CalArts offers one-on-one academic support in the form of individual advising and through the Writing Center. Academic Advisors complement the guidance that students will receive from their mentors, while Writing Center tutors help students on a variety of writing-oriented tasks.
Each student at CalArts is assigned a faculty mentor to guide their creative development through one-on-one meetings, course selection each semester, and yearly mentor reports. Faculty mentors are practicing artists in the same field as their mentees. These mentor relationships often extend beyond CalArts, leading to post-graduation collaborations.
Some students form strong bonds with their assigned mentors, while others may seek guidance from different faculty members. The diverse faculty provides a wealth of shared creative experiences, allowing students to work closely with various faculty members throughout their degree program.
At CalArts, all students are assigned an Institute Academic Advisor to assist in academic planning and understanding what is required to graduate. The Academic Advisors complement the guidance students receive from their mentor within their métier. Advisors work collaboratively with students, mentors and schools in order to help students identify and achieve their academic goals. BFA students regularly visit our Advisors to plan for course registration, understand degree requirements and to stay on track for graduation.
Advisors often assist in connecting students with other academic opportunities and resources within the institute, and promote student’s agency by providing positive encouragement for students to develop self-authorship and meet their goals.
Office hours
Spring and fall semesters: Monday–Friday from 10 am–4 pm
Email: academicadvising@calarts.edu
Room number: Suite F207
BFA students are assigned both an Academic Advisor and a Faculty Mentor.
Faculty Mentors provide guidance in métier requirements and artistic goals. Students can work with their mentor to ensure adequate progress in métier requirements and that all program and school expectations are being met.
Academic Advisors provide guidance on overall institute requirements and the Critical Studies requirements for BFA students. Students should meet with their advisor to verify that all curricular requirements are being met at an adequate pace to meet their anticipated graduation date.
The CalArts Library has a librarian for each school to help students on their research journeys. Consultations can be scheduled online and in the library at the iPad kiosk. Research consults are set to 45 minutes. Appointments are available from Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm, subject to availability.
Need help writing? Learn more about the CalArts Writing Center