The Program in Visual Arts, part of the Lewis Center for the Arts, allows interested undergraduates to explore the modes of thought and practice of visual media and to develop their creative skills in connection with a general program of humanistic education. Courses are offered in ceramics, digital and analog photography, drawing, film and video production, film history and criticism, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation art, and a seminar in contemporary art.

All courses in the program are open to all students at Princeton. A few courses are by application only. The courses are letter graded (not pass/D/fail) and may be taken in fulfillment of the distribution requirement in LA (Literature and Arts). Summer courses and study abroad are accepted for Program 2 and certificate students only. AP credit is not accepted.

For students interested in pursuing studio arts, there are two options. The first is Program 2, the concentration offered by the Department of Art and Archaeology in cooperation with the Program in Visual Arts that focuses on the visual/studio arts with an art history component. The second option is a visual arts certificate done in addition to a student’s departmental concentration. Students wishing either to study film history/theory or do film/video production may pursue this track within the visual arts certificate program in collaboration with departments that accept a creative or written thesis in film.

Admission to the Program

Admission to both Program 2 in Art and Archaeology and the visual arts certificate program is selective. In the first week following spring break, students submit an application and a portfolio of creative work (or an essay on cinema in the case of those applying for the track in film and video) to the Lewis Center for the Arts administrative office. The admissions committee will notify students accepted into the program by early April. Click here to apply and/or view detailed application guidelines. For specific prerequisites, please see the individual areas below.

Program of Study

Program 2: History of Art and Visual Arts
This concentration in the visual arts, combining studio art and art history, is for students who will do a creative thesis. For program requirements, see the Program 2 description under the Department of Art and Archaeology.

The Visual Arts Certificate
Overview. A certificate in visual arts will be awarded to students who successfully complete a substantial program of studio work and other requirements, as summarized below, while concentrating in another academic department. Students interested in a certificate in visual arts should submit a portfolio in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Normally students must complete two of the required visual arts courses before being admitted to the program. One course in art and archaeology is also recommended.

The Film Track Certificate
Only for students in academic departments that accept written or creative theses in film/video; the thesis will be the same for both their home department and the Program in Visual Arts. Otherwise, a student concentrating in film would elect option a or b Program 2 or the Certificate.

Program of Study

Students who fulfill the requirements of the program receive a certificate of proficiency in visual arts upon graduation.