Make It Here Summer Intensive Program

The International Center of Photography (ICP)/Pace University Make It Here Summer Intensive Program provides students who are currently enrolled in undergraduate study the opportunity to spend three weeks in New York City immersed in photographic image making. This rigorous 3-credit educational experience is designed to expand participants’ perception of the visual world and focus their ability to fluently express themselves and their ideas through images.

With the city’s rich cultural landscape as a backdrop, students spend five days a week in class and receive ample time to complete challenging homework assignments from across the curriculum. Coursework is supplemented by museum and gallery visits, field trips, studio visits, and guest lectures to enrich students’ knowledge of visual narrative and expression.

Guided by ICP’s and Pace’s diverse faculty of image making artists and professionals, students will come away equipped with advanced digital imaging skills as well as extensive knowledge of analog processes and a range of lighting techniques. At the end of the program, students will produce a book to showcase their individual and collective achievements.

This program will take place June 1–June 21, 2025.
Deadline to apply is May 12.

For questions about this program, please reach out to education@icp.org or visitingstudent@pace.edu.

Pre-College Application Non-Degree Application

Framework and Courses

Faculty: Roger Sayre (Pace University), Jesse Chen (ICP), Sophie Barbasch (ICP), Jon Henry (ICP)

Inside Look (Pace)

An inside look at New York City's art and media landscape with a focus on photographers, painters, and installation video artists who capture the experience of living and working in the urban terrain. This module will touch on professional practices for photographers and examine the commercial photography industry and fine art gallery world. Site visits to galleries, museums, and commercial photography studios will support course work.

Seeing in the Dark (ICP)

In this class students will explore traditional analogue practices by working with a variety of film cameras and darkroom techniques. Through field trips, guest artist visits, and shooting assignments, students will further expand their understanding of the technical and aesthetic possibilities of film photography.

Technical Seminar (ICP)

Students explore various aspects of digital image making in this in-depth course. Through demonstrations and hands-on sessions, students learn the basics and more advanced levels of using digital cameras and imaging software.

Light, Shadow, and Style (ICP)

A painterly and sophisticated use of light can help an artist communicate nuances and layers in their work, establish moods, and heighten emotions. Our aim will be to train the eye to see light the way a camera sees it. Both continuous and flash lighting will be explored in-depth and hands-on in the studio and on location.

Tuition and Housing

Housing is available for students over 18 years old and registered for Pace/ICP Summer Intensive through the Pace Portal.

• Tuition for this program is $4,500.
• Housing cost for 3 weeks is $1,668.
• Linens not provided.
• No guests admitted for students staying less than 30 days.
• Before applying for housing, you must first register for the summer intensive program.

Please note: meals are not provided.