UAMA is a small ARTS based unscreened public high school in Downtown Brooklyn/DUMBO founded in 2005. UAMA infuses a rigorous early college curriculum with the arts. We do not require special auditions or portfolios for application, believing that all students benefit from an arts education and should have access to early college opportunities.
21st Century Arts
The Advanced Arts program explores both traditional arts and 21st Century expressions of creativity. Working with dedicated full-time arts teachers and partnering with elite NYC teaching artists, UAMA’s talented students create their own art and media content. The Creators Academy respects students as artists of the moment while preparing them for potential careers in the arts, social media, and evolving technologies. This Fall all students will enter an arts pathway in one of three fields: Modern Band & Music Production, Visual & Digital Art, Drama & Musical Theater. Dance coming in Spring 2024!
UAMA’s special programs are largely made possible by arts partnerships with organizations in the nonprofit and private sectors, as well as colleges and universities. Our partners provide and supplement onsite programming and offer hands-on learning opportunities in professional venues. Key cultural partners include Bard College Jazz and Orchestra music programs, NYCPS ARTS HUB, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, BRIC Media Arts, Creative Arts and Entertainment Agency, Family Cook Productions, and many others.
Bard Early College Academy @UAMA
Early College pathways @UAMA include both on campus, off, and remote experiences taught by our own staff and college professors. Offering an expanding array of college credits in all disciplines free of charge to our students. UAMA students in 11th and 12th grade to enroll as part-time undergraduate students of Bard College and earn tuition-free college credits concurrently with their high school studies. Participating students take a liberal arts college course of study that aims to intellectually engage UAMA students and help them prepare for and succeed in college.
On Campus Early College Partners
The Bard Sequence, a 2-year literature and philosophy 4 course program, Bard African American, Bard Latinx History, and various Bard College Accredited Arts courses. Additional Courses coming in Fall 2024.
National Education Equity Lab
UAMA is proud to be partnering with The Equity Lab to offer dual credit college courses to our students. Courses include the Harvard University course Poetry in America, the Howard University course, Environmental Studies & Justice, Wharton School of Business Personal Finance course, and the Georgetown University course Map of the Human World. Additional Courses coming in Fall 2024.
Each of the online courses is supported by an in-house UAMA staff member to ensure students have the opportunity to connect with a teacher they know and help them navigate the partner University’s systems as well as the course work.
Off Campus Early College Partners
LIU High School Scholars Program
The LIU High School Scholars Program offers high school students a unique opportunity to accelerate their college education. Through a wide range of dual-credit courses—applicable toward both the high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree—LIU High School Scholars earn college credits while studying in their high school classrooms.
College Now is a comprehensive collaborative program of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) designed to improve the academic achievement of NYC Public High School students, while preparing them for the demands of college. College Now at City Tech offers students from designated high schools the opportunity to enroll in college credit-bearing courses FREE of cost. Classes meet after the regular high school day and/or on Saturday on the City Tech campus.
Please explore this site for more detail about all the elements that distinguish UAMA among other schools. Do not forget to investigate ways to get involved , and sign up for our mailing list to receive regular updates. Thank you for your interest in the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art!