The Vermont Woodworking School Immersion Program is a full-time furniture design and woodworking education program.
Immerse yourself in the challenging pursuit of woodworking with the support of skilled craftspeople and a creative community of woodworkers.
We accept new students for our Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters throughout the year. No woodworking experience is necessary to apply. We're looking for hard-working, creative, and dedicated people who are excited about starting a career in woodworking. Students may enroll for a minimum of 9 weeks and can stay for up to two and a half academic years.
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Incoming students may choose to start with a 9-week partial semester and enroll in just Foundations 1. This option is only available for first-semester students during the spring or fall semesters. If they wish, these students may choose to continue into Design 1 and remain for the full 15 weeks after arriving at school.
Take the leap and start your craft!
Immersion Program
Spring
Dates:
January - May
Tuition:
9-week Partial semester - $7,200
Full semester - $9,100
VWS housing - on or off campus:
9-week Partial semester - $2,500
Full semester - $3,400
Summer
Dates:
June - August
Tuition:
10-week semester - $7,200
VWS housing - on or off campus:
10-week semester - $2,500
Fall
Dates:
August 26th - December 20th
Tuition:
9-week Partial semester - $7,200
Full semester - $9,100
VWS housing - on or off campus:
9-week Partial semester - $2,500
Full semester - $3,400
Curriculum
First Semester - Foundations 1
This 9-week course is structured around building a Shaker-style end table while introducing the fundamentals of woodworking and furniture making. You'll spend time sharpening and tuning your hand planes and learn safe practices in our machine shop.
When we aren't talking about wood movement or laying out dovetails for some hand-cut joinery, you can work on your turning skills or catch up on your drafting.
Students can choose to enroll in just Foundations 1 as a 9-week course, but most continue into Design Studio 1 to complete the full semester.
First Semester - Small Tables
After you're settled into the shop and working on your Shaker table, we introduce our first design-to-build class. Start on paper with a series of sketches, then build small models and work out the joinery. Students are guided through class discussions and instructor feedback, honing in on the design they'll spend the rest of the semester building. This is where more experienced students can stretch their wings, or new woodworkers can focus in on the details that make a simple piece shine.
Second Semester - Wall-Hung Cabinet
In Foundations 2, second-semester students expand their furniture-making knowledge with more advanced techniques. A series of small projects focus on veneer work, laminated bends, and other types of joinery. In our Digital Skills elective, students are introduced to 3D modeling in Fusion 360 to assist with designing complex pieces of furniture.
Their final project for the semester is a wall-hung cabinet with a door and a drawer. For some students this is an exercise in design specificity - creating a piece for a specific location or use. Others set aside functionality to create a more decorative piece.