Study Abroad at PCA Program

Spring Semester

To be considered for Spring entry you must submit your application form, all required application materials and have completed your interview by November 15* at the latest. It is advisable to submit your application and required materials as early as possible to be sure of getting an interview slot within this timeframe. 

September 5 – Application Open
November 15 – Final deadline to submit application form, required materials, and complete your interview
Decisions released weekly starting September 15.

Fall Semester

To be considered for Fall entry you must submit your application form, all required application materials and have completed your interview by May 15* at the latest. It is advisable to submit your application and required materials as early as possible to be sure of getting an interview slot within this timeframe.

September 5 – Application Open
May 15 – Final deadline to submit application form, required materials, and complete your interview
Decisions released weekly starting September 15.

*For Study Abroad other than free-movers, please refer to the deadlines of the program through which you are applying.

The Admissions Committee will review an application once all required materials are received. The status of the decision is updated on the student’s personal account on our web portal. All materials submitted to the Admissions Office, including the portfolio, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. become the property of PCA and will not be returned to the applicant.

The Admissions Committee’s decision to admit an applicant is contingent upon successful completion of any ongoing studies and on the receipt of the final transcripts for those studies. For more information about transcripts see Transcripts information below.

Admitted students can defer their date of entry for up to one year. To defer entry, please email studyabroad@paris.edu to request a deferral, making sure to provide information on your new start date and reasons for deferring. All deferral requests must be approved by the Office of Admissions, and students must pay their non-refundable 1000€ deposit to guarantee their spot. To be reconsidered for admission in future terms write to studyabroad@paris.edu with your full name, the term and program for which you had been accepted and the term and program you wish to be considered for. Please note if you do choose to reapply there is no guarantee that your previous offer of acceptance will be upheld.

Required for all studio applicants

Submit a portfolio if you are applying as a studio-based student, or if you plan to take any studio courses during your semester at PCA.

Guidelines:

Submit a portfolio of 10 to 20 images. Applicants are encouraged to submit their best and most recently completed work showing a range of technical skills and creativity. The admissions committee is particularly interested in how applicants research and communicate their ideas. The portfolio can contain any combination of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation art, video, photography, sound, motion graphics, communication design, fashion design, illustration, etc. Applicants are encouraged to carefully edit their portfolio considering the arrangement and order of their work. Please submit works that align with the area of study for which you are applying.

Need help preparing your portfolio? Applicants are encouraged to attend our free online Portfolio Development Workshop, where we review sample portfolios, share presentation strategies, and help you understand what makes a strong, compelling submission.

Required for all liberal studies applicants

Submit a writing sample if you are applying as a liberal arts student and will not take any studio courses during your semester at PCA.

Guidelines:

The writing should reflect your best writing.  You should submit a recent piece of academic writing.  We are looking for evidence of good writing, research and analytical skills as well as proper spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Required for all applicants

Contact your school to have them send your official grade report containing your most recent years of study at your home university.

Official email transcripts can be submitted directly to the International Office at: studyabroad@paris.edu.

English language requirements

All applicants need to demonstrate that they have the required level of English language competency to study in English at a university level. Applicants who have not completed three or more years of secondary/high school or university level schooling in English (or a mixture of both for transfer students) will need to complete one of the following tests (in-person or online) in order to be considered for admission:

TOEFL IBT

• Minimum score: 92
• Score to be considered for entry with EIS required: 60 – 91*
• PCA institution code: 8217
• Test dates, locations, and registration: www.ets.org

IELTS

• Minimum score: 6.5 band score
• Score to be considered for entry with EIS required: 5.0 – 6.0*
• Test dates, locations, and registration: www.ielts.org

Cambridge English

• Minimum score: 175 on B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficient exam
• Score to be considered for entry with EIS required: 160 – 174*
• Test dates, locations, and registration: www.cambridgeenglish.org

Duolingo

•  Minimum score: 105
• Score to be considered for entry with EIS required: 85-104
• Test dates, locations, and registration: https://englishtest.duolingo.com

PTE Academic

• Minimum score: 70
• Score to be considered for entry with EIS required: 59-75
• Test dates, locations, and registration: https://www.pearsonpte.com

*For more information on the English for International Students (EIS) requirement, please see the Special Conditions of Admissions below.

Please note that we accept English language test scores only if they are no more than two years old at the time of application. If your test was taken more than two years ago, you will need to submit results from a more recent exam.

You may submit your English proficiency test results at any time before or during the application process. Scores can be sent directly to Paris College of Art (PCA) by the testing agency, or you may forward your results to us yourself.

If you have already submitted your application and have been assigned an admissions counselor, please send your scores directly to your counselor. Otherwise, you can email your results to admissions@paris.edu.

Applicants who attended bilingual or international schools or universities in which courses were taught in multiple languages must have studied core academic subjects in English. Applicants who attended high school in English but were placed in English for English Language Learners (ELL/ESL) classes will be required to take an English test.

PCA Admissions reserves the right to request English testing and/or require English for International Students on a case-by-case basis regardless of a student’s academic record if they have hesitations about the student’s language proficiency.

*Students whose English proficiency test scores fall between 60 – 91 on the TOEFL Ibt, 5.5 – 6 on the IELTS, or 160 – 174 on the Cambridge B2 First will be considered for entry with English for International Students (EIS) required. All students who are admitted with EIS required as an Admissions Condition, as well as those who are placed into EIS courses as a result of mandatory testing administered during Orientation at Paris College of Art, will undertake a modified course load during their first year of study consisting exclusively of the studio/departmental portion of the curriculum as well as EIS courses. The student must successfully complete the EIS class in order to continue at Paris College of Art. Any student who does not complete the course with a passing grade in their first semester will receive an academic warning, and any student who has not successfully completed the course by the end of their second semester will be dismissed. Liberal Studies requirements normally completed in the first year must be completed in subsequent semesters or during the summer and in some cases may lengthen the time it takes to graduate.

All applicants who have been educated in non-English language programs are required to submit an original transcript from each institution attended along with a certified English language translation. Applicants who would like to transfer academic credits earned at non-English language institutions must also provide a course-by-course evaluation report for each transcript. The Admissions Office recommends and may request transcripts to be evaluated by World Education Services (WES). Please start the evaluation process as early as possible, including the submission of all required documents to WES in order to ensure the timely completion of the evaluation report. Be sure to instruct WES to send the report to: Admissions Office, Paris College of Art / 241 Bd Pereire / 75017 Paris / France.
To contact WES, visit www.wes.org

• Written in English or have an official translation in English
• Printed on secure transcript paper or on the letterhead of the school (not a copy)
• Stamped with the school seal or other official marking
• Notarized, signed or sent electronically by a school official (registrar, dean, counselor, etc.).

• Name and address of the school
• Student’s name (must appear on every page of the transcript)
• Dates of attendance
• Degree awarded, if any, and the date of degree conferred
• Names of individual courses completed
• Number of contact hours per week for each course
• Length of the term
• Grade or evaluation received for each course
• Grading scale (i.e.: A = Excellent, F = Failure) or a description of the grading system.