Registering for Classes

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) provides three distinct registration periods for each semester: advance, open, and add/drop.

Advance Registration information

To be eligible to register on your advance registration date, you must meet all outstanding financial obligations before the advance registration dates. Please check for holds in Self-Service before registration begins.

New Degree-Seeking Students

New degree-seeking students will register with the assistance of the Office of Admissions. Please call Admissions at 800.232.7242 for an appointment to register.

Online Registration

All currently enrolled students register online through SAIC Self-Service. Class schedules, course descriptions, enrollment appointments, and registration should be accessed via SAIC Self-Service. Students may register at their specific enrollment time or anytime thereafter. Please note: SAIC Self Service is not available from 11:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m. daily.

Assistance from the Registrar’s Office will be available from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Students not enrolled in the current semester must see an academic advisor prior to registration.

Continuing Student Enrollment Appointments

Specific enrollment appointments can be found in SAIC Self-Service. Enrollment appointments are based on current credits completed.

Late Registration

Late registration into a course is permitted from the day after add/drop, for two weeks. Registration into a course after the add/drop period will only be permitted by special exception and will require the payment of a $300 late fee.

Cross-listed Courses and Designating Credit

You can register directly for the kind of credit you want to earn from a course if the course is available for more than one type of credit (e.g., studio credit, academic elective credit, art history credit, or liberal arts). For example, if a course is cross-listed in both ART HISTORY and HUMANITIES, you may register to automatically receive Art History credit simply by using the Art History class number when registering, and to receive Humanities credit, use the Humanities course class number when registering.

Courses that are listed in three areas work the same way:

Class # Dept. Cat. # Title
1297 ARTHI 5902 Exhibition Process
[Art History credit]
1299 ARTSAD 5902 Exhibition Process
[Arts Administration elective credit]
1300 ARTSAD 5902 Exhibition Process
[appears under Exhibition Studies]

Address Drive

Each term we begin our address drive. We care about your privacy, but we also NEED to reach you at certain important times. Please take a minute to update your address online through SAIC Self-Service.