Unlock your potential while having fun during summer!

Get a taste of the college experience, explore your interests, and experience campus life. The Department of Art offers several 2-week-long summer intensive courses tailored to different aspects of art making!

 

These courses are offered at the UMass Campus as residential programs, with students living in residence halls and eating in our award-winning dining commons. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.

Students in umass computer lab

Animation and Hollywood VFX in Adobe After Effects

Learn and master the secrets to Adobe After Effects, the industry standard for creating digital character animation, motion graphics, and Hollywood visual effects. This is a crash course for beginners and assumes no prior After Effects experience, but there will still be plenty of new material to learn for students who are already familiar with the basics.

Image of ceramics students in a summer precollege course

Ceramics: Handbuilding & Throwing Techniques

This Introduction to Ceramics course is designed for high school students to develop skills in handbuilding, throwing, and surface design while building a portfolio for college admissions. Students will learn essential techniques in both ceramic disciplines, including but not limited to wedging, pinching, coiling, slab building, centering, pulling walls, and trimming.

Image of students in precollege painting class

Painting & Portfolio Preparation

This Painting and Portfolio Preparation course is designed for high school students to develop skills in watercolor and acrylic painting while building a portfolio for college admissions. Students will learn essential techniques in both mediums, including layering, blending, and textural effects, alongside principles of color theory, composition, and design.

Applications for Summer 2025 are now open!

We accept applications from rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school. High school seniors who will graduate in Spring 2025 are also welcome.

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. We recommend applying early as programs may fill up.