School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Unique Nontraditional Approach

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), in the heart of downtown Chicago, takes a focused, yet highly unstructured approach to arts education. With no traditional grades (only "credit" or "no credit") and no majors, the school's 2,400 undergraduates have a high degree of freedom in designing their education and following their artistic muses. Six undergraduate degrees are offered, supported by 23 departments focusing on the spectrum of arts disciplines.

Grounded in the Liberal Arts

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts, in order to help students understand how different disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and mathematics approach questions and problem-solving.

The school's goal is to prepare students to be "effective writers and speakers; to make coherent and unified oral presentations of material; to develop a thesis, idea, or argument in written form; and to handle concepts with greater sophistication."

A Focus on Technical and Critical Artistic Skills

In addition to liberal arts courses, students are required to take classes in art and design history, theory, and criticism, with an overall goal of developing both technical and critical competencies.

After completing a required first year program, students pursue an individualized course of study, freely choosing from an extensive selection of courses. Experimentation and interdisciplinary exploration are highly encouraged.

Variety of Degrees and Interest Areas

SAIC offers the following undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.); B.F.A. with emphasis in art education; B.F.A. with emphasis in art history, theory, and criticism; B.F.A. with emphasis in writing; Bachelor of Interior Architecture; and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Visual and Critical Studies.

There is also a consecutive degree option to earn both a B.F.A. and a B.A. in Visual and Critical Studies, wherein students use the majority of credits from one degree program to complete the other.

Students may choose from a huge variety of interest areas, including arts administration and policy; architecture, interior architecture, and designed objects; art education; art history, theory, and criticism; art and technology studies; art therapy; ceramics; design for emerging technologies; fashion design; fiber and material studies; film, video, and new media; contemporary practices; historic preservation; liberal arts; painting and drawing; performance; photography; print media; sculpture; sound; visual communication design; visual and critical studies; and writing.

Abundant Cooperative Positions

Cooperative education is an important component of the SAIC curriculum. Over 400 co-op positions, both local and outside the area, are available every semester. Co-op employers run the gamut of industries and have included organizations such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Chanel Boutique, Chicago Tribune, Dreamworks LLC, Edelman Worldwide, Harpo, Inc., L'Oreal USA, Inc., Miramax Films, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Orbitz Worldwide, Pixar Animation Studios, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Off-campus and Study Abroad Opportunities

All undergraduate students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are required to participate in off-campus study, which may be taken during sophomore, junior, or senior years.

Off-campus program options include SAIC's study abroad program at the Burren College of Art in western Ireland; faculty-led study trips during winter and summer breaks to locations such as New York, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Japan, and Brazil; semester exchange programs at art schools within the U.S. and abroad; a one-semester studio program in New York; and summer intensive courses at the rustic Ox-Bow School of Art in rural Michigan.

First Year Experience Foundation Program

The First Year Experience Program combines an intensive studio curriculum with art history, writing, and elective classes. There are 2 parts to the first year studio experience -- core studio, which develops students' disciplinary and interdisciplinary practices in art and design; and research studio, which develops their competence in creative research strategies. The first year seminar English classes challenge students with stimulating topics such as "Life as a Work of Art" or "Anatomy of Monsters."

A Choice of Approaches Toward Studio Experience

Following the first year, SAIC students typically focus on one studio area, a combination of related studio disciplines, or an open course of study that combines three or more studio disciplines. This approach does not include the Bachelor of Interior Architecture program, which has been formalized into a separate degree track to prepare students for licensing requirements.

During studio classes, students are trained in the art of critique, analyzing works of art based on internal logic (how formal components are used to convey meaning), and how a work fits in within social and art historical contexts.

Interdisciplinary Program Areas

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers 2 specific interdisciplinary focus areas: exhibition studies and sculptural practice.

Exhibition studies develops student proficiencies through curriculum-based exhibition opportunities. This program draws from disciplines such as arts administration, art history, art education, interior architecture, fiber and material studies, sculpture, writing, photography, and film, video, and new media.

Sculptural practice focuses on "material practices, mediated and performative objects, spatial bodies, and moving materials bridging historical and contemporary material practice with time-based, digital, installation, and public art/community-based work," as described by SAIC. Associated disciplines include sculpture, fiber and material studies, fashion design, and ceramics.

• Architecture
• Interior Architecture
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Architecture Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Communication technologies
• Graphic Communications
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Communication/Journalism
• Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer and information sciences
• Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer Graphics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Education
• Art Teacher Education
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• English
• Creative Writing
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and performing arts
• Visual and Performing Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Design and Visual Communications
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fashion/Apparel Design
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Graphic Design
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Illustration
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Design and Applied Arts Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Film/Cinema/Video Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Cinematography and Film/Video Production
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Photography
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Film/Video and Photographic Arts Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Art
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fine/Studio Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Drawing
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Intermedia/Multimedia
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Painting
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Sculpture
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Printmaking
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Metal and Jewelry Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fine Arts Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and Performing Arts Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied3,004
• Accepted2,352
• Acceptance Rate78%
• Enrolled2,627
• Female Applicants2,352
• Females Accepted1,762
• Female Acceptance Rate74%
• Male Applicants652
• Males Accepted590
• Male Acceptance Rate90%
• Applying
• Application Fee$65
• Required for All Essay or personal statement
  Transcript of high school record
  Letter(s) of recommendation
  portfolio
  
• Required for Some
• Average high school GPA for first-year freshman3.40
• Application Deadlines
• Type Application Closing Notification Date Rolling Admissions
• Fall freshmen June 1st --
• Out-of-state Fall freshmen Not Reported
• Early decision plan Not Reported
• Other early decision plan Not Reported
• Transfer August 15th --
• Test Scores Accepted
• Test Average School Accepted 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile*
• SAT Critical Reading
• SAT Math
• SAT Writing
• ACT Composite
• * 25th and 75th percentile is the score that 25/75 percent of students score at or below.

• Tuition
• In-state tuition *$38,340
• Out-of-state tuition *$38,340
• In-district tuitionN/A
• * Tuition costs are based on a full academic year typically extending from September to June.
• Fees
• Full-time student fees$680.00
• Room and board *$13,810.00
• Room only *$10,400.00
• * Room and board charges vary according to board plan selected (i.e., 12-meal plan, 19-meal plan, etc.) and student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
• Other Payment Considerations
• Guaranteed tuition plan offeredNo
• Tuition pre-payment planNo
• Tuition payment plans offeredInstallments
• Student groups that qualify for full or partial waiver of tuitionEmployees or children of employees

• Gender
• Total Undergraduate Students2,627
• Male Student Percentage30%
• Female Student Percentage70%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic/Latino4.53%
• Black or African American3.46%
• White or Caucasian50.59%
• American Indian or Alaska Native.72%
• Asian11.5%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.23%
• Two or more races2.63%
• Unknown2.06%
• Other Student Statistics
• International Breakout21.97% representing 68 other countries
• Out-of-state Students62% out-of-state student

• Housing
• College-owned housing available Yes
• Housing Requirements Not Reported
• Housing options Coed housing , Special housing for disabled
• Percentage of undergraduate students who live in college-owned housing 25%
• Student Activities
• Student-run campus newspaper Yes
• Drama / theater group Yes
• Student-run radio station Yes
• Student-run television station Yes
• Marching band No
• Choral groups No
• Student Services
• Legal services No
• Health clinic Yes
• Personal / psychological counseling Yes
• Women's center No
• Student Organizations
• Greek fraternities No
• Greek sororities No
• Local fraternities No
• Local sororities No
• Other organizations Not Reported
• Most popular organizations Student Association/Student Union Galleries, Korean Student Association, InterVarsity, Curatorial Community, Good 'Ol Futbol
• Campus Security and Safety
• 24-hour emergency telephone / alarm services Yes
• 24-hour patrols by trained officers Yes
• Students patrols Not Reported
• Late-night transport / escort services Yes
• Electronically-operated dormitory entrances Yes
• Other Not Reported

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty744
• Full-time Percentage22%
• Part-time Percentage78%
• Female Percentage47%
• Male Percentage53%
• Student:Faculty Ratio9:1 or 3,125 students to 354 faculty