How does training work at the Acadamae? Do students attend until they are first level or is it considered a more advanced school?

I've always considered a wizard's apprenticeship to be him learning his starting spells, but a place that like the Acadamae, where there is such a focus on summoning, implies that students are higher level.

I am starting a new campaign at 1st level and one of my players is interested in going to the Acadamae, but I'm not sure if being a 1st level wizard puts him past graduation requirements.

On a side note, in the Acadamae description in the Guide to Korvosa it states that the school "accepts nearly anyone who applies, as those who fail become test subjects for who do not", yet under the description of Theumanexus College it states that the Acadamae has a strict entrance exam. So which is it?

The "Academae Graduate" feat from CotCT's Players Guide has no level requisite, so I assume you can graduate as early as level 1. There's no reason why students can't pursue post-graduate education though.

On our current CotCT game, for example, my evokress is a Journeywoman from the Arcanamirium pursuing a master's degree in evocation (given how the Arcanamirium's options can be relatively limited for specialist wizards).

The Conjurer PC is a transplant from Qadira, so hooking him up with the summoning school seems like a good idea, yet I'm not sure how to go about it. He's to low a level to teach there, yet too high a level to actually be a new student. Graduate work seems doable though. I wonder how strict the entrance exam to their grad program is.

He's to low a level to teach there, yet too high a level to actually be a new student.

Now, regarding whether he could teach or not, perhaps he could be either a teacher's adjutant or perhaps he could teach arcane theory (saying his Int score is good enough and he takes Skill Focus on perhaps Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana/Planes/Religion to get a skill score of 10+, then I could see him imparting classs at least to freshmen).

Hmmm.... an exam for the graduate program... perhaps mediating a negotiation with a low-level devil at a Planar Binding spell? It might require a decent Sense Motive not to get shafted, but sounds fun enough to roleplay at least.

Let me know how it works out. =)

The Acadamae might be a good place to consider the Apprentice / Mentor feat from DMG2, if you've got it.

A Wizard with the Apprentice feat would get Use Magic Device and any one Knowledge skill as extra known skills, a bonus spell in his book at 1st level, and the ability to copy spells from his Mentor's book at no cost.

At 5th level, assuming 5 ranks in two skills from; Concentration, Use Magic Device, Spellcraft and any single Knowledge skill, he could trade that feat in for Mentor and gain a +2 competence bonus to those four skills, and can attract their own Apprentices.

In the Academae, this would represent a Wizard moving up to a minor teaching position (more like an internship or teacher's assistant position, given the lack of pay and limited teaching requirement of 8 hours per week). Apprentices gain levels as their Mentor does, and when they reach 5th level, they become Cohorts. It's a pretty neat mechanic, and for a city-based game, could be workable into a campaign.