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Dear Hussian students,

As a fellow community of artists, designers, teachers, and learners, we at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) were saddened to learn of the recent closing of Hussian College. Your institution has been a pillar of the art and design community in Greater Philadelphia for more than 90 years.

Like Hussian, PCA&D is a small professional art & design college that values persistence and career readiness for our students. PCA&D has been working diligently with Hussian College administrators to develop a plan of action that will allow you to continue on your educational path with as little disruption as possible. This plan will meet your immediate needs for:

  • An efficient administrative transition to PCA&D
  • Personal advising that will identify PCA&D academic programs that allow you to maintain your academic progress and support your career goals
  • Financial support tailored to your individual needs. PCA&D is among the most affordable schools in AICAD, a consortium of the top art and design schools in the nation
  • Options for your in-person or virtual learning needs, including support for transportation, finding housing in Lancaster City, or completing your program in Center City
  • Learning support from staff familiar with, and sympathetic to your unique situation
  • Finding academic departments and new faculty mentors who will welcome you with warmth and enthusiasm

Additionally, our Admission staff is available on our Lancaster City Campus Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm to assist with questions or arrange a campus visit.

In short, PCA&D is here to help. Our small class sizes, range of full-time faculty who are also working professionals, dynamic career and internship program opportunities, and welcoming student community are here, waiting for you.

 

Hussian Programs at PCA&D

PCA&D and Hussian share the same framework that prepares students for work in their major programs through coursework in general education and studio preparation. UX/UI, Digital Media, and Graphic Design students will find the same pathway for study available in PCA&D’s Bachelor of Fine Art degrees in Fine Art, Graphic Design, and Illustration.

How a Hussian BFA aligns with a PCA&D BFA

Hussian Degree Requirements

Studio Concentration (Major) : 24 credits

Technical Courses : 36 credits

General Education : 44 credits

Studio Electives : 18 credits

 

 

TOTAL 122

Hussian Degree Requirements

Studio Concentration (Major) : 24 credits

Technical Courses : 36 credits

General Education : 44 credits

Studio Electives : 18 credits

TOTAL 122

PCA&D Degree Requirements

BFA Major : 51 credits

Foundation : 18 credits

Communication : 9 credits

Art History : 12 credits

Liberal Arts Distribution : 21 credits

Studio Electives : 9 credits

TOTAL 120

Why PCA&D?

PCA&D provides scholarships and grants for those who qualify. Whenever possible, PCA&D will make every attempt to match your out-of-pocket costs in comparison with Hussian College.

Scholarships

In addition to scholarships offered by PCA&D, you are encouraged to take advantage of private scholarship resources like fastweb.com and salliemae.com. Both have excellent free scholarship search engines. (Never pay money for scholarships or scholarship search services; those that charge fees are frequently scams).

Applying for Aid

If you are interested in applying for financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. If the FAFSA has already been completed, you will simply need to log in to your FAFSA and add PCA&D as the school choice. Our federal school code is 016021.

Once your FAFSA has been received, the Office of Financial Aid will put together a financial aid award letter that details eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid, including grants, scholarships, and student loans.

About Financial Aid

We offer apartment-style student housing, giving you the opportunity to live independently with a safety net of support from the College.

STUDENT HOUSING

PCA&D Student Housing is overseen by Residential Life and supported by PCA&D staff members to ensure the safety and well-being of our residential students. All of our communities are within a short walk of our campus and have a variety of amenities nearby.

You will live with up to three other roommates in 1- to 4-bedroom spaces, featuring communal shared spaces. PCA&D Student Housing offers all the amenities of traditional college living with the community and learning in mind.

Enjoy the convenience of…

  • Housing costs billed along with tuition
  • Fully furnished rooms
  • Safe and secure buildings, patrolled by multiple organizations
  • Maintenance ticket system
  • Trained student leaders live in each community to provide guidance, support, and help build a warm, welcoming community. Throughout the year, they host events like community game nights, potlucks, movie nights, and more.
  • Emergency support line with professional on-call staff
  •  

about housing

COMMUTING

Commuting is a great way to save money while enjoying the vibrant community PCA&D has to offer. PCA&D is working with AMTRAK to provide Travel Grants to help offset the cost of train travel between Philadelphia and our Lancaster campus.

Driving to PCA&D? A parking garage is available right behind campus for your use. You will be able to purchase a parking pass through the Bursar’s office.

PCA&D instructors use Google Classroom to facilitate online learning classes. As part of Google Classroom, you will utilize tools such as Google Drive, Calendar, Chat, and Meet. 

Upon registration and before classes start, PCA&D will send each enrolled student a URL link to an Orientation Google Classroom that both confirms you are able to utilize Google Classroom and provides resources for getting started with your class. 

Earn a Minor

Hussian College students have the option to add minors to their BFA degree. They include: 

  • Animation & Game Art
  • Art History & Visual Culture
  • Business In Creative Industry
  • Creative Writing
  • Esports Management
  • Illustration 
  • Fashion Merchandising
  • Fine Art
  • General Humanities
  • Graphic Design
  • Live Experience Design & Production 
  • Photography & Video
  • Literature

About Minors

Complete a Certificate

In addition to these programs, Hussian College students have the opportunity to also earn certificates. They include:

  • Advanced Photography & Video
  • Business in Creative Industry*
  • Communication Design
  • Data Visualization*
  • Digital Photography
  • Esports Management*
  • Fashion Merchandising*
  • Live Experience Design & Production
  • Packaging Design
  • UX/UI Design*

*Available Online

About Certificates

PCA&D staff and faculty work together to support you.

Our Academic Support Services offer assistance with writing, research, time management, and studio art skill-building.

Our Faculty Bridge Mentor helps you as you transition to life at PCA&D.

Our Faculty Persistence Mentor works with you over time to accomplish your goals when facing challenges or obstacles to your success.

Our Student Success Advisor works with you one-to-one to help you persist by offering guidance, support, and assistance in accessing the many resources PCA&D offers.

Students are the driving force behind campus life at PCA&D, from student government to student-led clubs and community traditions.

Elected Student Council officials facilitate communications between the student body and PCA&D staff members, and provide structure and supervision for all other student clubs. Existing clubs include Mi Gente, the Black Led Artist Coalition, the Yes & Theater Club, and the PCA&D Esports Team, among others. Students are also welcome to propose and create their own unique student groups.

You can look forward to and help plan annual traditions like the PCA&D Halloween Party and Friendsgiving.

You can also immerse yourself in Lancaster city life, exploring the neighboring arts district, Lancaster Central Market, and events like First Fridays and Music Fridays.

PCA&D provides resources and advising support to find internships in the creative industry for all students in all degree programs.

Career Services works with you to provide support programming regarding career development and preparation. These services include resume and interview preparation assistance, alumni career strategy consultations, and the Career Closet.

Career Services also hosts events such as Career Day, Business Bootcamp, and a variety of workshops throughout the year.

About internships

PCA&D supports your creative work from Foundation year through to your Senior thesis and beyond.

Exhibits

Exhibition opportunities are offered regularly throughout the year in student-led and student-centered spaces. 

Senior Show

Every graduating student is represented in the annual Senior Show, PCA&D’s signature exhibition event. While most exhibitions take place in our galleries or just outside of classrooms, Senior Show transforms four levels of PCA&D into micro gallery spaces for each senior. 

Senior Show 2023

The dedicated faculty at PCA&D teach and mentor you in and out of the classroom and provide a network of support within the academic major departments. The 15 full-time, 14 part-time, and 42 adjunct faculty teaching this fall in the six academic majors and the Foundation and Liberal Arts departments are both educators and active, working professionals in their fields. They all recognize PCA&D students as unique individuals following their own creative pathways. Department chairs have strategically designed major and minor programs to build essential critical thinking, conceptual, and making skills incrementally over time while encouraging curiosity, risk-taking, and exploration within the major and across disciplines. PCA&D faculty value active learning; departments sponsor co-curricular activities, such as guest artist talks and performances, to enhance students’ academic and personal growth.

Here are just a few of the faculty currently teaching at PCA&D:

Pamela Barby, Associate Professor, Graphic Design

Pam Barby is a freelance graphic designer and has taught studio classes in packaging design, advertising, portfolio preparation and professional practices, typography, digital technology, visual communications, and junior and senior design courses. For the past 12 years at the College, she has been the event coordinator for Designathon, a 12-hour event in which students and faculty give their time and talents to non-profit organizations seeking design services for free. PCA&D students, alumni, and faculty have provided design work for over 80 organizations through this event. In 2018, she was recognized by Graphic Design USA magazine in their “Faculty to Watch” issue.

Matt Novak, Assistant Professor, Animation & Game Art

Matt Novak has been writing and illustrating picture books for almost 35 years. Among his many titles are The Everything Machine, Flip Flop Bop, The Pillow War, The Last Christmas Present, and Elmer Blunt’s Open House. His Mouse TV was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Newt received an IRA Children’s Choice Award. He has worked with just about every major publishing house in the country and had his work reviewed in The New York Times and many other national publications. Matt has been a puppeteer, a teacher (including many years at PCA&D), and a Disney artist. While at Disney he worked on such films as Rescuers Down Under and Beauty and the Beast. He has also done many freelance animation projects for web- and television-related projects. He and his family now live in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Evan Kitson, Part-time Professor, Fine Art

Evan Kitson is a draftsman, painter, instructor, anatomist, curator, collector, and self-described all-around art-obsessed thirty-something. He splits his time between Lancaster, PA, where he maintains his studio and teaching practice, and New York, NY, where he exhibits and also instructs. Kitson earned his BFA in Illustration from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, his MFA from the New York Academy of Art, and has held a number of studio assistantships, notably working with Odd Nerdrum. He has taught at many institutions, including The Art Students League of New York, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, The New York Academy of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Studio Incamminati. He’s given talks at Millersville University, Booth Gallery, Grand Central Atelier, and Parsons School of Design. Alongside his active studio practice, Evan is currently an Artist in Residence at the North Museum in Lancaster, PA.

All the faculty

Our alumni are innovators, collaborators, entrepreneurs, and more. They have learned to focus their ideas, work to integrate critique and critical thinking, and are immersed in pursuing their individual creative pathways.

Learn more about what just a few of our recent graduates are up to:

Jeff Maisonneuve

Animation & Game Art

Jeff Maisonneuve ’21, is working full-time in the animation field as an Animator/Rigger Technical Artist at City State Entertainment.

“PCA&D gave me practice working well with others. Since we started online classes at PCA&D, this was a good introduction to remote work. Many industry positions are now remote, and the practice with time management was helpful.”

Nathaniel Gonzales ’21, is working in the field in Los Angeles and recently wrapped up working on Lego 2K Drive.

“PCA&D really reinforced my appreciation for sketch booking, experimentation, and story writing.”

Illustration

Matty “Matty Geez” Guiliano ‘14 just wrapped up an installation of his work at Philadelphia Navy Yard. He exhibits on a regular basis and was the College’s Artist in Residence in York.

Delaina Jolley ’22, has received the 2023 Artisan Market Grant awarded to an emerging artist for participation in the Winterthur Artisan Market in Summer 2023. She also is an admission counselor for Delaware College of Art and Design.

Kaitlyn McCulley

Kaitlyn McCulley ’21, was a finalist in The Art of Racing, a nationwide competition to capture Preakness thoroughbred horse racing in 2D art.

Tyler Le ’20, works as an associate graphic designer for Insider Inc., and his work also has been featured in publications such as The New York Times.

“PCA&D’s strengths while I was attending were the professors and their ability to have a personal relationship with their students to the extent of wanting to see your growth and to cheer that on. To this day there are so many teachers still reaching out and supporting my growth as an artist.”

Graphic Design

Alex Spangler ‘22, is the founder and owner of Spec Creative, a firm that photographs and films luxury automobiles.

“PCA&D really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone a bit more than I wanted, and learning small things here and there, even if I had no interest, would change the way I look at other things in my field of work.”

Dyneisha Gross ’20, works in the D.C. office of Ogilvy and recently was interviewed by the podcast arm of UK-based Creative Boom magazine about the power of side projects and spreading positivity. “In this episode,” the show’s summary reads, “we talk about the struggles she’s overcome, the lessons of lockdown, and what she’s found has helped her get noticed and succeed in her current career.”

PCA&D Drawing Class

Visit our campus

Meet us online or visit our campus in downtown Lancaster for a personal tour. Contact Campus Visit Coordinator, Michelle Barraclough, at mbarraclough@pcad.edu to schedule your visit today!

Take the first step and apply today

Starting an application or submitting your portfolio is a great way for us to begin getting to know you – no commitment is required!