Colleges & Divisions 
Office of the Dean     Introduction to the Division     History of the Division

  Programs

   Master of Education
   Educational Program Design 
   Educational Technology 

   Graduate Certificates
   Educational Technology 
   Inclusion 
   Literacy 
   The Arts 

Office of the Dean 

Erin Elman \ eelman@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6372
Dean

Sheila Watts \ swatts@uarts.edu \ 216.717.6096
Associate Dean

Eileen Council \ ecouncil@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6432
Director, Professional & Adult Programs

Rosi Dispensa \ rdispensa@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6434
Director, Pre-College Programs

Office of the Dean
Terra Building Room 901 | 215-717-6006 | Continuing Studies Website

Introduction to the Division

Arts and cultural experiences enrich and transform lives, creativity and collaboration lead to innovation. The Division of Continuing Studies at the University of the Arts offers lifelong learning for imaginative individuals of all ages and abilities seeking inspiration, skills building and the opportunity to create.

The Division of Continuing Studies at the University of the Arts includes the following:

Professional + Adult Programs

• The Professional Institute for Educators serves the needs of teachers, offering matriculated degree and certificate programs for educators as well as non-matriculated graduate-level coursework for professional development that meet PA Act 48 requirements.
• Continuing Education offers classes, workshops, and certificate programs for credit and non-credit to the adult audience, as well as PA Act 48 activity hours. Continuing Education courses at the University of the Arts are applicable to degree programs at the University. Credit is awarded based on a review of the student’s Continuing Studies transcript.

Pre-College Programs

• Pre-college Programs provide quality arts education to grade K-12 students locally and nationally in the Pre-college Saturday School and Pre-college Summer Institute for high school students and the Saturday Arts Lab for students in grades K-8. Students of the four-week residential Summer Institute program earn three college credits.

History of the Division

The Division of Continuing Studies consists of the Professional + Adult Programs which includes the Continuing Education Program and the Professional Institute for Educators. Pre-College Programs are also housed within the Division of Continuing Studies. For decades, we have offered a range of courses for lifelong learning, professional development, creative enrichment, personal exploration, career preparation and more. Our courses are designed to empower and nurture creative thinking and innovation across a variety of disciplines for a wide range of learners. We are proud to continue this tradition today.

The Professional Institute for Educators was founded as the New Studies Center in 1973, providing a series of community outreach courses within the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. Since its inception, PIE’s mission and goal has been to provide innovative graduate-level courses to expand the knowledge and skills of educators for teaching in and through the arts.

Today, the Professional Institute for Educators (PIE) offers educational courses, graduate certificates and two Master in Education degrees designed especially for a wide variety of subject teachers, including courses for curriculum development, inclusionary practices, classroom management, literacy, the arts, technology, enrichment and leadership. PIE is an approved provider for PA Act 48 and NJ Professional Development.

The Continuing Education Program offers innovative educational opportunities and resources for a diverse population of adult learners; including credit and non-credit courses, workshops and certificate programs designed to anticipate and meet the changing professional, academic and lifelong learning needs of individuals in the greater Philadelphia region.

For over 100 years, Pre-College Programs have provided enrichment opportunities in visual, performing and communication arts for students in grades K – 12 by fostering exploration and guiding students to think creatively and work collaboratively. Pre-College Programs is dedicated to creating access to these programs and supports them with scholarships in order to reach students in and around the diverse Philadelphia community and the nation.