CUPA Art & Design Online Application

CUPA homestay placement is based on students' interests and personalities. Students who choose housing with a French family must be ready to take this commitment seriously and accept that conditions will be different from what they are accustomed to in the US. By choosing to live with a host family, students agree to respect the rules set by CUPA between them and the French family.

Please remember that the choice of housing is final and cannot be changed during the semester

For more information about CUPA housing : cupa.paris.edu/student-life/housing

Please submit a PDF portfolio of 10 to 20 items containing any combination of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation art, video, photography, sound, motion graphics, communication design, fashion design, illustration, etc. For video and sound pieces, send the files separately via WeTransfer.

Portfolio Examples
Portfolio 1
Portfolio 2

Applicants are encouraged to submit their best and most recently completed work showing a range of technical skills and creativity. Applicants are also encouraged to carefully edit their portfolio considering the arrangement and order of their work. The admissions committee is particularly interested in how applicants research and communicate their ideas. Works should be clearly labeled.

Please submit your portfolio below (8MB max) or by using We Transfer, in which case you should indicate cupa@cupa.paris.edu as the recipient.

NB: Students interested in pursuing only Design Management classes need not submit a portfolio, but are required to submit a Design Analysis Essay. You will be asked to upload your Design Analysis Essay further down in the application.

An important part of your study abroad experience will be choosing your courses. Your initial study proposal will let us know which requirements you will need to fulfill. Please read the following instructions carefully before completing this portion of the application.

To complete this section, students may use the Paris College of Art Course Offerings. NB: Course offerings are modified from semester to semester, and some courses may have pre-requisites. For this reason, and because scheduling conflicts may arise, students must consider alternate course selections.

Final course selection takes place in Paris. Note that all CUPA Art & Design students are required to take one French language course. You will be placed into a French language course upon arrival in Paris and do not need to select a French language course at this time.

It is each student's responsibility to follow home institution credit approval policies.

CUPA offers a limited number of awards each semester to exceptionally motivated students participating in the CUPA program. These awards are to help the recipients finance special projects related to their year or semester in France, and are awarded in the following categories:

Academic Grant: an academic project directly related to research or work pursued in the student’s area of study and which demonstrates a significant potential for increased cultural immersion. Recipients of this award are required to write an overview of how they used their award money and how it enhanced their immersion experience.

Personal Grant: a project that may not be directly related to the student’s area of study but that demonstrates a significant potential for increased cultural immersion. Recipients of this award are required to write an overview of how they used their award money and how it enhanced their immersion experience.

Travel Grant: awarded to students who demonstrate a compelling motive to explore an aspect of French culture which would not normally be covered in the CUPA program fee. Recipients of this award are required to write an overview of how they used their award money and how it enhanced their immersion experience.

In order to be considered for an award:
Following the guidelines above, write an essay (minimum 750 words) concerning the type of award you wish to apply for and explaining your motivation, as well as why funding is important. Provide as much information as possible about your project.