Purchase College School of the Arts

Welcome to Purchase College.

Our campus is located in the center of 500 acres of open fields and sprawling forests, about 30 miles (or a short train ride) north of New York City. We combine rigorous coursework in the liberal arts and sciences with world-class conservatory programs in the visual and performing arts. 

Think Wide Open

We encourage our students to think wide open. What does that mean? For starters, it means rejecting easy answers and finding inspiration outside the typical boundaries of academic programs.

A progressive school like ours tends to attract unique personalities. We’re often called the “quirky” SUNY, but it’s the students, not the school itself, that give Purchase its distinctive identity. The Purchase College of today and tomorrow is a diverse and inclusive community of gifted and creative thinkers, writers, and performers.

School of the Arts

The School of the Arts offers developing visual and performing artists and arts managers access to the highest level of professional training. Students will graduate equipped with the tools and inspiration for engaged, innovative, and socially impactful careers.

Vibrant performance and studio-based degree programs challenge students to interrogate, articulate, produce, and innovate. Students learn entrepreneurial skills within a thriving intellectual culture, informed by the School of the Arts’ uniquely synergistic relationship with the broader college community.

Conservatory of Music

Immerse yourself in an intensive education within a dynamic and supportive community of musicians, while receiving the direction and training to develop a practice, span genres, and perform in ensembles of all sizes and styles. 

Across both undergraduate and graduate programs, the Conservatory of Music offers a distinctive, comprehensive education that will prepare students for the challenges and rewards of a career in music.

Our proximity to New York City makes it possible for you to study with many of the most respected names in music today—and to benefit from their extensive professional experience as performers, composers, and producers. Through private lessons and small-group study, our faculty will guide and mentor you in your career choice. And because the Conservatory of Music limits its enrollment to only 400 students, including undergraduate and graduate candidates, you will receive personal attention and opportunities to perform and hear your music right from the start.

Conservatory of Theatre Arts

Bright lights, brighter future.

The Conservatory of Theatre Arts offers intensive, highly focused BFA training programs in acting and theatre design/technology for a limited number of students who seek to pursue professional careers in these fields.

As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre. In addition, the conservatory offers the BA program in theatre and performance, which is designed for students interested in exploring the history and aesthetics of world drama and performance and the possibilities of theatrical expression—as performers, directors, and playwrights—within a broader liberal arts context.

Because Purchase is located close to New York City, our students have easy access to some of the best theatrical venues and production facilities in the country.

Our accomplished faculty work as performers, directors, designers, managers, and theatre technicians with a vase selection of theatrical companies. As seasoned and connected industry professionals, our faculty assists you in landing internships and job prospects.

If you stand out, this is a place where you’ll fit in.

Apply to Purchase College School of the Arts today!