Fall 2027 Early Action and Priority Merit Scholarship Deadline: November 15
As a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) student studying in the Ceramics department, you will develop close relationships with the department faculty who will guide your explorations and offer insight and inspiration to your artistic practice. Faculty are themselves working artists whose work appears in exhibitions, galleries, and museums around the world.
The undergraduate offerings provide unique conceptual and technical courses in the following areas:
Students are encouraged to explore the full range of ceramics as a contemporary art medium, creating vessels, installations, and work that crosses boundaries and incorporates sculpture, fashion, architecture, technology, and more. In addition to wheel throwing and technical studies, selected course topics include Potting for Pleasure and Protest, Clay as Chameleon, Clay Ecology, Musical Clay, and courses that focus on the 3D ceramic printer, moldmaking, and the human figure.
As students enrolled in ceramics courses, you will have access to:
Additionally, the city of Chicago is a major resource for ceramics students, with its rich terra cotta architectural heritage, the Art Institute of Chicago ceramics and glass collections, as well as galleries that show ceramic sculpture and pottery exclusively.
To apply to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), you will need to fill out an application and submit your transcripts, artist's statement, and letters of recommendation. And most importantly, we require a portfolio of your best and most recent work—work that will give us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to explore, experiment, and think beyond technical art, design, and writing skills.
In order to apply, please submit the following items:
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Portfolio:
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 discipline 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.
Learn more about applying to SAIC's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio, or view our portfolio preparation guide for more information.
Review the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio curriculum and degree requirements. Note: This is information for the current academic year. Any future curricular changes will be made when the new catalog is published.
Meet with us, learn more about SAIC and our curriculum, and get feedback on your work. LEARN MORE.
Learn more about our undergraduate curriculum, tour our facilities & residence halls, see what we look for in an admission and merit scholarship portfolio, and learn more about financial aid. Bring your portfolio for a one-on-one conversation about your work with one of our admissions representatives!
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