Professional Studies Tuition & Policies

University of the Arts is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Professional Studies at the University of the Arts offers both matriculated and non-matriculated graduate-level courses. Non-matriculated students include:  students who have their Bachelor’s degree and are taking additional coursework in preparation for applying to a graduate program; students interested in applying graduate credits towards Masters Equivalency Programs; students taking graduate coursework to fulfill PA certified teachers professional development requirements; and students who wish to remain non-degree seeking but are interested in enrolling in coursework for personal fulfillment.  Matriculated students are those who have applied and been admitted into either the Master of Education, Master of Music in Education, or Graduate Certificate program.

Educators taking courses for credit are required to complete assignments for evaluation outside of direct contact hours. These assignments may include lesson plans, readings, papers, projects, presentations or other work relating the course content to classroom application. Most final course projects will be due two weeks after the final class meeting.

The University reserves the right to deny registration to any student based upon the student’s prior behavior or actions in a previous class, program or workshop at the University.

Additionally, any current student may be dismissed from their class and the program if found to be disruptive or behaving inappropriately in class or on the University campus. Students dismissed from any UArts program will be denied admission to future terms and programs.

All students at the University of the Arts are expected to adhere to a Student Code of Conduct.

Academic Integrity is a commitment to the core values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility and their role in ensuring the health and vigor of the academic and creative community. The university community is continually mindful of the need to preserve academic integrity standards, inclusive of any technological advances in delivery methods of information access and use.  Please note that students are encouraged to contact their instructors and/or the University librarians for guidance in maintaining academic integrity in their work.

Violations of Academic Integrity
Violations of academic integrity are considered to be acts of academic dishonesty and include (but are not limited to) cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication, denying others access to information or material, and facilitating academic dishonesty, and are subject to the policies and procedures noted here and within the Course Catalog, including the Student Code of Conduct and the Student Judicial System. Please note that lack of knowledge of citations procedures, for example, is an unacceptable explanation for plagiarism, as is having studied together to produce remarkably similar papers or creative works submitted separately by two students.

Procedures for Addressing Violations of Academic Integrity
If an instructor suspects a student of any violation of academic integrity, the following process is to be followed:

1. After an initial consultation with the Chair/Director/Academic Dean where the infraction is identified and its seriousness assessed, the instructor must address the situation with the student, either in writing or in person. After having addressed the situation with the student, the instructor shall determine an appropriate course of action within their purview as a member of the teaching faculty. (Please refer to the "Sanctions" section of this policy for possible actions to be taken in such cases.)

2. In the case of Assignment Sanctions (see below), the instructor may submit a written summary as outlined above if they deem it to be warranted.

3. In the case of Course Sanctions (see below), the instructor may submit a written summary as outlined above if they deems it to be warranted.

4. In cases where either the Associate Provost or the instructor determines that the offense merits consideration by the Campus Standards Committee, the instructor works in conjunction with the Associate Provost to formally refer the case to the Campus Standards Committee.

5. In all academic integrity matters that are handled by the faculty member, notification of the sanctions, if any, must be sent to the Provost’s office, which will notify the office of student affairs and dean of students.  Students who receive numerous violations of academic integrity may be brought before a Campus Standards Committee.

Sanctions
After consulting with the department chair/director/Dean, it is up to the instructor to determine how serious the offense is (based on her/his academic standards and expectations) as it relates to the sanctions to be imposed within his or her course. Both the Associate Provost and the instructor have the right to determine whether the offense warrants advancement to the Campus Standards Committee. The Associate Provost must be kept apprised by the instructor of the actions taken. If it is judged that a student has violated the University’s standards for academic integrity, sanctions may include but are not limited to:

  Assignment Sanctions

1. Repeating the assignment or completing an additional assignment. (Please note that when sanctions are imposed in this manner, students become ineligible for an Incomplete or a Withdrawal from the course in which the sanctions are imposed if it is pursued as a result of the sanction.);

2. Failure of the assignment with no opportunity to repeat it. No points will be earned for the assignment (that is, an F will equal a "0").

  Course Sanctions

1. Issuance of a warning or verbal reprimand with a written description of the interaction by the instructor. Copies of such reprimands must be kept by the instructor, and submitted to the Office of the Provost who will forward copies to the Student’s Judicial File and the student;

2. Failure of the class;

3. Referral to the Campus Standards Committee for possible actions that may include but are not limited to suspension, dismissal or expulsion. Such referral is likely in the extreme or repeated cases involving a violation of academic integrity.

Appeals Procedure
Students who wish to appeal the instructor’s sanction(s) should follow the procedure as outlined in the Academic Policies section of the Course Catalog under "Academic Grievances". Students who wish to appeal the decision of the Campus Standards Committee should follow the procedure outlined in the "Judicial System" section of this handbook.

All students are expected to attend classes promptly, regularly, and for the duration of the scheduled instructional time. Individual instructors will decide the optimum time for taking attendance and may penalize for habitual lateness or absence. Repeated absences may result in a grade of “F” for a course.

Students who withdraw from a course must do so in writing. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal.

School of Professional Studies students may obtain their final course grades online through WebAdvisor|MyUArts Record. Students will be notified via email of the process to obtain grades online. Grades will be available online one week after the submission of the final course project.

Grading System

An incomplete grade may be granted only in extraordinary circumstances that prevent the student from completing coursework by the end of the semester. The grade “I” is only given when the completed portion of the student’s coursework is of passing quality. To receive the grade of Incomplete, the student must obtain written approval on the Incomplete Form from the course instructor and the Dean of the College of Critical & Professional Studies prior to the conclusion of the semester.Grade of Incomplete ("I")

Extraordinary circumstances include:

• Serious student illness, accompanied by a doctor’s certificate

• Extreme emergency, substantiated by written documentation

Incomplete grades not cleared by the end of the sixth week of the following semester will be automatically assigned the grade of “F.”

Incomplete Grade Forms are available at registrar.uarts.edu/forms or in person at the Office of the Registrar.

Online and hybrid courses have the same learning objectives and use the same faculty and curriculum as our traditional classroom courses, with the added benefit of convenience. Participants have 24/7 access to course materials and can work at their own pace any time of day. Distance education is not for everyone. Students wishing to enroll in online and hybrid courses must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Access to a computer with a web browser, Microsoft Office or equivalent and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• High-speed Internet access.

• Comfort working on computers, including saving, deleting and moving files.

• Ability to install software, as needed.

Students in online and hybrid courses will be required to participate in weekly discussions and complete all projects and assignments indicated in the syllabus.

Online courses include several synchronous sessions to allow you to connect with your online community of peers and faculty. All synchronous sessions will be recorded and available to students who are unable to participate during the scheduled session time. It is your responsibility to review recorded sessions. Further details about synchronous online sessions will be available to you before the course begins. 

Note: Students enrolled in online and hybrid courses will utilize the University's learning management system, Digication, which can be accessed via the University of the Arts portal. 

Located on the Avenue of the Arts in the heart of Center City, our urban campus does not have visitor parking on-campus.  There are a number of independent parking lots and garages located near campus, many within 1 block of Hamilton Hall, the location of the Admissions Office.

The University of the Arts reserves the right to cancel classes due to low enrollment. If a cancellation should occur, students will be notified prior to the start of classes and will have the option of taking another course or receiving a full refund.

On Campus

In the event of inclement weather, University officials will make every attempt to render a prompt decision regarding whether classes will be canceled. There are several ways for you to learn if classes have been canceled due to emergency, snow or other inclement weather:

• Check the UArts main page for an alert

• Sign up to receive a UArts Alert text message and/or email

• Check a local media outlet

  • KYW Radio 1060 AM (the University of the Arts school number is 116)

  • Channels 3, 6, 10 and Fox29 TV

• Call our weather hotline at 215-717-6996 and listen to the recorded message

When the campus is closed, all on-campus events (including Professional Institute for Educators courses) are canceled.

Learn more

Off-Campus 

Weather conditions can vary greatly in surrounding counties. If a particular off-campus location is closed due to inclement weather, the closure will be announced to the media and UArts classes will not take place at that site.  You may also check with the location directly for closing information:

Berks County
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts: (610)374-4600, ext. 199; WFMZ-TV 69

Bucks County
Bucks County Intermediate Unit: (215)348-2940

Chester County
Unionville Elementary (Unionville Chadds Ford School District): (610)347-1700; KYW-TV 3 school code 850

Montgomery County
Wayne Art Center: (610)688-3553; KYW-TV 3 school code
Villanova University: (610)519-4505

Please call, email or stop by with any questions.

Phone: (215)717-6092
Email: pie@uarts.edu  |  sms@uarts.edu

Office Location
Terra Hall
211 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, 9th Floor, Room 901

Students are able to obtain their 1098T from Self Service. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Student Financial Service at finaid@uarts.edu or (215)717-6170.

1. Log into Self Service

2. Click on Tax Information

3. Click on the 1098T Statement for the applicable tax year