About: Accreditation

Institutional and Regional Accreditation

The Art Institute of Chicago is a private, nonprofit corporation. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a professional college of the visual and related arts, accredited since 1936 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), and as a charter member since 1944 by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Higher Learning Commission Mark of Affiliation

Higher Learning Commission
North Central Association
230 S. LaSalle St., suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1413

National Association of Schools of Art and Design
11250 Roger Bacon Dr., suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248

 

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is seeking comments from the public in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its accrediting agencies. SAIC is a professional college of the visual and related arts, accredited by both the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), since 1936, and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), since becoming a founding member in 1944. SAIC, moreover, is part of the private, nonprofit corporation the Art Institute of Chicago, which includes the museum and the School. A joint team of NCA and NASAD will be on campus reviewing SAIC’s ongoing ability to meet criteria for accreditation on April 14–17, 2013. 

You are invited to submit comments regarding SAIC by sending written, signed comments to:

Public Comment on SAIC
Higher Learning Commission
230 N LaSalle St, Ste #7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411

or, visit their website.

Comments should be submitted by March 12, 2013 for full consideration.

Education Program Certification

SAIC's BFA with an Emphasis in Art Education and the Master of Arts in Teaching art education program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Art Therapy Program Approval

The Master of Arts in Art Therapy program is accredited by the Education and Approval Board of the American Art Therapy Association.

Architecture Program Approval

The Master of Architecture degree program is approved by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. NAAB, which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within six years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented. In order to meet the education requirement set forth by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), an applicant for an NCARB Certificate must hold a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by NAAB; the degree must have been awarded not more than two years prior to initial accreditation. However, meeting the education requirement for the NCARB Certificate may not be equivalent to meeting the education requirement for registration in a specific jurisdiction. Please contact NCARB for more information.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects was formally granted a three-year term of initial accreditation for the professional Master of Architecture program. The accreditation term is effective January 1, 2011.

The four tracks of the Master of Architecture program:

The Master of Architecture program is scheduled for its next accreditation visit in 2014.

Memberships

SAIC is a member of:


Nondiscrimination Policy

It is the policy of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago not to discriminate on the basis of age, disability, color, creed, national origin, religion, race, sex or gender-related identity, or sexual orientation in student recruitment and admissions, in financial aid programs, in student and employee services, in educational programs and activities, or in employment practices.

For additional information

Please contact the Deans' Office to obtain or review a copy of the documents describing the institution's accreditation, approval, or licensing.