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Calendar alumni continuing education current students graduate degrees BFA degrees

The Corcoran Continuing Education Program offers flexible and diverse art and design options to meet the differing needs of our students. General courses and workshops are available for students interested in deepening their involvement in the arts in a specific discipline. General courses usually meet once per week and may be taken for either audit or credit. Workshops and short courses are available across disciplines in adult programs for non-credit only. For more information, please see specific course description.

Non-Credit Option
Students interested in personal enrichment, but not academic recognition, may register on a non-credit basis. Students taking a class on a non-credit basis do not receive a grade or course credit and therefore cannot receive transcripts. The non-credit tuition is indicated in each section. Non-credit students are expected to attend classes and complete class assignments, but are not required to take examinations. If attendance verification is required, students should request a note from their instructor before the end of class.

Enrollment Adjustments
Any changes in a student's schedule, including a change in credit status, adding a class or dropping a class, must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar before the third class meeting. Phone requests or changes discussed with faculty members are not accepted. All changes are effective when received and processed in the Office of the Registrar. Add/Drop Forms are available online (click here).

Credit Option
The credit option is available to students 18 years of age or older who have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who are interested in earning undergraduate or graduate credit. These students may register on a general credit basis for credit-bearing courses listed in this catalogue. This option is for students who intend to transfer credits to another institution, who are enrolled in a Credit Certificate program at the Corcoran or who need credits for other purposes. In addition, students who receive tuition reimbursement from their employers are often required to present a transcript.

As an accredited institution, Corcoran credits are generally accepted to degree programs at other institutions depending on the transfer requirements of those programs. Credit fees are indicated in each section. Not every course is available for credit. Students are expected to meet all course requirements. Students taking a class for credit will receive a letter grade and may request an official transcript.

Grading System

Grades for undergraduate course work at the Corcoran are:

Letter
Grade		 Quality
Points		 Grade Descriptions
A 4.00 outstanding achievement
A- 3.70 very high quality work
B+ 3.30 above average achievement
B 3.00 above average achievement
B- 2.70 above average achievement
C+ 2.30 average achievement
C 2.00 average achievement
C- 1.70 below average
D+ 1.30 below average
D 1.00 below average
D- 0.70 below average
F 0.00 failure, no credit
I N/A incomplete


Grades for graduate course work at the Corcoran are:

Letter
Grade		 Quality
Points		 Grade Descriptions
A 4.00 exceptional/outstanding
A- 3.70 excellent/beyond expectations
B+ 3.30 passing/with demonstrated strengths
B 3.00 passing/average
B- 2.70 low pass/mastery uncertain
C+ 2.30 unsatisfactory
C 2.00 unsatisfactory
F 0.00 failure/dismissal if recurrent
I N/A incomplete


Students taking non-credit courses or auditing credit courses are not issued grades. Faculty members are responsible for establishing the grading policy in their courses and stating the policy in the course syllabus. At the end of each semester, grade reports are mailed to Continuing Education students enrolled for credit.

Grades of "Incomplete"
A grade of "Incomplete" (I) is a temporary deferral of a final grade issued only under extraordinary circumstances. An instructor may grant a grade of "Incomplete" under the following circumstances: the student has not completed a small amount of the required course work (no more than 20%); the course work can be made up in 30 days or less; the student is in good academic standing; and/or there is a valid personal, medical or other mitigating reason why the course work has not been completed.

A Request for Incomplete Form, signed by both the student and the instructor, must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the instructor when final grades are due. A grade of "Incomplete" is not calculated into a student's GPA until it is replaced by a letter grade.

Faculty may agree (on a case-by-case basis) to additional extensions under special circumstances. Such extensions must be noted on the Request for Incomplete Form before it is given to the Office of the Registrar.

After the make-up period, either a grade is issued for the course work submitted, or the "Incomplete" automatically becomes a grade of F. The grade of F remains permanently on the student's academic record.

Grade Appeals
A request to change a grade must be initiated no later than four weeks after the grade is received. Students who wish to contest a grade should contact the instructor directly. Whenever possible, conflicts over grades should be resolved between the student and the instructor.

If the problem is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the student should bring the matter in writing to the attention of the instructor and department chair. If the matter remains unresolved, a final appeal may be made in writing to the Academic Appeals Committee (AAC), whose decision is final. Appeals to the AAC should be mailed to the Dean's Office at 500 Seventeenth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

Attendance
Students enrolled in the College are expected to attend all of their classes regularly, on time and for the full session of the class. Absences, tardiness or early departures are considered by instructors when determining final grades. Non-attendance is not equivalent to withdrawal. The number of absences allowed in each course varies according to the course content, teaching method and number of meetings. In general, more than two absences are not acceptable. Additional absences can result in an automatic grade of failure. Each instructor is permitted to set individual class attendance requirements, which must be indicated in the course syllabus. If no such variations are indicated, students may rightly expect that the policy stated above applies to the course.

Transcripts
Transcript Request Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and online at www.corcoran.edu. Requests must be made in writing and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by fax, mail or in person during business hours. Email and voice mail requests will not be accepted. Each official transcript incurs a fee of $5. Generally, requests received by Wednesday are processed by 12:00 PM on Friday of the same week. Records prior to 1995 require expanded research and may take longer to process.

Transcripts are only available for classes that have been taken for credit. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 requires written permission from the student to release any non-disclosure information. Transcripts are not released for students who have outstanding financial obligations to the College.

Enrollment Adjustments
Any changes in a student's schedule, including a change in credit status, adding a class or dropping a class, must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar before the third class meeting. Phone requests or changes discussed with faculty members are not accepted. All changes are effective when received and processed in the Office of the Registrar. Add/Drop Forms are available online (click here).




Students, who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or G.E.D., may work toward Certificates in Drawing and Painting, Figurative Studies, Printmaking, Sculpture and Ceramics, Interior Design, Botanical Art and Illustration, Digital Video, Web Design, Advanced Web Design, 3D Computer Animation, Digital Imaging, Graphic Design or Advanced Graphic Design.

The Certificate program is designed for individuals seeking to enhance their professional development or to pursue a focused sequential approach to knowledge in a specific discipline. A Certificate acknowledges the recipient’s successful completion of a designated course of study. All courses must be taken for credit and must be completed within a 3-year period.

Certificate students are expected to attend classes, complete in-class assignments and take examinations. Certificate students must receive a letter grade of C or better in each course.

General Guidelines for Certificate Programs
The courses required for each Certificate are listed in this catalog. Courses that are taken non-credit are not applicable to the Certificate program.

Credits from other institutions and credits from previous semesters at the Corcoran College of Art + Design will not transfer into the Certificate program. If the student has taken the equivalent of some required courses at the Corcoran, approval to substitute more challenging courses may be obtained from the Continuing Education Advisor at 202.298.2542. Courses may be applied to one Certificate only. Students to must indicate their Certificate status on their registration form each semester that they enroll.

A Certificate is issued with the fulfillment of the following conditions:

1. The Certificate requirements are completed with a grade of C or better in each course within a three-year period.

2. The student has submitted a certificate request form to the Office of the Registrar for the Certificate. Certificates are processed in January, May and August.

3. Proof of completion of high school or equivalent has been received in the Office of the Registrar.




The Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) professional degree program is available in Digital Media Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design, and Photography.

The Associate of Fine Arts degree program provides a course of study for students who are highly motivated about their art education and are seeking professional development or a career change. Students may attend on a part-time basis and have up to six years from the time of initial enrollment to complete the degree.

Students interested in applying for the AFA degree program are encouraged to visit the College. To arrange for an interview or for information, please contact the Office of Admissions at 202.639.1814.

Admission Procedure
Admission to the AFA degree program is based on the review and evaluation of the candidate’s application materials, including high school or college transcripts, test scores, personal statement and portfolio.

Required Application Materials

1. Application for Admission Form
To begin the application process, submit a completed Application for Admission Form (located at the back of the catalog) along with a non-refundable application fee of $40 and a personal statement. The personal statement is an opportunity for candidates to articulate their motivation for pursuing the AFA degree. These materials are submitted to the Office of Admissions. Additional copies of the application form are available from the Office of the Registrar, Office of Admissions or in the Apply section of this site >

2. Secondary School Transcripts
All candidates seeking admission to the AFA degree program must either submit secondary school transcripts or a transcript showing successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester credits from an accredited college or university. To finalize the application process, official copies of all high school transcripts or college transcripts, including work in progress, must be forwarded to the Office of Admissions.

3. College Transcripts
Post-secondary transcripts are required of candidates who have completed any post-secondary course work, regardless of whether they intend to seek transfer credits for the work. Official transcripts must be submitted from each institution attended.

4. SAT I/ACT/TOEFL Scores
SAT I/ACT/TOEFL scores are accepted as official if they are included on the high school transcript. Candidates also may request that test score reports be sent to the Office of Admissions directly from the testing agency. The school code for the Corcoran College of Art + Design is 5705.

For students whose first language is not English, official exam results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) may be submitted in lieu of SAT or ACT scores. A score of 213 or higher on the computer TOEFL is required.

Transfer candidates who have successfully completed one semester of academic coursework, which includes liberal art courses at the post-secondary level in English, are not required to submit test results.

5. Portfolio
A portfolio should demonstrate the candidate’s technical and perceptual skills, personal initiative, artistic interests and creative imagination. A portfolio should contain 12-20 pieces of finished artwork. In addition to the required portfolio items, applicants may submit sketchbooks. Candidates may submit actual artwork, slides, CDs or printed copies of websites and other electronic design work (URLs will not be accepted).

Portfolios should include original artwork (not from photographs, other paintings or drawings). Applicants are encouraged to show their knowledge of a variety of media with a concentration of work that reflects their knowledge and understanding of the major they wish to pursue. This might include graphite, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, acrylic, oil or encaustic paint, collage, ceramics, photography, mixed media, sculpture, architectural drawings, and electronic media.

In addition to the aforementioned general guidelines, there are portfolio suggestions specific to each major.

Fine Art: The work should demonstrate an understanding of three-dimensional space translated onto a two-dimensional surface.

Photography: Half of the portfolio should be examples of black-and-white photography developed and printed by the applicant.

Digital Media Design: A portion of the portfolio should include examples of original design work as well as examples of rendering skills. Work should demonstrate an understanding of three-dimensioal forms on a two-dimensional surface.

Large or fragile pieces should be presented in standard 35mm slide or CD form labeled with the candidate’s name, the artwork’s title, size, medium, year produced and an arrow indicating the top of the piece. An inventory sheet should accompany the portfolio. Slides or CDs are returned upon request.

Candidates with questions about this requirement may contact the Office of Admissions prior to submitting their portfolios. All candidates are invited to visit the Corcoran for a portfolio review.

Provisional Matriculation (Portfolio Review)
Students who have a strong interest in pursuing their artistic education but have not developed a full portfolio may apply to the AFA degree program as a provisionally matriculated student. Procedures for provisional matriculation differ from full matriculation only in the portfolio requirement.

Provisional matriculation portfolios should follow the guidelines indicated for full matriculation, but may contain 6-10 finished pieces of artwork rather than the 12-20 pieces required for full matriculation.

Students opting for provisional matriculation are required to earn a grade of B or higher in two required Foundation block classes and must pass all required courses in their first 12 credits at the Corcoran. Students not meeting this standard are not allowed to matriculate into the program.
In accordance with Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) rules and regulations, provisional matriculation cannot be offered to international students who are in the United States on an F-1 Student Visa.

Optional Materials
Optional materials that enhance the Corcoran’s ability to evaluate a candidate’s application for admission are welcome. These may include letters of recommendation, special awards or commendations. Candidates are reminded to focus on the quality, not the quantity, of this material.

Transfer Credits
Students in the AFA program may transfer in a maximum of 30 credits from other colleges and universities or the Corcoran's Continuing Education Program. Students must fulfill the residency requirement of 36 credits to receive the AFA degree. Transfer credits for the AFA degree program are determined during the admissions process through an evaluation of college transcripts and a portfolio review.

After submitting the written application form and personal statement and sending all transcripts, a candidate should con-tact the Office of Admissions, Downtown Campus, to schedule an appointment for a transfer credit evaluation.

Transfer credit is granted to accepted students after official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended have been submitted. Only grades of "C" and above from fully accredited institutions are considered for credit. Studio courses more than 10 years old are not eligible for evaluation. Transfer credit evaluations prior to enrollment are approved by the Office of Admissions. Students may petition to change these evaluations only during their first two semesters of enrollment at the Corcoran.

Students wishing to transfer into the AFA program from the Corcoran's BFA degree program may not do so after their second year.

Acceptance
Candidates usually are advised of the admissions decision within weeks of completing two application requirements. After notification of acceptance, candidates are required to inform the Office of Admissions whether they intend to accept, defer or decline the offer of admission within two weeks. Students who intend to enroll must also complete and return the Corcoran health form.

The Corcoran College of Art + Design understands that in some cases, personal circumstances may delay the acceptance of the offer of admission. Candidates who anticipate a delay of their acceptance should inform the Office of Admissions.

Tuition and AFA Fees
Tuition for students is based on a per course rate published in the Continuing Education Catalog. An AFA fee of $50 per semester covers locker rental, registration and academic advisement. A graduation fee of $50 is charged in the student’s last semester.

Financial Aid
US citizens and permanent residents enrolled in the AFA program are eligible to apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applications are located in the Financial Aid Office or students can apply on the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Corcoran school code is 011950. Federal loans are available to eligible students who are enrolled at least halftime, a minimum of six credits per semester.

DC residents are eligible to apply for the state incentive grant as well as the DC Tuition Assistance Grant. For information on DC's student incentive grant contact the District government at 202-727-3688 or via the Internet at www.dhs.washington.dc.us. Applications for the DC Tuition Assistance Grant are available in the Financial Aid Office or on the Internet at www.tuitiongrant.washingtondc.gov.

Alternative nonfederal loans are also available. Contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information at: 202.639.1818 or financialaid@corcoran.org

Academic Standing
AFA students carrying a minimum of 6 credit hours and achieving a semester GPA of 3.50 or better are placed on the Dean’s List. Dean’s List achievements are noted on the transcript and become part of the students permanent academic record.

AFA students must maintain a GPA (semester and cumulative) of 2.0 or better to remain in good academic standing. Academic probation will be assigned following the point at which an AFA student’s semester and/or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Students will be notified of this probationary status in writing from the Registrar.

Probationary status will be assigned for two semesters, during which time the student may regain good academic standing. To do so, the student must successfully complete a minimum of 6.0 credits toward the degree with grades of C or higher in order to raise the student’s cumulative GPA to a minimum of 2.0. Failure to remove oneself from academic probation within two semesters will result in academic dismissal. Academic dismissal will also occur if a student’s cumulative GPA falls below a 1.0.

Withdrawals
It is the responsibility of the AFA student to inform the Corcoran administration if the student intends to withdraw from the AFA degree program.

A letter requesting withdrawal should be sent to the Office of the Registrar. A signature is required in order for the College to process a voluntary withdrawal.

Unless an extended leave of absence has been requested and approved, AFA students who have been inactive (not registered for three consecutive semesters including summer) will be administratively withdrawn from the AFA degree program.

Transferring into the BFA Degree Program
Although students may apply to the College’s full-time BFA program at any time, AFA students may transfer into the BFA degree through articulation into the Junior Year.

Transfer into the third year of the BFA degree program may be made upon completion of the Corcoran AFA degree if a student maintains a minimum semester and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better and at least a grade of C or better in each required studio course. Please note: Students who complete the AFA degree program in Photography and who are accepted into the junior year of the BFA Photography major are required to take credits of their three third-year studio electives in photography.

Enrollment into the BFA program is only available for the fall semester.

Completion of the Corcoran AFA Transfer application is required. The application must be received by March 15 for the upcoming fall semester in order to be considered for priority placement and to avoid any wait lists.

For questions concerning entrance into the Bachelor of Fine Arts programs or to obtain the Corcoran AFA transfer application, please contact the Office of Admissions at
202.639.1814.