Early College Program Summer Institute
Register Now
Early College Program Summer Institute Registration is Open
Friday, November 01 - Tuesday, December 31 12:00 a.m. CDT - 11:59 p.m. CST
Register Now for the Early College Program Summer Institute 2025!
Early College Program Summer Institute Online Info Session: December 19
Thursday, December 19 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. CST
Early College Program Summer Institute
Registration is Open
Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid are Available
Summer 2025 Session Dates:
Session 1: 2 weeks, June 16–27
Session 2: 2 weeks, July 7–18
Session 3: 2 weeks, July 21–August 1
Session 4: 4 weeks, July 7–August 1
Session 5: 1week, August 4–August 8
View classes and register here
Sign up for our December 19 info session that outlines all of the details of the On-Campus and Online Summer Institutes.
Watch an Informational Webinar about the Early College Program Summer Institute. Learn more about the curriculum, faculty, college credit, special programming, student benefits, living in Chicago, and much more!
Intense. Rigorous. Life Changing.
Enroll in the Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI) for ages 15–18 at the nation's most influential art and design school!
Students must have completed their sophomore year of high school by the time of the program.
Why Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI)?
One of the key things that distinguishes SAIC from other art and design schools is our belief that meaning and making are inseparable. That means you begin with an idea and choose the media that best helps you realize your vision. Students are free to combine materials and disciplines or focus on a single medium.
Study with our amazing faculty, passionate teachers, and acclaimed practicing artists, designers, and scholars, many of whom teach in the undergraduate program.
Make use of our state-of-the-art facilities and resources including our museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the third-largest collection of art in the world.
Live in our incomparable residence halls in the heart of downtown Chicago.
Explore Chicago in the summer—a city that’s vibrant, exciting, and friendly.
Ideal Preparation for a Creative Future
Earn college credit (1 credit hour for 1-week session; 2 credit hours for 2-week session; 4 credits hours for 4-week session) that may transfer to any college you attend.
Prepare a competitive portfolio for college admission and receive expert guidance from our undergraduate degree program admissions counselors.
Successful completion of the program waives the portfolio requirement for admission to SAIC's undergraduate program
A large number of ECPSI students receive top merit scholarships to our undergraduate degree program.
Ideas Matter Here
Which is why we empower you with the freedom to work in multiple media. With us, you can incorporate text into paintings, combine performance and sculpture, and explore the relationship of sound to architecture. The possibilities are truly limitless. And, you will leave our program with higher confidence and innovative, portfolio-quality work.
"We want our students to be able to master not just one medium, but to have the freedom to move and explore throughout different disciplines; to experiment; to take risks; to find the right solution for each individual problem. Our interdisciplinary philosophy, accomplished by excellent, enthusiastic faculty, the third-largest collection of art in the world, and one of the most exciting cities in the country, make SAIC the whole package." —Rafael Vera, ECPSI instructor
Faculty and Instructional Support
SAIC is known for its faculty, and many of our ECP Summer Institute instructors also teach in the undergraduate program. Our instructors are teaching artists, designers, writers, and scholars who are passionate about art making and will challenge you to think, question, and discover. In addition, each ECPSI class has at least one SAIC undergraduate or graduate student teaching assistant (TA) working with our faculty. With an average class size of 12–18 students, this allows for an average teacher/student ratio of 1:8.
Rigorous Classroom Experience
Like our undergraduate degree programs, you will be working in the studio all day—allowing you to really experience what it is like to be a practicing artist, designer, or writer. Classes meet from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. And, of course, there is time for lunch and breaks.
Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00–8:00 p.m., you will participate in exciting workshops designed to help you gain new skills and explore new ideas. A few examples of previous workshops are: a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (MCA), a photo studio lighting tutorial, 3D printing and laser cutting instruction, working as part of a video crew, building and stretching canvases, and collaborative projects between students. All workshops are created for each specific class and are run by the teaching assistant(s).
Critique-Based Assessment
SAIC's credit/no credit grading system demands self-motivation and self-direction and encourages exploration, experimentation, and risk-taking. This doesn't mean we are not rigorous—our expectations are high and our faculty will motivate you to excel.
Our Community
Enrollment: Approximately 150 students per session
Students living on campus: 90%
International students: 17%
Countries represented: Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela
Instructional staff-to-student ratio 1:8
International Students
SAIC welcomes international students from abroad and those already in the United States with a student visa to enroll in all of our Continuing Studies programs including ECP and ECP Summer Institute (ECPSI). However, SAIC is not certified to issue immigration documents for international students participating in Continuing Education programs except for our ECPSI program.
ECP Summer Institute 2025 At-a-Glance
Session | Course Dates | Move In | Exhibition & Move Out | Tuition | Housing & Meals | Incidentals & Supplies |
Session 1: Two Weeks | June 16-June 27, 2025 | Move-in:
| Exhibition: Friday, June 27, at 2:00 p.m. CT Move-out: Saturday, June 28, by noon | $3,696*—two college credits | $1,260 | Supplies: Incidentals: |
Session 2: Two Weeks | July 7-July 18, 2025 | Move-in: | Exhibition: Friday, July 18, at 2:00 p.m. CT Move-out: Saturday, July 19, by noon | $3,696*—two college credits | $1,260 | Supplies: Incidentals: |
Session 3: Two Weeks | July 21-August 1, 2025 | Move-in: | Exhibition: Friday, August 1, at 2:00 p.m. CT Move-out: Saturday, August 2, by noon | $3,696*—two college credits | $1,260 | Supplies: Incidentals: |
Session 4: Four Weeks | July 7-August 1, 2025 | Move-in: | Exhibition: Friday, August 1, at 2:00 p.m. CT Move-out: Saturday, August 2, by noon | $7,392*—four college credits | $2,520 | Supplies: Incidentals: |
Session 5: One Week
| August 4-August 8, 2025 | Move-n: | Exhibition: Friday, August 8, at 3:00-4:00 p.m. CT Move-out: Saturday, August 9, by noon | $1,848*—one college credit | $630 | Supplies: Incidentals: |
Note: *Includes $100 nonrefundable tuition deposit. Supply costs and incidentals are projected and will vary for each student determined in part by individual projects, material choices, and personal spending.
Classes are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Contact Us
Continuing Studies staff members are available Monday through 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!