I am seeing on the admissions pages they require one unit/year of Fine/Visual Arts. My DS high school does not require this b/c you can sub out applied arts (woodworking) or business courses to fulfill that requirement. But S24 is interested in some of those schools and wondering if he should even bothering applying if he has no fine arts.
It doesn’t have to be in HS, it could be a one-semester CC course. But it is a requirement (and a firm one) before enrolling. Your HS requirements are irrelevant.
And woodworking could potentially count depending on course content.
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Many colleges require coursework that is beyond what is needed to graduate HS.
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The VPA (Visual/Performing Arts) year long course is a requirement so the CSU’s and UC’s expect all applicants to meet this requirement. As noted above, it can be fulfilled by taking 1 semester College course. Below is how you can meet this requirement other than HS courses.
AP or IB Examination
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP History of Art, Studio Art or Music Theory Exam;
score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Dance, Film, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts
College courses: Grade of C or better in any transferable course of 3 semester (4 quarter) units that clearly falls within one of four visual/performing arts disciplines: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art
Here is a response to an applicant inquired regarding the VPA requirement;
While the University of California have a set pattern of academic courses that are required for admission, we understand that these subject requirements may be difficult for some applicants to meet due to differences in school curriculum.
All applications for admission are reviewed within the context of courses available to them; if a particular required subject is not available, we will consider the application without it. We would not deny an applicant due to any one single criteria, therefore if the applicant is otherwise a strong competitive applicant but they are missing the VPA course (1 semester or the entire year) we can still admit that student.
There is no single academic path that we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous high school curriculum available to them.
Sincerely,
UCLA Undergraduate Admission
ASUAR
If you find that you are unable to fulfill the requirement with any of the above options you can explain the reason why in the additional comments section. Please be aware that failure to fulfill all requirements will have a negative impact on your application.
All I can say is that with record # of applicants to the UC’s and many of the CSU’s, the competition is fierce so by not meeting the 1 year VPA requirement can be a disadvantage.
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There is a difference between “not available” and “opted not to take.”
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I agree.
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@coastal2024. Are you California residents? If so, you can look up what courses at her HS are listed as meeting the VPA requirement here:
Woodworking is listed for many California HS’s as VPA (F) course.
Business courses are listed under (G) College Prep.
OK your previous post indicates that you are from Massachusetts and your son wants to get out of the snow.
The California Public universities are funded primarily by California taxpayers. Which means that non-residents pay fees of $67K a year for the University of California, and $42K for the California state university system. There is no significant financial aid to cover the cost of nonresident fees. Which means that you’re on the hook for $67K per year.
These universities receive hundreds of thousands of applications, on a yearly basis, from students all around the world. California residents are the priority. The state cannot afford to fund people who are not residents. Non-residents are “cash cows” for the state of California: they need the money.
There is some merit aid but it is very very minimal and a drop in the hat. Each university of California runs its financial aid differently, such that, merit aid varies and runs anywhere from $2k to $5000 a year. Won’t cover the large majority of costs to attend. It’s very expensive to study in California as a non-resident.
Note that UCs and CSUs are not the only schools that want to see visual or performing arts courses from frosh applicants.
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Thanks everyone- yes from Massachusetts. He is just starting to compile a list but has a lot more research to do, but concentrating in the southeast, and possibly CA even though we have told him he might as well be applying to Harvard at that point with his slim chances 
If he is applying to CA schools, he needs to fulfill their requirements and that includes a year of fine or performing arts on high school (or at a CC as suggested above). But it’s a requirement….it’s not optional.