Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Explore Across Disciplines
One of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's (SAIC) most distinguishing features is our interdisciplinary curriculum. At SAIC you will not declare a major, and you will not be bound to work in a single discipline. That is because successful 21st-century artists and designers begin their work with ideas and research, adapting the appropriate media to best realize their visions.
Among unlimited choices, you may:
- Building sustainable environments and objects
- Exploring robotics and sound to invent new types of instruments
- Combining sculpture, ceramics, and fiber into gallery installations
- Merging your interests in drawing and printmaking to create graphic novels
- Designing specialized costumes for use in performances
- Collaborating with writers to animate a film
And, if you wish to concentrate in only one medium at SAIC—visual communication design or photography, for example—your practice in these areas will be richer for having been exposed to a wide range of creative experiences.
Combinations and Concentrations
You have the creative freedom to customize your education among our 18 departments or concentrate in one single medium. Our areas of study are available to you through curricular paths that often cross departments and divisions. Explore the wealth of possibilities in our full list of departments and areas of study.
