Pre-college studio art courses are offered every summer at USC for students still in high school. USC professors who teach in the USC Roski School of Fine Arts mentor and guide students through intensive classes in studio techniques, art theory and portfolio presentation.
Two weeks or four weeks of campus living in college residences and daily studio classes in photography, figure drawing, sculpture and graphic design/visual communication give the students a well-rounded introduction to life at the university level, as well as an intensive studio experience that strengthens overall artistic abilities and challenges pre-conceived artistic boundaries. Field trips to well known Los Angeles art locales such as the J. Paul Getty Museum, BLT Associates (an entertainment advertising agency), the Museum of Contemporary Art, Disney Imagineering Studios and visits to artists' studios are also part of the experience during the summer sessions.
Students end their summer session with an exhibition in the Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery in Watt Hall on the USC campus, and leave with a documentation of their best work accomplished during the session, as well as a better understanding of what makes a successful art student at the university level.