Early College Program Classes
Early College Program Classes
Registration Is Open Now!
Push your ideas, visions, and skillsets to new heights in both online and on-campus courses! Join students from around the country and right here in Chicago for courses taught by our renowned faculty. Experience dynamic demos; engage with peers during group work, critiques, and activities; and receive a blend of time for independent exploration and making and time to check in with faculty.
Taking place during fall, spring, and summer, sessions may investigate a wide variety of disciplines. Students who have completed their sophomore year have the option to enroll for college credit!
What you can expect from our creative community:
- Ideas Matter Here—with us, you have the freedom to explore new ideas that push boundaries.
- ECP Faculty—professional artists, designers, and scholars who are passionate mentors.
- Access to our Art Institute of Chicago Museum—recently voted the best museum in the world by TripAdvisor.
- Preparation—the skills you learn will help you in the classroom and as you start a portfolio of work should you be interested in pursuing art and design at the college level.
Noncredit courses for high school students, ages 14–18
Our fall and spring courses are held on Saturdays or Sundays. Our summer on-campus and online courses are held Monday – Friday. Juniors and seniors have the option to enroll for credit.
Common Questions
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Supplies are the responsibility of the student. Instructors will prepare a supply list and students are responsible for obtaining the items on it. The cost of supplies varies by course, and can range between $50 and $200. Students may need to purchase additional supplies for specific projects as needed.
Supply lists for courses can be found at the link below one week prior to the first meeting or sooner.
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Canvas is SAIC’s online learning platform and will be the central resource for all of your course materials and communication with instructors and peers. Visit Canvas or download the app for Android or Apple and login using your SAIC username and password.
The Dashboard is the first thing you will see when you log into Canvas. The Dashboard helps you to see what is happening in your current courses. For more information, visit How do I use the Dashboard as a student?
If you are not familiar with Canvas, it will be important to do at least one of the following.
- Complete the virtual Canvas Student Orientation. You will need to login with your SAIC username and password.
- Visit the Canvas Student Guide.
- Watch selections from the Canvas Tutorial Video Series, including:
For additional resources, review the information available online about Canvas at SAIC. You may also contact our Canvas support team at canvas-help@saic.edu.
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Not necessarily. Course participation and activities will be structured in a way that best suits the course content and students enrolled. In addition to demonstrations, presentations, and group discussions, instructors may provide independent or small group sessions during the scheduled class meeting.
Students enrolled in 10-week credit-bearing courses can expect to meet with their instructors at the beginning of each session, followed by independent work time and 1:1 advising sessions. The group will reconvene at the close of each session to recap the day’s activity and prepare for the following class meeting.
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Students enrolled in an ECP course for credit will be eligible to receive one college credit upon successful completion. This credit may be applied toward an undergraduate degree at most colleges or universities. Noncredit students will not be eligible to receive college credit.
Students enrolled for credit are expected to attend all classes at the scheduled time, arrive prepared, and successfully complete all homework and assignments.
Contact Us
Continuing Studies staff members are available Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. CT at 312.629.6170 or cs@saic.edu to answer your questions. We are here to help!