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Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles exterior building.

VPA Los Angeles

Immerse yourself in the West Coast arts and entertainment industries! Both semester-long and short-term opportunities are offered to College of Visual and Performing Arts students through VPA Los Angeles.

VPA LA is part of the Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles Program, located in the North Hollywood (NoHo) Arts District. The program includes state-of-the-art space for offices and classrooms as well as a studio and student lounge. In addition to VPA LA, the program is home to Newhouse LA and administrative offices for admissions, development, alumni engagement, and career services.

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Opportunities

A group of students pose and smile outside a movie studio.

VPA LA Semester

The VPA LA Semester is an immersive professional development program that provides students with a unique opportunity to work as interns in Los Angeles while taking academic courses taught by LA professionals with expertise in their given discipline. The program is designed to broaden students’ understanding of career opportunities and gain skills to network and succeed professionally.

Learn more about the VPA LA Semester
A student gestures to a piece of artwork on a gallery wall and talks to three people who are looking at the artwork.

Turner Semester

The Turner Semester is a residency program for a small cohort of M.F.A. degree students that allows them to experience the arts of the West Coast and to live and work in San Pedro (the Los Angeles Harbor area) during the fall and spring semesters. The program is generously supported by Marylyn Turner ’56 G’57 and Chuck Klaus G’05, who provide a residence in San Pedro for Turner Semester students and lease studio space at the Angels Gate Cultural Center, where the students pursue their creative work. The semester culminates in an exhibition of the students’ work at a local gallery.

A group of students pose with Aaron Sorkin.

Sorkin in LA Learning Practicum

The highly successful Sorkin in LA Learning Practicum, also known as “Sorkin Week,” is generously supported by award-winning writer, director, producer, and drama alumnus Aaron Sorkin ’83 H’12. The practicum provides students with a week-long, “hit-the-studios-running” immersion in the heart of America’s film and television industries. Students selected for the practicum meet and learn from alumni and industry insiders for seminars, workshops, and more.

A group of people pose on a television sound stage.

Maymester for Student Athletes

Offered in partnership with the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies and the Department of Athletics, the three-credit Maymester course CRS 360 Communication Strategies in Sports introduces student-athletes to the principles of persuasive communication and networking in the sports broadcasting industry. Students visit studios and other companies and attend games and cultural events. Syracuse alumni who were student-athletes and pursued a variety of career paths serve as guest lecturers.

A group of students pose with Dennis and Nancy Gilbert in Los Angeles.

Gilbert Week

Offered intermittently in Los Angeles, Gilbert Week is a week-long immersion program for students in the Setnor School of Music. Students learn about career opportunities in music by meeting and learning from arts professionals and visiting some of the world’s leading performing arts institutions and organizations. Gilbert Week is held during Spring Break in a different city each year; past locations include New York City; Los Angeles; and Austin, Texas. The program is generously supported by Dennis ’73 and Nancy Gilbert ’74.

A group of people pose and smile outside a building with the sign Cartwright.

Design Week

Offered intermittently in Los Angeles, the Design Week immersion for School of Design students includes tours of or visits to design firms, studios and cultural attractions. Students also also meet with alumni working in various design fields.

Support VPA LA

It’s easy to see the advantages a Los Angeles learning experience brings to our students. Opportunities to learn from the world’s leading experts, interaction with the world-renown entertainment industry, visits to diverse cultural institutions, the challenges of living in a major metropolitan environment—all of these give students unique real-world insights that simply can’t be gained anywhere else. You can make such experiences possible by designating your gift to the VPA LA fund. Many of these activities rely on ongoing funding, and your gift can be a source of crucial support.

Give to VPA LA
A group of students pose on a hiking trail in front of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.