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Photography

Undergraduate Overview

Undergraduate Overview

Fall 2027 Early Action and Priority Merit Scholarship Deadline: November 15

As an undergraduate student in The Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), you will develop solid mastery over the technical and conceptual complexity that characterizes photography’s past and present while enhancing your ability to discuss your work and the work of others.

Student holding up a colorful zine

 

Students concentrating on their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) studies in Photography will:

  • Learn from distinguished, practicing artists with a variety of approaches to photography.
  • Collaborate with graduate students and peers to create an annual departmental catalog.
  • Participate in a 3-credit capstone spine class geared towards preparation for the senior Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis exhibition.

Undergraduate classes offer a natural progression for all students.

  • Beginning classes present basic practical skills and strategies for conceptual thinking. 
  • Intermediate classes are in-depth studies of specific conceptual issues or techniques. 
  • Advanced classes present opportunities for more self-directed projects, group seminars, and frequent private consultations with instructors.

Course titles and topics––over 30 offerings each semester––range from Intro to Photography to Lighting Fundamentals, Surrealism and Photography, Digital Light Projections, Fashion Photography, Advanced Post-Production, and more, allowing students to delve deeply into an area of interest, find synergies with departments and mediums across the school, or explore and master a wide range of techniques and equipment.

Scholarships

In addition to merit scholarships awarded at the time of admission, each year, a senior student working in the photography department is selected by the faculty for the Fred Endsley scholarship, an unrestricted one-time $1,000 cash award which can be used to create new work or prepare for the senior exhibition.

Undergraduate Admissions Requirements & Curriculum

  • 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.

Course Listing

Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Description

In this class students will create photographic work inside and outside in the natural elements. This three-week course, Inside / Out, delves into both digital and analog using solar-printing techniques, with a unique focus on printing not only on paper but also on textiles and organic materials. Students will work with a variety of printing processes such as solar fast dye, cyanotypes to transform photographic imaging utilizing digital and analog methods. Students are encouraged to create sculptural contraptions to best capture the sun¿s rays to their preferred substrate of choice.

Students will investigate how artistic internal forces can influence the external changing sociopolitical landscape and vice versa. Class visits will include excursions to Chicago¿s parks and gardens. We will research historical scientific photography and local botany. Through digital printing, students will learn to work with inkjet printers to create negatives, while sun-printing techniques will allow them to create eco-friendly designs on cotton and other textiles. By the end of the course, students will develop a diverse portfolio that includes both traditional photographic prints and textile artwork, blending the technical precision of indoor printing with the organic, unpredictable results of outdoor sun printing to stitch together new photographic forms.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 6 credits of PHOTO 2000-level courses or PHOTO 3008 or by instructor consent.

Class Number

1174

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Location

280 Building Rm 215, Homan 1200

Description

Sensitivity & Exposure explores the intersection of photography and printmaking through concepts and processes activated by pressure and light. Students develop technical skills while considering print as a site-responsive medium¿sensitive to contact, light, time, material, and context. Beginning with embossing and frottage, the course moves through cyanotype and gelatin silver printing to digital fabrication, laser-engraved linoleum blocks, and photogravure, with each process building conceptually and materially on the previous one. Historical and contemporary artists provide critical frameworks for examining indexicality, contact, transfer, exposure, and reproduction. Through projects, experimentation, readings, and critiques, students learn to use these processes in support of their artistic ideas. The summer session focuses intensively on cyanotype and photogravure.

Class Number

1246

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Digital Imaging, Art and Science

Location

280 Building Rm 203, 280 Building Rm 215

Description

Sensitivity & Exposure explores the intersection of photography and printmaking through concepts and processes activated by pressure and light. Students develop technical skills while considering print as a site-responsive medium¿sensitive to contact, light, time, material, and context. Beginning with embossing and frottage, the course moves through cyanotype and gelatin silver printing to digital fabrication, laser-engraved linoleum blocks, and photogravure, with each process building conceptually and materially on the previous one. Historical and contemporary artists provide critical frameworks for examining indexicality, contact, transfer, exposure, and reproduction. Through projects, experimentation, readings, and critiques, students learn to use these processes in support of their artistic ideas. The summer session focuses intensively on cyanotype and photogravure.

Class Number

1246

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Digital Imaging, Art and Science

Location

280 Building Rm 203, 280 Building Rm 215

Upcoming Admissions Events

Meet with us, learn more about SAIC and our curriculum, and get feedback on your work. LEARN MORE.

SAIC Campus Tour
Nov11

Meet SAIC Day: November 11

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!

Wednesday, November 11 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CST at SAIC MacLean Ballroom 112 S. Michigan Chicago, IL 60603

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