The University of Arts & Design admits dual enrollment students beginning at age 14, and homeschool students are eligible on the same terms as students in traditional secondary schools. Students who enroll at that age take the same undergraduate certificate courses as every other UAD student, meet the same course learning outcomes, and are graded on the same scale.
The program allows qualified secondary students to earn college credit in design while they complete high school. All coursework is completed online, which suits families whose week is built around a co-op, a job, travel, or training rather than a school bell.
This post is an overview of how the program works. The governing text of every policy described here is published in the UAD Academic Catalog, which families should read before applying.
Certificate Programs Open to Dual Enrollment Students
Which certificate programs a student may enroll in depends on age. Students who are 14 and older may enroll in the Design Mastery Certificate or/and the Surface Pattern Design Certificate. Students who are 16 and older may also enroll in the Digital Production Design Certificate and/or the Art & Design Business Certificate.
The Design Mastery Certificate is 18 semester credit hours across six courses covering design foundations, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, color theory, and business foundations for designers and artists. The Surface Pattern Design Certificate is 15 semester credit hours across five courses and concludes with DES 304, in which students learn to create and scale seamless patterns for fabric, paper, and wallpaper. Full course lists for all four programs are published on the undergraduate certificate programs page.
Eligibility Requirements
A student must be at least 14 years of age on the first day of the term in which the student enrolls. If the applicant’s state of residence sets a minimum enrollment age higher than 14, that higher age applies. The student must also have completed the equivalent of the eighth grade in a traditional school or a homeschool program.
The student must demonstrate readiness for college-level work by meeting one of three options. The first is an academic portfolio reviewed and approved by UAD academic staff. The second is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, documented on an official school or homeschool transcript. The third is a written recommendation from the student’s school counselor, principal, or homeschool administrator addressing readiness for college-level coursework.
Finally, the student must reside in a state where the University is authorized, licensed, exempted, or approved to enroll students under the age of 18. That list is narrower than the list of states where UAD accepts applications generally, so families should contact the Admissions Office to confirm eligibility in their state of residence before gathering documents.
Documents Every Dual Enrollment Applicant Submits
Four items are required from every applicant. The first is a completed Dual Enrollment Application signed by both the applicant and a parent or legal guardian. The second is a signed Parental Consent and Compulsory Schooling Assurance Statement, in which the parent or legal guardian consents to the enrollment and affirms that UAD coursework will not interfere with the student’s compulsory secondary schooling.
The third item is proof of identity in the form of a government-issued photo ID, a valid passport, or school identification. The fourth is documentation supporting the readiness option the student selected, which is the portfolio, the transcript, or the written recommendation.
Additional documentation may be needed from your dual enrollment student. Learn more by downloading the UAD Academic Catalog.
Course Load, Academic Standards, and Advising
A dual enrollment student may register for one certificate course each term. Before registration each term, an academic advisor meets with the student and the parent or legal guardian to review the program plan and ensure that it accommodates the student’s secondary school obligations.
Dual enrollment students are held to the same standards as all other undergraduate students. This includes course learning outcomes, grading policies, Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, and the academic integrity policies published in the catalog. Proctored assessment and identity verification requirements apply on the same terms as they do for every other student.
Undergraduate certificate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and successfully complete at least 67 percent of all attempted credits. A student who does not meet those standards is placed on academic warning for one term, and is required to meet with an academic advisor to discuss support options. A student who does not regain good standing is placed on academic probation and then becomes subject to dismissal, with an appeal process available. Credit is counted as attempted but not earned when a student withdraws from or fails a course.
Dual enrollment students have access to the same academic advising and student support services as all UAD students, including online library resources, online orientation, and technical support for course access and university systems.
How the University Communicates With Students Under 18
All University communication with dual enrollment students runs through official channels, including institutional email, the learning management system, and scheduled advising sessions. University personnel do not communicate with minor students outside those channels.
A parent or legal guardian is copied on all enrollment, financial, and academic-standing communications where the student has signed a FERPA Disclosure Authorization, or where the parent or legal guardian claims the student as a dependent for federal tax purposes.
Dual enrollment students are subject to the same student records, privacy, and record retention policies as all other UAD students. The rights, procedures, and request processes in those policies apply without any modification based on the student’s age, which means a dual enrollment student holds the same right to inspect and review educational records, to request correction of a record, and to restrict the release of directory information as any adult student.
Tuition and Financial Responsibility
Undergraduate tuition is the same for dual enrollment as any other student. All tuition, fees, and any other estimated costs can be found on our tuition page here: https://uad.education/pages/fees. Tuition is paid one course at a time before a semester begins.
The parent or legal guardian serves as the party responsible for all financial obligations and must accept and sign the enrollment agreement. Before signing, the parent and the student receive written disclosure of the program in which the student will enroll, tuition and all associated costs, the University’s cancellation and refund policies, and the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of both the student and UAD. UAD provides the parent a copy of the signed agreement within 10 days of acceptance and maintains a copy in the student’s permanent record.
What Students Build in These Programs
The certificate courses are production courses, so students finish each term holding work rather than notes. A student in DES 304 builds seamless repeat patterns sized for fabric, paper, and wallpaper. A student in DES 306 designs a functional font with its own glyph set. A student in DES 305 produces die cut and three dimensional designs made for an online marketplace.
For a family weighing dual enrollment against a general elective, that is the practical difference. A student who finishes a certificate at 17 is fluent in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, has built a portfolio, and has been critiqued on that work by working designers. Those skills carry into a college application, a first job, or a small business regardless of what the student studies next.
Credit
The University of Arts & Design is licensed under the Utah Postsecondary School and State Authorization Act to operate as a degree granting postsecondary school in the State of Utah. Students will receive college credit for their work.
The transferability of credits earned at any institution is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Families who plan to apply UAD credit toward a degree elsewhere should confirm transfer policies directly with the schools the student is considering, and should ask those schools what documentation they require.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted throughout the year. Start of semester dates are published on the academic calendar.
Families deciding between programs can work through Choose Your UAD Adventure, and students who want to try a UAD learning environment first can join the free teen Procreate workshop. Questions about state eligibility or about submitting a readiness portfolio should be directed to the Admissions Office. Families should start early, because school-issued transcripts and counselor forms take time to arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 14 year old take online college classes?
At the University of Arts & Design, yes. A student must be at least 14 years of age on the first day of the term and must have completed the equivalent of the eighth grade. If the student’s state of residence sets a higher minimum enrollment age, that higher age applies. Students who are 14 and older may enroll in the Design Mastery Certificate or the Surface Pattern Design Certificate, and two additional certificates open at 16.
Can homeschool students enroll in dual enrollment at UAD?
Yes. Homeschool students are eligible on the same terms as students in traditional secondary schools. A homeschool applicant submits a transcript prepared and signed by the parent serving as homeschool administrator, along with evidence that the program complies with the laws of the family’s state, which is either a copy of the exemption certificate, notice of intent, or affidavit, or a signed parental attestation where no filing is required.
How much does dual enrollment cost at UAD?
Undergraduate tuition is $350 per semester credit hour, so a single three-credit course is $1,050 plus a one-time $75 application fee as of 8/2026. Textbooks, technology, and art supplies are estimated separately at $900 and $200. Please check our most recent tuition information here: https://uad.education/pages/fees.
How many courses can a dual enrollment student take each term?
One certificate course per 15-week term. Before registration each term, an academic advisor meets with the student and the parent or legal guardian to review the program plan and confirm that it accommodates the secondary school obligations. UAD runs three terms a year, beginning in January, May, and September.
