Summer @ The Institute
Six Weeks, Sixty Centuries
About the Program
Summer at the Institute, hosted by the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU, is designed for learners at all levels with an interest in art history, providing classroom experiences that open up new avenues of exploration and introduce topics of cutting edge research in the field.
Through in-person, non-credit, six-week courses offered each year during both of NYU’s two Summer Sessions, pre-college students and adult learners in the tri-state area can take advantage of unparalleled access to the Institute of Fine Arts and the thriving art historical and museum scene in New York City. Courses are taught each summer by a group of advanced doctoral candidates at the Institute, as well as recent PhD alums and alums of the MA/MS program in Art History and Conservation. Course topics vary by offering, and are developed out of the current research of the instructor, ranging across time period, geographical region, and themes within the fields of art history, archaeology, or conservation.
Course Details
Summer at the Institute consists of two types of classes: the Pre-College Summer Institute course and the IFA Summer Lectures course.
FINH-NA 100 Pre-College Summer Institute
The Pre-College Summer Institute courses aim to reach learners at the beginning of their intellectual journeys—where curiosity about art, material culture, and the past first takes root. These courses mix traditional classroom instruction with non-traditional modes of instruction, such as hands-on engagement with objects and materials, immersive site-based learning, collaboration with museum professionals, and active skill-building that demonstrates how scholars actually work.
Enrollment is restricted to high school students living in the tri-state area. These non-residential courses meet once a week during the six week session, for a total of three hours per class.
FINH-NA 500 IFA Summer Lectures
The IFA Summer Lectures courses aim to engage adult learners in specialized research topics within art history, archaeology, or conservation that reflect the research interests of the course instructor. They balance academic rigor appropriate for prospective students to the Institute, with accessibility for engaged adult learners.
Enrollment is restricted to adult-aged learners living in the tri-state area. These non-residential courses meet once a week during the six week session, for a total of two hours per class.
Summer 2026 Offerings
Summer Session I (May 18 - June 30, 2026)
FINH-NA 500-001: Introduction to the Conservation of Contemporary Art
Instructor: Caroline Carlsmith, MS/MA
Meets: Thursdays, 6pm-8pm
Read More about the conservation course
Summer Session II (July 1 - August 12, 2026)
FINH-NA 100-001: Art in the Age of AI: How Artists See, Think, and Make with Machines
Instructor: Eana Kim, PhD
Meets: Wednesdays, 9:30am-12:30pm
Read More about Eana Kim's course
FINH-NA 500-002: Water Worlds from Ancient Egypt to Renaissance Rome
Instructor: Shiro Burnette, PhD Candidate
Meets: Tuesdays, 10am-12pm
Read More about Shiro Burnette's course
Application Details, Tuition and Fees, and Important Program Information
How to Apply & Eligibility Details
Enrollment in the Summer at the Institute courses are made via application. No prior art history experience is required to apply, and the application is designed to be completed in one sitting, capturing relevant information about the learner and providing a space to share in a few sentences what sparked a learner’s interest in exploring more about art history through the Summer at the Institute.
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents living in the tri-state area. We unfortunately cannot sponsor academic visas for international applicants. Each Summer at the Institute course is designed to be held in-person in a non-residential setting, so there is no access to NYU residential housing or meal plans as part of a student’s enrollment.
Applications are open from February 27, 2026 through May 1, 2026. Interested students can apply online
APPLY FOR SUMMER 2026Students will be accepted on a rolling basis up until the application deadline. There is no deposit required to hold an admitted student’s spot in a course.
Tuition, Fees, Scholarships, and Refunds
Tuition and Fees
The cost of each Summer at the Institute course is as follows for the individual six week session:
FINH-NA 100 Pre-College Summer Institute: $1,050 (inclusive of $50 non-refundable application fee)
FINH-NA 500 IFA Summer Lectures: $749 (inclusive of $50 non-refundable application fee)
Tuition fees (costs above minus the $50 non-refundable application fee) are generated 24-48 hours after enrollment in a course, and are made available for payment via the Student Center on NYU Albert. Payments are made via the NYU Bursar’s Office; more information on how to pay can be found on the Bursar’s website here.
Scholarships
Unfortunately, at this time no Institute funding is available for scholarships to help support tuition costs for the Summer at the Institute courses.
Withdrawals and Refunds
Students can withdraw from a Summer at the Institute course at any time. Any refund for which the student is eligible depends on the timing of the withdrawal. Students are eligible for a full refund (minus the $50 non-refundable application fee) prior to the start of a course, and up to 3 days into the course’s Summer Session. After this date, a 50% refund is available for a withdrawal within 3 weeks of a course’s Summer Session. After the fourth week of a course’s Summer Session, no refund is available.
Information for Admitted Students
Once admitted, students can accept or decline via the online application portal, following the instructions in their course admissions letter. No deposit is required to hold a student’s spot in their desired course.
Students are encouraged to activate their netID via start.nyu.edu as soon as possible, so that they may be enrolled in the course of their choice. NYU also utilizes multi-factor authentication via Duo, and students should follow the instructions here to download and set up Duo.
Once a student’s netID is activated, they are eligible to pick up their NYU ID card. The NYU ID card is required for access to the Duke House, and students should follow the instructions on the NYU Card Center page here to submit their information to ensure they can pick up their card prior to the start of their course.
Prior to the start of a course, enrolled students will have important course information shared with them via email by the staff at the Academic Office at the Institute of Fine Arts. This information will be sent to a student’s NYU email account, so it is important that this be activated prior to the start of the course. Central University alerts and updates will also be sent to a student’s NYU email account, so monitoring this account is important.
Students are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle along with writing utensils and paper (or personal laptop) to take notes. Complimentary guest wi-fi will be provided at the Duke House for students enrolled in the Summer at the Institute courses.
For sessions where a course may engage in a field trip, comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella, and sunscreen and sunglasses are recommended. Weather in NYC during the summer can vary in extremes, so it’s always good to be prepared!
For students who may require reasonable accommodations for their participation in a course, please be in touch with NYU’s Moses Center for Accessibility and Inclusive Culture. The Accessibility Specialists there will be able to assist students with registering for accommodations and communicating these accommodations with course instructors and Institute staff.
Questions & Contact
Questions about the Summer at the Institute program may be directed to the Academic Office at the Institute of Fine Arts either via email at IFA-AO-admin@nyu.edu or by phone at 212-992-5868. Staff are in the office Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:30AM and 5PM ET.