Arts Requirement for UC/CSU Admission

As part of the A-G requirements to be admitted to the University of California and California State University systems, students must take a single yearlong approved arts course from a single Visual and Performing Arts discipline: dance, drama/theater, music, or visual art.

Intent

The intent of instruction is to provide a meaningful experience and breadth of knowledge of the arts so that students may apply their knowledge and experience to the creation of art and/or are better able to understand and appreciate artistic expression on the basis of that experience and knowledge.

The intent of approved visual and performing arts (VPA) courses must be directed at acquiring concepts, knowledge, and skills in the arts disciplines rather than using artistic activities to fulfill nonartistic course objectives.

Prerequisites

Acceptable courses need not require any prerequisite courses.

Cocurricular Work

Work outside of class must be required (e.g., portfolio/performance preparation, reading, writing, research projects, and/or critical listening/viewing).

Course Standards

Courses should provide students with an experience in the arts that implements the intent of the California State Board of Education-approved visual and performing arts content standards. The curriculum must be designed to include the VPA content standards, at least, at the proficiency level in each of the five component strands. Each VPA course shall sufficiently address the state content standards under all five component strands, which are as follows:

1. Artistic Perception: Processing, analyzing, and responding to sensory information through the language and skills unique to a given art

2. Creative Expression: Creating, performing, and participating in a given art

3. Historical and Cultural Context: Understanding historical contributions and cultural dimensions of a given art

4. Aesthetic Valuing: Responding to, analyzing, and making critical assessments about works of a given art form

5. Connections, Relationships, Applications: Connecting and applying what is learned in a given art form to learning in other art forms, subject areas, and careers

- Excerpted from Appendix B, The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools

For a complete description of acceptable and unacceptable courses, and further clarification of this requirement, refer to Appendix B in The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools

For more information:

University of California: Preparing for Future Admission

California State University: Freshman Admission Requirements