Examine Beliefs. Radically Rethink Them.

Our graduate programs applaud experimentation and encourage a process of trial and error in the realization of impactful work.
Through the integration of thinking and making, and by recognizing that artmaking, designing, art historical research, critical thinking, and writing done by graduate students often crosses disciplines, we provide a context, awareness, and understanding much greater than any single-discipline approach could provide.

Even the most radical work has a connection with what has come before, and with the Art Institute of Chicago as our classroom, traditions are examined firsthand in relation to what is currently being produced.

As an SAIC graduate student, you will focus, and study intensively, with some of the most renowned faculty in the world, while developing significant professional relationships that will influence you for decades to come. Our globally diverse student body ensures that you will be engaged and enriched by the ideas and expressions of people from backgrounds and cultures much different than your own.

We invite you to impact the cultural landscape.  We invite you to join us.

Learn more

Be sure to attend one of our graduate admissions events (Graduate Open Houses, SAIC Days, or Graduate Portfolio Days) or schedule a campus visit. Each will give you an opportunity to speak with one of our representatives about SAIC, our curriculum, your work, and what it’s really like to be an SAIC graduate student.

Once you are ready to apply, be sure to review your program’s application requirements and provide yourself ample time to complete your application.