culture.
- Paris Yesterday and Tomorrow: History, Art, and Urban Culture
- Multilingual Paris
- Modernity and Modernisms
- History of New Media
- History of Fashion in the 20th and 21st Centuries
- Food, Health, and the Environment
The Communication Design curriculum at PCA, similar to many graphic design and UX programs on U.S. campuses, establishes a solid foundation in visual form and design principles while also addressing the methodologies and issues behind contemporary graphic design. Paris is an internationally renowned hub for artists and designers and PCA offers students a unique opportunity to broaden their cultural and creative perspectives by experiencing graphic design in action through the city’s vibrant community of design professionals.
- Typography
- Graphic Design
- Branding and Identity
- UX Design
- Web Design
- Motion Graphics
- Editorial Design
The Fashion Design program at PCA equips students with an understanding of tools, materials, construction techniques, and textile design methods to enable them to express individual creative visions. Beyond the school atelier, workshops with industry professionals and visits to trade fairs, designer shows, and museum exhibitions all foster a keen understanding of the French and European fashion business.
- Textile Identification
- Digital Fashion Studio
- Pattern Drafting
- Fashion Drawing: Hand
- 3D Fashion Design
- Professional Sewing and Stitching
With Paris as its extraordinarily rich cultural setting, the PCA Fine Arts Department promotes the development of artistic skills, the expression of creative processes, and an informed awareness of how art practice intersects with current visual, cultural, and societal concerns.
- Painting: Interactions
- Ceramic Sculpture: Materials
- 4D Studio: Video
- Performance Art: Exploring the body and live media
- Sculpture
- Creative and Experimental Drawing
PCA’s Interior Design program is intended for undergraduate students aiming to become professional interior designers specialized in retail, commercial, exhibition, and event spaces. Interdisciplinary in nature and structure, the studio and the classroom serve as complementary spaces for design thinking and creative expression as well as technical and professional skills development.
- Permanent Space Design
- Temporary Space Design
- Furniture and Display Design
- Lighting Design
- Project Communication 3D
- Architectural Components
PCA’s Photography program combines technical knowledge, principles of photography, and image-making research and theory. Studio classes and labs conducted by professionals emphasize the mastery of contemporary techniques and professional practices, while theory-based and seminar courses help students develop their personal creative visions.
- Digital Photography Lab
- Lighting Techniques
- Large Format Camera Techniques
- Advanced Printing Techniques
- Photography and the Marketplace
- Professional Business Practice
PCA offers four levels of French language courses that include outings such as French wine tasting and visits to sites unique to Paris like the passages couverts – enclosed shopping areas dating from the early 19th century. These outings not only help to improve student’s language skills, but also their general cultural knowledge. In addition, all visiting students enroll in the Paris Inside/Out course, a one-credit course designed to bring students in contact with Paris and its design culture, consisting of visits to art and design exhibits, as well as meetings with artists, artisans and designers in Paris.
- French for Paris (Beginner)
- French Language and Culture (Intermediate)
- Topics in French Civilization, taught in French
- Langue et littérature françaises, taught in French
- Paris Inside/Out
Program At A Glance
- Program Price: Spring 2025 $23,500 | Fall 2025 $23,600
- 12-18 course credits
- Transferable college credit through Paris College of Art – accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
- Housing: choice between single studio in student residence or homestay with a French Family
- Welcome and farewell meals and cultural activities
- Medical Insurance
- 24-hour emergency and counseling support
- Pre-departure program orientation
- Overseas information and resource center with Accent Paris on-site staff
- Small class sizes, close relationships with faculty who lead frequent visits and tours outside the classroom
- Faculty with extensive research and field experience in their area, many of whom are practicing artists and designers
- Portfolio development
- Museums, archives, neighborhood tours, on-site lectures
Students choose between two housing options: residence or homestay. In the residence, students live in single studio apartments. Each studio is equipped with a kitchenette and private bathroom. The residence hosts other U.S. students as well as French and international students.
Students also have the choice of living with a French family in a homestay. This is a unique opportunity to immerse in French language and culture. Homestay placements include four weekly dinners and daily breakfast.
- Spring 2025 Timetable
- Pre-departure academic orientation: late November
- Departure from U.S.: January 5
- Arrival in Paris: January 6
- Overseas orientation – health, safety, housing: January 8
- PCA visiting student orientation: January 7-10
- Classes begin: January 13
- Spring break: March 3-7
- Final exams and critiques: May 5-8
- Program ends: May 10
- Fall 2025 Timetable
- Pre-departure academic orientation: late April
- Departure from U.S.: August 20
- Arrival in Paris: August 21
- Overseas orientation – health, safety, housing: August 22
- PCA visiting student orientation: August 25 - 29
- Classes begin: September 1
- Final exams and critiques: December 8-12
- Program ends: December 13
All participants must check in at Accent Paris Center between 9am and 4pm on the arrival date (Note: most transatlantic flights arrive one day after their departure date). Airfare is not included in the program fee.
Application Procedure and Requirements
Successful candidates must have a least two years of studio courses.
Applications for Spring 2025 are currently open.
Applications for Fall 2025 are currently open.
Deadline for Spring 2025 applicants: October 21, 2024
Deadline for Fall 2025 applicants: April 14, 2025
Application Fee: $50 USD
Within three working days of submitting your application, you will receive an email with access to the PCA application portal. As soon as you are able, and before the portal closure date listed below under deadlines, you should:
· Submit a Portfolio of 10-15 recent works showing your readiness to undertake the program for which you are applying.
· Write a Personal Statement (approximately 500 words) elaborating your goals for your time in this program.
· Submit an official grade report of the most recent two years of study. For the admissions phase this can be an unofficial copy. However, an official copy must be submitted before enrolling in classes.
After submitting all materials to the portal, you will be contacted by your PCA admissions counselor to schedule an interview.
Spring 2025 Deadlines
October 25: Portal closes
October 30: Last day for interviews
October 31: Admissions decision
November 5: $2,000 non-refundable deposit due
Fall 2025 Deadlines
April 20: Portal closes
April 24: Last day for interviews
April 25: Admissions decision
May 1: $1,000 non-refundable deposit due
Payment Schedule
Spring 2025
Non-refundable first payment due November 5, 2024 – $2,000
Second payment due November 19, 2024 – $10,750
Final payment due December 10, 2024 – $10,750
Fall 2025
Non-refundable first payment due May 1, 2025 – $1,000
Second payment due May 23, 2025 – $11,300
Final payment due June 13, 2025 – $11,300
The payment schedule is the applicant’s contractual obligation. Failure to make each payment when due shall automatically cancel participant from the program. All payments are effective the day they are received by the Accent U.S. Office. Accent, in its sole discretion, may reinstate an applicant subject to availability of space and late enrollment fees. The program participant shall be the client of Accent for all purposes.
Program price does not include
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Round-trip airfare
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Personal expenses, passports, visas, books, supplies, and anything not listed as included
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Meals, other than described
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Travel and personal property insurance
Cancellations
Spring 2025
Cancellation Fees:
Cancellation between November 6th and November 18th: $2000
Cancellation between November 19th and December 10th: $3000
Cancellation after December 10th: No refund
Fall 2025
Cancellation Fees:
Cancellation between May 2nd and May 23rd: $1000
Cancellation between May 23rd and July 2nd: $2500
Cancellation after July 2nd: No refund
All cancellations must be made in writing to Accent and are effective the date of receipt by Accent. Participants are liable for payments until written cancellation is received by Accent.
Covid-19
The health and wellbeing of all students, faculty and staff are paramount to Accent Global Learning. Accent has worked with a Medical Advisor following WHO and local health authority guideline to put protocols in place. Students will learn about Covid-19 related protocols, health resources and local regulations through pre-departure materials and in on-site orientations.
At any point before or during the program, should PCA or Accent’s protocols deem necessary to cancel the program for any health or safety reasons, Accent and PCA will attempt to refund all recoverable fees and costs.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Christofides, Senior Academic Programs Coordinator
sarah.christofides@accentglobal.com