America's first public arts conservatory, training the next generation of creative innovators since 1963.
UNCSA comprises five professional schools offering conservatory-style training in performing, visual, and moving image arts. The School of Dance, School of Design & Production, School of Drama, School of Filmmaking, and School of Music each provide specialized curricula at high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. All applicants undergo auditions and interviews as part of the admissions process, reflecting the institution's focus on evaluating artistic gifts and professional potential. The school emphasizes hands-on experience through frequent performance opportunities, including seasonal dance performances, weekly music performance hours, and all-school musicals produced every four years.
The 77-acre urban campus in Winston-Salem features eleven performance and screening spaces, including the Stevens Center (a historic downtown venue), Crawford Recital Hall with a Fisk Organ, deMille Theatre for dance, and the ACE Exhibition Complex with three movie theaters. Student housing includes Artist Village, a five-story dormitory, and an off-campus apartment complex. The campus also houses the Semans Library, Hanes Student Commons, visual arts studios, costume and makeup studios, a fitness center with an interior basketball court, and multiple rehearsal and practice spaces. The school mascot is The Fighting Pickle, selected in 1972. Fall 2023 undergraduate demographics show 60% White, 15% Hispanic, 11% Black, 3% Asian, 6% two or more races, and 3% international students; 25% are low-income (Pell grant recipients).
UNCSA conducts auditions and interviews with all applicants across its five schools. High school degree programs are offered in Dance, Design & Production, Drama, and Music. Undergraduate programs include B.F.A. degrees in Dance, Design & Production, Drama, and Filmmaking, and B.M. degrees in Music. Graduate programs offer M.F.A. degrees in Design & Production and Filmmaking, and M.M. degrees in Music. A post-graduate professional artist certificate is available in Music. Applications for Fall 2026 are open; prospective students can schedule campus tours and meet with admissions counselors specific to their chosen school.
UNCSA alumni have achieved prominence across the entertainment and creative industries. Notable graduates include Paul Tazewell (B.F.A. '86, Design & Production), the first Black man to win an Academy Award for costume design for 'Wicked'; Hunter Schafer (H.S. '17, Visual Arts), known for 'Euphoria' and 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes'; Wesley Taylor (B.F.A. '08, Drama), who appears in 'Only Murders in the Building'; Jessica McJunkins (B.M. '09, Music), who has performed with Beyoncé and Jay-Z; Danny McBride (B.F.A. '99, Filmmaking), creator and star of 'The Righteous Gemstones'; and Camille A. Brown (B.F.A. '01, Dance), a Tony-nominated choreographer.