Summer Programs
Summer Programs at the School of the Arts
Each summer, School of the Arts welcomes students of all ages and levels of artistic experience to Columbia’s campus in New York City. Courses are created and taught by School of the Arts graduate faculty, as well as by guest artists who are leaders in their fields.
At Columbia, you’re not just a visitor—you’re part of the community. Co-curricular activities planned for Summer 2025 include: Arts in the Summer Kickoff Mixer (Session A), Wicked showing on Broadway (Session A), Horror-Writing Panel organized by Professor Dorothea Lasky (Session B), Arts Writing field trip organized by Professor Thom Donovan (Session B), and more! Visit the School of Professional Studies website to learn more about summer session student life.
Admissions to summer programs at the School of the Arts is open to all who want to study with us. The application is fast and easy and neither a transcript nor a BA is required, with the exception of the Advanced Painting Intensive.
Summer Schedule
FULL SUMMER TERM: May 26–August 15, 2025
SESSION A: May 26–July 4, 2025
SESSION B: July 7–August 15, 2025
Columbia students do not need to apply, but they do need to register.
All visiting students will need to apply to the School of Professional Studies and register upon acceptance.
Summer 2025 Deadlines for Visiting Students
Information Sessions
I learned not to fear colors. Not only that, I learned to love them deeply. Before I would only draw with pencil or in black and white, but after this course my medium needs color in it. It has changed how I view the world – every day is more interesting now that it is bursting with color.
Undergraduate Visiting Student Madeline Morris was drawn from the University of Virginia to Columbia University during Columbia Summer 2017 for the Arts in the Summer program.
Deborah Ten graduated from university in Tokyo and works as a copywriter and Japanese-to-English translator. She attended Columbia University during Columbia Summer 2017 as a visiting student in the Arts in the Summer program.
Our instructor brought a magic to the classroom. His knowledge of poetry, both conventional and contemporary, his gift for finding the value in every student's work, his ability to find ways to further improve upon this value, were incomparable.
Questions?
For questions related to admissions, registration, tuition, housing, transcripts, examinations, grades, university resources, and important dates, please email [email protected].
For course-related questions, such as curricula, syllabi, materials, prerequisites, and faculty, please send an email directly to the Summer Departmental Representative for the course. They are:
TREY ELLIS
Departmental Representative for Film
[email protected]
ROB KING
Departmental Representative for Film
[email protected]
DOROTHEA LASKY
Departmental Representative for Writing
[email protected]
SABLE ELYSE SMITH
Departmental Representative for Visual Arts
[email protected]
CLARENCE COO
Interim Director of Academic Administration for Theatre
[email protected]