MAJOR OVERVIEW
The Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art is a full studio art and art history curriculum founded on the rich artistic traditions of the south of France and Aix-en-Provence. The founders of IAU, ACM’s parent institution, had this in mind as they formulated a full art curriculum which grew out of a studio painting course started by Léo Marchutz in 1960. Its defining characteristic resides in the educational principle that any art-related study should combine in a holistic manner the three disciplines of art history, studio practice, and critical studies. The artistic traditions of the south of France and the Mediterranean Basin will naturally serve as the intellectual backbone of the program.
ADMISSIONS
ACM candidates submit their applications through the Common App*, a U.S-based platform that allows students to apply to multiple universities simultaneously. Once an application is submitted, an ACM Admissions team member will reach out to the applicant to schedule a brief online meeting to gather more information and to answer any questions about the ACM or the application process.
* Beginning Summer 2026, ACM will no longer accept Common App applications from students requesting application fee waivers via school counselors.
Aug. 3, 2026
Application Available
Jan. 6, 2027
Priority Decision Deadline
May 5, 2027
Regular Decision Deadline
ACADEMICS
ACM’s Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art requires students to satisfy the ACM Core Curriculum in addition to the following major-specific requirements.
Lower-Division Courses, 12 credits required (can be used for core curriculum credits)
- ART 100: Drawing I Foundation
- ART 200: Drawing II Intermediate
- ART 130: Painting I Foundation
- ART 230: Painting II Intermediate
Studio Arts Upper-Division, 21 credits required
- ART 110: Photography: Philosophy and Practice of Vision
- ART 112: Ceramics
- ART 327: Arts Administration
- ART 385: Sculpture
- ART 399: Independent Study
Art History Upper-Division, 6 credits required
- ARC/ARH 312: European and Mediterranean Prehistoric Art and Archaeology
- ARC/ARH 313: Powers and Identities in the Ancient Mediterranean
- ART/ARH 320: Picasso, Matisse, and the Mediterranean
- ART/ARH 340: The Mediterranean and Beyond: Cross-Cultural Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture
- ART/ARH 342: Artistic Encounters in the Mediterranean: Cross-Cultural Perspectives in European Art
- ART/ARH 363: Baroque Art and Architecture
- ART/ARH 364: Contemporary Art in the Mediterranean
- ART/ARH 373: Renaissance Art and Architecture
- ART/ARH 381: The XIXth Century and French Impressionism
- ART/ARH 382: Cezanne and Van Gogh
Aesthetics Required 6 credits required
- ART/ARH/PHI 309: Art Criticism and Aesthetics Seminar I
- ART/ARH/PHI 310: Art Criticism and Aesthetics Seminar II
Liberal Arts, 3 credits required
- LIT/ENG 277/377: Creative Writing
January Term Seminar, 3 credits required
Total Major Credits: 51
J-TERM
As part of their degree, ACM students take part in a January Term program (J-Term), a multi-country traveling seminar. Travel spans from 2-3 weeks and explores the politics, economics, histories, and cultures of the countries visited. All ACM students are required to participate in J-Term within the first academic year of enrollment.
Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in the Europe & the Islamic World, Great Cities, or Mediterranean Basin seminar in alignment with ACM’s Core Curriculum. Students must meet with their academic advisor to choose a seminar that best fits within their major and academic plan.
Diplomacy & Human Rights
in the Mediterranean
Europe & the
Islamic World
Great
Cities
International Business & Emerging Markets
Mediterranean
Basin
Theatre
Alive
Wine, Gastronomy, & Sustainability of the Mediterranean
HOUSING
ACM has different housing options in Aix-en-Provence available to undergraduate students, including homestays with a local host or student residence apartments.
All undergraduate students must live with a homestay during their first year of study. After their first year, they can request an ACM student residence apartment or non-program housing upon approval. Living in a homestay is a challenging yet enriching experience, and essential for students to immerse themselves in French language and culture at the start of their ACM experience.
TUITION AND AID
|
Bachelor of Arts 2026-2027 |
Fall 12-18 Units |
Spring 12-18 Units |
Academic Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,900 | $11,900 | $23,800 |
|
Student Life Fees |
$2,500 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Housing | $5,500 | $5,500 | $11,000 |
| Total | $19,900 | $19,900 | $39,800 |
Operational costs are sometimes affected by factors over which ACM has no control. Therefore, the charges and financial aid policies quoted on our website and in the catalog are subject to change without notice.
Scholarships & Aid
The American College of the Mediterranean (ACM) offers several scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities to its students each year. ACM strives to keep its published costs low, especially in comparison to many U.S.-based degree-granting institutions. Additional funding is provided for those who qualify for merit, diversity, and need-based awards.
If you are planning to apply for aid, you will need to submit the required materials along with your program application, as ACM reviews both simultaneously on a rolling admissions basis. To be eligible for ACM scholarships and grants, students must be enrolled full-time and abide by all ACM policies and regulations as stated on the policies page. Please contact admissions@acmfrance.org with any questions.
For details about how ACM awards aid, please read the Financial Aid & Scholarship Process document.
CAREER-PATHS
The purpose of the Studio Art program is to develop the student’s capacity to see into the visible world, as well as themselves, and to transform their vision into art. The student is led gradually toward a deeper understanding of the relationship between natural and artistic forms through the challenges of museum study, portraiture, model work, still life, and landscape.
Seeing, synonymous with discovery, recognition, and discernment, is a core value of the ACM Art School. The purpose of the Studio Art program is to link contemporary artistic and historical concerns to a study of the visible world and to give students a cross-cultural viewpoint through extended study in the museums and galleries of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.
SCHOOL OF ART
ACM art courses are housed in the Atelier Marchutz. Situated on the outskirts of Aix on the renowned ‘Route de Cézanne,’ the school’s location in Aix-en-Provence has many advantages, among them its light-filled space, the studio’s proximity to the famed Chateaunoir and Sainte Victoire and most importantly, its calm and contemplative atmosphere conducive to sustained, artistic concentration. The studio itself was designed by architect Fernand Pouillon.