The following are portfolio requirements for admission to each undergraduate program. Please note: SAIC discourages work that is copied or rendered directly from photographs, magazines, or other artists' works. Also, if any work in the portfolio is the result of collaboration, please include the names and roles of those who participated in the completion of the piece.
Undergraduate Admissions: Portfolio Requirements by Degree Program
- First-time Freshmen
- Transfer and Prior-Degree Students
- International Students
- Portfolio Requirements by Degree Program
- Admissions Events
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Admitted Students
Admissions Office
Sullivan Center
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1201
Phone: 800.232.7242 or 312.629.6100
Fax: 312.629.6101
admiss@saic.edu
Table of Contents
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio
Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single media or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.
Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Art Education
Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single media or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.
Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Art History
Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single media or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.
Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Writing
We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
The portfolio may consist of one or a combination of the following:
- 10 pages of poetry
- 20 pages of prose (fiction, creative nonfiction, or drama)
- 10 pages of a graphic novel
Please feel free to submit a visual portfolio with your writing portfolio if you also engage in studio practices.
Bachelor of Interior Architecture
Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single media or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.
Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies
We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
The Department of Visual and Critical Studies seeks applicants who are interested in exploring meaning and experience within the visual world through a rigorous academic emphasis, and also in exploring different forms, written and visual, through which this research could be presented.
There are two options for submitting your application portfolio and writing sample:
- A portfolio showing 2D, 3D, or 4D studio work you've created, along with a writing sample that illustrates your critical skills
- An alternative portfolio of collected images or objects, along with a critical writing sample that contextualizes the contents in the portfolio
Note: All applicants interested in the Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies (BAVCS) degree must interview with the Department Chair to determine if admission will be granted. Our office will follow up with you to schedule this once your application is complete and your materials have been forwarded to the Visual and Critical Studies department for purposes of this review.
