Academic Spine

Professional Practice Experience

Junior Professional Practice Experience

Background

The Professional Practice Experience (PROFPRAC 3900 or DEPARTMENT 3900) provides third-year students with a wide variety of professional practice activities so that they will be prepared for life after SAIC in a wide variety of professional contexts. The course emphasizes a hands-on, real-world curriculum. Students will engage in a semester-long, faculty-defined creative project (such as applying for an on-campus exhibition, submitting a proposal for an off-campus exhibition, hosting a community event, etc.), as well as an online project (such as an online portfolio, an artist website, or a class website organized around a particular event or theme). Additional course activities may include preparing a CV, networking with alumni and other key figures in their fields of interest, or giving an artist talk or scholarly presentation.

The Professional Practice Experience is usually a three-credit course, and as determined by each department, the course will function as either a seminar or a studio. Depending on course organization, each section will meet for either six hours weekly or for three hours weekly. The sections that meet for three hours weekly include the expectation that students are completing six hours of work outside class, which might include portfolio development, project development, proposal writing, networking in fields of artistic or scholarly interest. Some Professional Practice courses integrate studio projects while others focus exclusively on the stated professional practice learning goals. Courses listed as PROFPRAC 3900 are intended to be interdisciplinary and open to all third-year students who have completed Sophomore Seminar or Research Studio for Transfer Students. Discipline-specific courses with departmental prerequisites are listed with the departmental heading, DEPARTMENT 3900.

The Professional Practice Experience is the second course in the three-course sequence of Academic Spine courses (Sophomore Seminar, Professional Practice, and Capstone), which is required for all freshmen who began their undergraduate degrees at SAIC in Fall 2015 and after (transfer students must take Research Studio for Transfer Students, Professional Practice, and Capstone). Professional Practice Experience courses are offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters, to give students flexibility in incorporating this required course into their schedule. PROFPRAC 3900 should always be taken when they have between 60-90 credits completed (roughly third or Junior year for a full-time student). This course is a prerequisite for all Senior Capstone courses, to ensure the Spine courses are completed in sequential order.

Course Description

In the Professional Practice Experience (PROFPRAC 3900 or DEPARTMENT 3900) you will engage in a wide variety of professional practice activities to help prepare you for life after SAIC. Course activities may include applying for an on-campus exhibition, submitting a proposal for an off-campus exhibition, hosting a community event, creating a website, preparing a CV, networking events with alumni, or writing a project statement. The course emphasizes hands-on, real-world professional activities and opportunities for emerging artists, designers, and scholars. You should plan to take Professional Practice Experience during your third year at SAIC.

Each section of Professional Practice is intended to be interdisciplinary in that students with various material interests could take any of the sections and be engaged by the class conversation and critique. Of course, at SAIC, instructors always teach to their strengths and interests, thus readings and writing assignments in a particular section may reflect a faculty member’s discipline or departmental affiliation. Many faculty title their Professional Practice Experience courses descriptively and creatively and provide a detailed course description to signal the particular course focus to potential students.

Students wishing to locate a faculty mentor within their particular area of study are advised to examine faculty bios and course descriptions in order to select a Professional Practice Experience course that meets their identified goals and aspirations. Academic advisors can also be helpful resources for helping connect students’ interests and goals with relevant faculty, in this area of the curriculum and all others as well.

Course Learning Goals

At the conclusion of the Professional Practice Experience course, students will be able to:

  1. Implement a well-planned creative project, applying professional skills relevant to their artistic, creative, and/or scholarly practice (Examples of evidence: Project proposal, including a budget; CV; grant application; exhibition proposal).
  2. Present a professional body of work in an online context, demonstrating a critical awareness of audience and selection of work (Examples of evidence: Website, online portfolio, blog, etc.).
  3. Create connections and linkages with relevant practitioners, organizations, and institutions in students’ field(s) of interest, with an attention to identifying key figures as well as situating their own work within these fields (Examples of evidence: alumni/artist interview; short summary of experience attending networking events such as a gallery opening, a panel/symposium, visiting an alum at a job site, etc.).
  4. Demonstrate the ability to think, speak, and write clearly and effectively with regard to the creative and/or scholarly practice. (Examples of evidence: Artist talk, blog, project statement, scholarly presentation, PechaKucha, etc.)
Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2282

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1406B

Description

Runway Meets Runway is an excursion into the intersection of fashion and object design via the accessories and technologies that we wear, carry on and carry with. Working equally in the Fashion Department and AIADO, the students use investigation, iteration and innovation to design and fabricate a collection of accessory designs using analog and digital tools from worlds of both fashion and of product design. This Junior Seminar course includes visits to studios of professional designers to supplement individual developments of objects, lines and looks. Students will develop a web presence appropriate to their emerging practice. Sample Class Activities: Built around the idea that culture is something we carry, carry on, carry with, and carry out, the students will conceive a 'galactic proposal', design and produce the objects, then integrate them into a social media campaign that introduces them as young independent designers to the outside world. Emphasis is placed on developing a professional mindset and mission to all aspects of their work. Students are introduced to this though guest professionals in design, fashion, materials experts, and social media gurus. The class is built around making a signature collection through studio work. The class will also explore- Strategies for developing a collection, Basics of a signature brand Understanding market categories, Positioning and differentiation through presentation, Material/ technique demonstrations (both analog and digital), Vendor field trips, Roles of Intellectual Property, Transforming a personal social media identity into a professional presence, Branding objects, How to meet impossible deadlines, Studio photography on a shoestring budget -through demos, field trips, invited guests, intense studio nights, and the knowledge and expertise of faculty with deep experience developing individual design practices.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2283

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1240

Description

This course teaches students how to use language creatively and practically in the development of animated media. As well as the role of art direction in the development of animation works. Students will develop skills in writing for the animated short, in relation to dialogue and visual description, treatments, and full scripts. The class will also cover in-depth art direction and pre-production. The goal of this class is to make students literate in the use of language and visuals in the creation of their work, as well as the utilization of these skills in professional animation studios. The class will also cover skills like pitching stories, writing project proposals and creating look books, decks etc.. Books will include; Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games by Christy Marx; Art Direction for Film and Video by Robert Olson Students will complete a series of assignments, based on their own ideas, and adapting existing texts, as well as each other�s writing into visuals. The class will culminate in a final project proposal that will contain a script, synopsis, and visual art direction for an animated work.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2310

Credits

3

Department

Film, Video, New Media, and Animation

Area of Study

Illustration, Comics and Graphic Novels, Animation

Location

MacLean 717

Description

In this course, students will explore and create their own definitions of success, starting with their preconceived notions of what it means to be a successful artist. We will break down outdated expectations and myths and will rebuild unique, personal, and fulfilling plans for a creative life. Through writing, mentoring, and research students will explore career paths and what it means to live the flexible and nuanced life of an artist. We will investigate a number of topics and tools that support a career in the arts, including: mind-mapping, goal-setting, creating professional materials (CV, statement, bio), applying to professional opportunities such as grants and residencies, studio visits, and working with galleries. Course material will include artists� personal accounts of leading a creative life and tools they use to make projects more rich. This course involves numerous written assignments; students must be prepared to write and edit their work. Students will choose from a vast menu of short projects in order to tailor their experience in the class to their career goals. Final assignments will include 1) a clear personal vision of success; 2) steps for achieving short and long-term goals, and 3) refined professional materials suitable for application.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2020

Credits

3

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Location

MacLean 501

Description

What does it mean to be a successful artist? What does it take to function as an artist in today?s highly competitive art world? How can we envision a practice that is sustainable and exciting? In this highly diverse and interdisciplinary art world everything is possible, and everyday you have to hustle. In this three-hour seminar students will work on their artist statements, CVs, websites, and present artist talks. The course will focus on a series of visits to meet professional artists who find creative ways to sustain their practices. We will also visit various sites around Chicago including established galleries, apartment galleries, artist studios, museums, and meet the professionals who make these spaces function with their hustle.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2349

Credits

3

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Location

MacLean 112

Description

This six-hour seminar is a professional practice class for life after graduation, focusing on how each student can build a sustainable practice based on their own strengths and working style. Students create a website, CVs, write grant proposals, artist statements, and statements of purpose, learning the different content and uses of each. Readings on contemporary artists and 'best practices' for editing, exhibition, and installation of artwork will support class work. This course embraces the understanding that developing a sustainable practice outside of school includes building creative community, developing an independent research practice and other activities related to each individual�s work. As such, the highlight of this course will be bi-weekly visits and workshops from a diverse range of working artists, curators, residency staff and others to speak about these opportunities, as well as how to build a fruitful creative life. For example, we will develop strategies for talking about your work that fit your own personal style with a Chicago curator, and present grant materials to a mock panel to get productive feedback. The Junior Seminar is one of four required classes intended to function as a 'spine,' providing guidance and structure for SAIC's open and interdisciplinary curriculum.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2003

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 214

Description

This course is a a workshop introducing studio art students to various kinds of writing they can do to prepare them for professional opportunities. We will focus on connecting students to their own projects through writing and then we will discuss how that writing can be used to serve more practical ends. Instead of starting with practical requirements such as artist statments and grant applications, we will first work to build students? personal vocabularies and ways of talking about their practices. Emphasis will be on experimentation and building comfort with language. Readings will be a combination of various forms artists? writings (diaries, interviews, sketchbooks, etc) and various formats (artist statments, grant applications, professional situations) where artists are expected to present their work in language. We will use Social Medium: Artists Writing 2000-2015 as a sourcebook for examples of writing by contemporary artists and students will also be asked to collect thier own sources of inspiration from fields appropriate to their work. Coursework focuses on weekly prompts, which will be workshopped and revised. Final projects will relate to students? own goals for presenting their studio work, including websites, grant applications, and artist statements.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2323

Credits

3

Department

Visual and Critical Studies

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Books and Publishing, Social Media and the Web

Location

MacLean 301

Description

The ability to present one?s work clearly and effectively is a critical skill for designers. In this course each student will focus on advancing the design (layout, graphics, narratives, flow) of their portfolio so that it best conveys their individual design skills, experience and interests. Students will produce materials appropriate for delivery of their work across multiple formats (print, digital, web, etc.), will learn how to edit/arrange their materials to suit the specific context of application, and will create consistent design elements that can be shared across the full range of professional materials from portfolio, to website, to business cards and other promotional materials. Course lectures, exercises, and assignments are enhanced by presentations by professionals. Readings will vary but typically include graphic design and layout approaches by scholars including Ellen Lupton and Kevin Henry. Skype presentations by art and design professionals have included Jill Singer of Sight Unseen, Nick Ozemba of In Common With, and Jean Lee and Dylan Davis of Ladies & Gentleman Studio. The course work will include the development of both print and digital portfolio materials including a resume, sample cover letter, business card, digital portfolio and website.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1834

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Graphic Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1407

Description

This course is a field trip focused survey of different Chicago artist studios. We will meet with a diverse selection of makers working in a myriad of studio scenarios to learn how they are able top put it all together. to compliment our findings students will create an off campus studio and start producing work in that space. Students are encouraged to consider studio rituals, altered tools/equipment, supportive collections and physical location when building their spaces. The course includes text discussions and one on one studio visits between students to help nurture a full understanding of the studio as a site of development as well as production. In this class students will work to build an off campus studio to make work in and host a studio visit with a peer.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1822

Credits

3

Department

Arts Administration and Policy

Area of Study

Books and Publishing

Location

Lakeview - 1428

Description

This seminar introduces and develops professional practices for students pursuing a freelance career in comics, illustration, animation, or the like. By creating promotional material, portfolios, contracts, and invoices, students learn how to market themselves as freelance artists. In tandem with learning the ins and outs of industry standards, they have access to insight and advice from a variety of guest speakers whose careers and professional paths have paved the way for future creators. Readings will vary but typically include 'The Freelancer's Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams- On Your Terms' by Sara Horowitz, 'The Graphic Artist Guild Pricing and Ethical Guidelines Handbook,' and 'Burn Your Portfolio' by Michael Janda. Students will create, revise, workshop, and submit a variety of professional documents that culminate in a compendium over the course of the semester. These are all documents that will prove to be necessary for a freelancing career. There will be weekly responses to readings, and rotating guest speakers to provide in-sight on their professional journeys.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1820

Credits

3

Department

Arts Administration and Policy

Area of Study

Comics and Graphic Novels, Books and Publishing

Location

MacLean 816

Description

This course frankly addresses a critical and underserved niche in professional development?the necessity for young women of color to be able to self-direct their goals, and fully achieve those goals, regardless of environment. Subverting marginalization while growing a career and visioning oneself as a leader, without silencing yourself or burning out, remains a challenging reality for so many women of color. This is an experience many encounter early on, but which can be reframed so that the education and career processes do not point toward assimilation, or invisibility, or the anxiety of always being on guard. These concerns about combatting marginalization, which are shared among Latinx, Black American, Asian American, and international students at SAIC, have been brought privately to trusted faculty here and at art schools nationwide. In this class, we will work together to develop strategies for conquering these issues. Course work will include readings from authors such as the following: Jhumpa Lahiri, bell hooks, Ifeona Fulani, Lisa Jones, Hettie Jones, Ana Castillo, Nicola Yoon, Suheir Hammad, Staceyann Chin, Erika L. Sanchez, Suzan-Lori Parks, Zadie Smith, ZZ Packer, Melba Pattillo Beals, Yuri Kochiyama, Deepa Mehta, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Barry Jenkins, Jon Chu, Caryl Phillips. Each student will produce a memoir as a key element of this class, responding to the readings and analyzing their own experiences as well as senior colleagues,? continuing to develop and trust their voice. In addition to the memoir, each student will produce and develop an individual arts leadership project, or deepening of a specific skill set; and will work with classmates on a publication or resource that documents the group?s conversations with invited guests.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1821

Credits

3

Department

Arts Administration and Policy

Area of Study

Community and Social Engagement, Gender and Sexuality

Location

MacLean 111

Description

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and a meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile. Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX. Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship. Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2017

Credits

3

Department

Career and Professional Experience

Location

Description

In this course, students will explore and create their own definitions of success, starting with their preconceived notions of what it means to be a successful artist. We will break down outdated expectations and myths and will rebuild unique, personal, and fulfilling plans for a creative life. Through writing, mentoring, and research students will explore career paths and what it means to live the flexible and nuanced life of an artist. We will investigate a number of topics and tools that support a career in the arts, including: mind-mapping, goal-setting, creating professional materials (CV, statement, bio), applying to professional opportunities such as grants and residencies, studio visits, and working with galleries. Course material will include artists� personal accounts of leading a creative life and tools they use to make projects more rich. This course involves numerous written assignments; students must be prepared to write and edit their work. Students will choose from a vast menu of short projects in order to tailor their experience in the class to their career goals. Final assignments will include 1) a clear personal vision of success; 2) steps for achieving short and long-term goals, and 3) refined professional materials suitable for application.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2236

Credits

3

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Location

MacLean 816

Description

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and a meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile. Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX. Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship. Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2114

Credits

3

Department

Career and Professional Experience

Location

Description

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and a meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile. Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX. Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship. Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2115

Credits

3

Department

Career and Professional Experience

Location

Description

In this course, students will explore and create their own definitions of success, starting with their preconceived notions of what it means to be a successful artist. We will break down outdated expectations and myths and will rebuild unique, personal, and fulfilling plans for a creative life. Through writing, mentoring, and research students will explore career paths and what it means to live the flexible and nuanced life of an artist. We will investigate a number of topics and tools that support a career in the arts, including: mind-mapping, goal-setting, creating professional materials (CV, statement, bio), applying to professional opportunities such as grants and residencies, studio visits, and working with galleries. Course material will include artists� personal accounts of leading a creative life and tools they use to make projects more rich. This course involves numerous written assignments; students must be prepared to write and edit their work. Students will choose from a vast menu of short projects in order to tailor their experience in the class to their career goals. Final assignments will include 1) a clear personal vision of success; 2) steps for achieving short and long-term goals, and 3) refined professional materials suitable for application.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2314

Credits

3

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Location

Online

Description

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and a meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile. Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX. Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship. Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2116

Credits

3

Department

Career and Professional Experience

Location

Description

This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. During the semester, faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work at internships for a total of 140 hours (approx 14 hours per week) for the term. In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend 4 class meetings and a meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile. Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. In order to begin the internship approval process students should go to https://bit.ly/35vmTTM. Upon approval, course registration is managed by CAPX. Note that international students must receive CPT authorization prior to participating in an off-campus internship. Internships may be in-person, hybrid, or virtual; however all four class meetings are virtual. Class meeting day and time are determined by the faculty.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

2117

Credits

3

Department

Career and Professional Experience

Location

Description

This three hour seminar is a professional practice class which examines what it means to have a productive, critical practice. Students not only refine their own identity as generative artist-scholar-citizen but also learn to represent that practice professionally with CVs, portfolios, project proposals, artist statements, and scholarly abstracts. Students also work collaboratively on exhibition projects to experience how different creative roles such as artists, curators, writers, and venue directors interact in the art world.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1801

Credits

3

Department

Visual and Critical Studies

Location

Lakeview - 205

Description

Professional Practice: Web Art is a course that combines creative and practical knowledge related to web site development. Launched in 1989 as a remote file sharing system for scientists, the World Wide Web is nearly thirty years old. Today, the web functions as an exhibition space, a communications hub as well as a nexus for creative expression. Students in the Web Art class will learn the Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML), which is the basis of WWW authoring. Potential overall format and conceptual frameworks for developing a media-rich web site will be investigated, and ways of subverting the traditional web page format in order to create unique approaches to the dynamics of the web will be explored. Course activities include technical tutorials, preparation of a CV, writing of a project statement, and the creation of a web site.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 2900 course

Class Number

1842

Credits

3

Department

Art and Technology Studies

Area of Study

Social Media and the Web

Location

MacLean 401

Contact Us

For all questions about the undergraduate Academic Spine curriculum, please email saic-academicspine@saic.edu.