Study Trips
Faculty-Led Study Trips
Faculty-led study trips are credit-bearing courses taught by SAIC faculty where instruction takes place off-campus. Students can earn credits towards their degree completion and the off-campus study credit requirement.
Winter 2026
Study Abroad and faculty-trip leaders are excited to announce study trips that are planned for winter 2026.
Art & Design in Contemporary India
Faculty: Shaurya Kumar, Professor (Printmedia) and Abigail Glaum-Lathbury, Associate Professor (Fashion Design)
Dates: January 2–20, 2026*
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 or 6 cr Studio (3000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: Mumbai, Kochi, Jaipur, Varanasi—India
NOTE: Students traveling from the US should plan to depart around December 31 to account for travel time and the time difference when arriving in Mumbai.
In this class, students will explore the contemporary art and design landscapes of India, through visits to the cities of Mumbai, Jaipur, Kochi, and Varanasi. The course investigates the intersection of local and global influences, focusing on how contemporary Indian artists and designers shape art and design within India and across the world. This course blends historical exploration, hands-on workshops, and exclusive access to leading artists and designers shaping India’s creative landscape.
Beginning in Mumbai, students will visit studios of internationally acclaimed artists and designers. Giving further historical and political contexts throughout the trip, students will engage with cultural and historical landmarks, and attend lectures by scholars, historians, and cultural revivalists. Students will then visit the 6th Edition of the internationally renowned Kochi Muziris Biennale, the largest and most significant art event in South Asia. Guided by the Biennale’s curator, renowned artist Nikhil Chopra, students will explore site-specific projects created by leading artists from India and around the world.
From the Biennale, the class will travel to Jaipur to engage with world-renowned designers and learn historical material techniques within a global context. Hands-on workshops, led by master artisans who collaborate with the high-end fashion industry in both India and globally, will include centuries-old techniques such as block printing, resist dyeing, and the design of jewelry using precious and semi-precious stones, as well as paper making. The final destination is Varanasi, where students will be hosted by the international recognized Kriti Gallery and Residency. Here, as artists-in-residence, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the art, culture, history, and politics they experienced throughout the trip. They will create works that deepen their studio practices, collaborating with traditional craftspeople and materials to produce individually led studio projects.
Learn More
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To learn more about the Art & Design in Contemporary India study trip, please join Study Abroad and faculty trip leaders at one of the scheduled info sessions.
IN-PERSON
Thursday, September 11
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Room: Sharp, 817
VIRTUAL
Monday, September 15
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Join via Zoom
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Tuition: SAIC tuition per credit hour (3 or 6 credits)
Estimated program fee: TBD
The program fee includes some meals (breakfast is provided at all hotels, as well as some group meals), all accommodation and transportation during the trip, all entrance fees to cultural sites, and other course curriculum-related expenses. The program fee does not include airfare and personal expenses.Airfare: TBD
The estimated price for airfare is based on flights leaving from Chicago to Mumbai and may vary if a student is traveling from elsewhere. Airfare is not included in the program fee.
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYC
Faculty: Michelle Grabner, Professor (Painting and Drawing) and Aliza Shvarts, Director of Low-Residency MFA and Assistant Professor (Performance)
Dates: January 5–17, 2026
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 cr Studio, and/or 3 cr Art History (4000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: New York City, NY
New York City is a cultural center, and no matter where you choose to live and work as an artist or cultural producer, you will need to negotiate the economic, critical, and institutional hierarchies governing this metropolis. This trip starts to map the different art worlds that operate in this city and their intersections, making sense of NYC's complexity and energy by tracing the dynamic pathways through which art travels: the connections between artists, dealers, collectors, institutions, and critical voices. During 10 intensely busy days in January, this study trip will investigate the full range of contemporary art production in the city, visiting artists' studios, non-profit spaces, residencies, commercial galleries, and major museums. The class will benefit from numerous “behind-the-scenes” opportunities to engage with parts of the NYC art world not usually open to the public. This class is essential for the ongoing practice of mapping the ever-changing cultural landscape, understanding its dominant signifiers, and critically assessing its blind spots.
Learn More
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To learn more about the Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYC study trip please join Study Abroad and faculty trip leaders at one of the scheduled info sessions.
IN-PERSON
Wednesday, September 10
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Room: Sharp, 817VIRTUAL
Thursday, September 18
11:15–12:15 p.m.
Join via Zoom -
Tuition: SAIC tuition per credit hour (3 or 6 credits)
Estimated program fee: TBD
Airfare: TBD
The estimated price for airfare is based on flights leaving from Chicago to New York City and may vary if a student is traveling from elsewhere. Airfare is not included in the program fee.Student Testimonials:
“The class was very challenging and rigorous as well as rewarding. Every day was full of activities, but we were also asked to apply critical thinking to every meeting with an artist or curator, not to accept things as they are presented to us and to question everything around us—from curatorial choices, how certain artists presented their practice and so on. We were encouraged to ask questions and lead discussions which was extremely challenging but also very rewarding.”“This course was an excellent way to scratch below the surface of the NYC art ecosystem and meet some of the artists, gallerists, curators, and museum administrators that make it all tick. I've done my own DIY version of this, but I especially appreciated having more of a behind-the-scenes view.”
“I would highly recommend this course to absolutely anyone at SAIC—this course is incredibly valuable to both artists, art historians, and art administrators alike. The first-hand experience you will receive being on the ground and meeting with people in New York is absolutely invaluable and there is no other course that will teach you these things. Being able to see artists' studios and meet with artists who are showing at galleries and museums was incredible, and being able to meet with curators and administrators at some of the most prominent and important institutions in New York (and the world) was such a life changing experience.”
Summer 2026
Craft in Contemporary Art: Japanese Materiality and Mastery
Faculty: Alan Labb, Associate Professor (Photography), Dan Price, Associate Professor (Sculpture), and Mayumi Lake, Senior Lecturer, (Photography)
Dates: May 23–June 7, 2026
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 or 6 cr Studio (3000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: Tokyo, Kansai Region, Takamatsu (Japan)
This 15-day immersive studio course invites students to investigate the dynamic intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary art practice in Japan. Traveling through three culturally significant regions—the Seto Inland Sea, Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe), and Tokyo—participants will engage directly with Japan’s layered histories through hands-on workshops, studio visits, and curated explorations of key cultural sites.
Program highlights include:
Intensive workshops with master artisans in traditional techniques such as washi papermaking, textile dyeing, and ukiyo-e woodblock printing
Visits to contemporary galleries, artist-run spaces, museums, and studios that illuminate Japan's evolving art landscape
Immersive encounters with cultural landmarks—from Kyoto's contemplative temples to Tokyo's vibrant, hybrid art scenes
Through direct engagement with artists, curators, and scholars, students will critically examine how inherited craft practices inform and challenge contemporary modes of artmaking. This cross-cultural studio experience encourages experimentation with unfamiliar materials, processes, and conceptual frameworks, supporting students in expanding their own creative vocabularies through the lens of Japan’s unique artistic context.
A six-credit option for this course is available for students who wish to extend their practice and complete portfolio-worthy work. This will require the production of a substantial body of work, accompanied by an online journal that documents the creative process and source information material as documented during our time in Japan. The experience will include additional independent studio time and culminate in a critique session held within six weeks of returning from Japan.
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Prague: Surreal Cityscapes
Faculty: Jeremy Biles, Associate Professor (Liberal Arts) and Kathie Bergquist, Lecturer (Writing)
Dates: May 22–June 7, 2026
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 cr Studio (3000 level) and/or 3 cr Liberal Arts (4000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: Prague, Czechia
This course immerses participants in the life and work of Franz Kafka, surrealist thought, and contemporary Prague arts, including the installation art of David Černý. Students will visit cultural landmarks such as the DOX Center for the Arts, Franz Kafka Museum, Museum of Communism, and more, as well as excursions to Terezin Concentration Camp, Kutná Hora's ossuary, and Karlstejn Castle. The program coincides with the Prague International Fringe Theater Festival, providing students with a wide range of further cultural activities to experience. Students will explore surrealism, the uncanny, and the absurd, using journaling and sketchbooks to engage with dream imagery, hone attention to both assigned texts and the city, experiment with multiple modes of writing, and cultivate a surrealist sensibility, all while drawing on Prague's unique landscape, history, and creative culture for inspiration.
Ancient Inspirations/Contemporary Forms: Embodied Arts and Practice in Singapore and Bali
Faculty: Nora Annesley Taylor, Professor, Alsdorf Professor in South Asian Art History (Art History) and Erica Mott, Assistant Adjunct Professor (Performance)
Dates: May–June 2026
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 cr Studio and/or 3 cr Art History (4000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: Singapore; Bali (Indonesia)
This class will entail travel to Singapore and Bali, two countries in Southeast Asia where contemporary art and performance meet the soul of ancient traditions. The trip will start in Singapore where the National Gallery Singapore, housed in a former colonial administrative building, will provide a historical overview of the region and the foundations of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art. In Bali, we will dive into embodied workshops, live performances, and exclusive collaborations with renowned local artists, experiencing firsthand the fusion of cutting-edge and time-honored artistic practices. We will be based in Ubud, away from the more touristy beach communities, and reside at the ARMA Museum and Gallery which will serve as a base for side trips to temples, studios, museums and artisans. This course offers a unique opportunity to become immersed in Southeast Asia’s dynamic and rapidly changing cultural scene and engage directly with one of the most vibrant sectors of the modern and pre-modern global art world.
Learn More
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To learn more about the Ancient Inspirations/Contemporary Forms: Embodied Arts and Practice in Singapore and Bali study trip please join Study Abroad and faculty trip leaders at one of the scheduled info sessions.
IN-PERSON
TBDVIRTUAL
TBD -
Tuition: SAIC tuition per credit hour (3 or 6 credits)
Estimated program fee: TBD
Airfare: TBD
Once and Future: The Graphic Book in London
Faculty: Alex Kostiw, Assistant Professor (Visual Communication Design) and Mark A. Smith, Associate Professor (Visual Communication Design)
Dates: June 2–21, 2026
*Dates are subject to change
Credits: 3 or 6 cr Studio (3000 level)
Course level: Undergraduate and Graduate
Location: London, UK
From illuminated manuscripts to comics, 16th-century pamphlets to 21st-century zines—this course explores the graphic book in London. Book arts in the UK have a millennia-spanning influence on visual storytelling and design. In London, diverse publishers thrive alongside art and design studios, community publishing centers, and special collections. Join us for visits to artist studios, community print spaces, and special collections for talks, hands-on workshops, and historical and contemporary examples of graphic narrative and book design. Informed by such interconnected works, traditions, and contexts that shaped them, students will craft three publication projects delving into the expansive possibilities of the graphic book.
Our visits will highlight the graphic book through different lenses: storytelling, publishing, and community.
Small press + publishing centers include:
London Centre for Book Arts
publisher Nobrow/Flying Eye Books
letterpress studio New North Press
OOMK Collective/Rabbit Roads Press
Practicing artists and scholars include:
Sarah Bodman, Centre for Print Research, University of the West of England
Christopher Brown, illustrator and linocut artist
Special collections and archives include:
Design Museum
Feminist Library
London Archives
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
St. Bride Foundation
Tate Library
Victoria & Albert Museum
Past Trips
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Summer 2025
Making with Fire-Clay|Craft|Art in Scandinavia
Studio Residency in Burren, Ireland
Transcultural Territories: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia and SlovakiaWinter 2025
Textiles & Artistic Practices in Peru
The Portable Studio: Contemporary Art Ecologies in India
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYCSummer 2024
Venice Biennale and Beyond
Zeitgeist: GermanyWinter 2024
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYCSummer 2023
Made in Britain: Fashion and Design in England and Scotland
Zeitgeist: from Munich to Berlin
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYCWinter 2020
Contemporary Art in Mexico City
Vietnam in the Age of Globalization
From global to local: Crafting Contemporary Art in India
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYC
Contemporary Art in LOS ANGELES and Joshua TreeSummer 2019
BURREN / IRELAND: Studio residency
GLASGOW: Textile Traditions and Transgressions—Fiber & Fashion
ROME / VENICE Biennale
KOREA: City Imprints
ZEITGEIST: 100 Years of Bauhaus
KARLSRUHE: Imagining Tomorrow 2019
Mountains, Badlands & Prairies: The American High PlainsWinter 2019
Textiles and Other Artistic Practices in PERU
LONDON: Design's collapse into the political and technological uncertain
Making Art in INDIA: from Biennale to Studio
TANZANIA: Cross-cultural Collaboration & Exchange
Contemporary Art and Criticism: NYC
Contemporary Art in LOS ANGELES and Joshua Tree
Eligibility
All usual academic requirements must be met to register for a study trip. For example, to register for Art History credits, a student must have completed both parts of the Survey of Art History; for Liberal Arts, all English requirements must be completed. Undergraduate students must have completed 30 credits at the time of registration.
Some study trips may require an application and study trip leaders' approval before registration. If so, this will be listed on the trip description in Course Options.
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The following students are not eligible to register for study trips:
- First-year undergraduate students who have successfully completed less than 30 credits at SAIC at the time of registration (unless a particular study trip has been designated for first-year undergraduates)
- Students currently on disciplinary probation or subject to any other disciplinary sanction
- Students currently on academic probation
- Students who have received a "No Credit" grade for a previous study trip or a previous semester away program
The following students' study trip participation will be reviewed:
- Students who become subject to academic or disciplinary sanction after registration. Note: a student whose study trip registration is canceled due to this review must appeal to the Refund Review Committee for refund of fees.
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Registration for study trip is a multi-step process which takes place online via SAIC Self-Service. View a step-by-step guide to Study Trip registration.
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Pre-registration and Info Sessions for summer study trips begin at the start of spring term, and at the start of the fall term for winter study trips. Pre-register via SAIC Self-Service. Select the Other Services Non-Mobile tile on your laptop. This is NOT accessible on mobile phones.
Pre-registration is mandatory for all students who plan to register for a study trip. It is REQUIRED in order to be able to access the Step 2 on registration day (registration, deposit payment, waiver completion). If you are still researching options, pre-registration can help you decide—it is an easy process with important information that applies to all SAIC faculty-led study trips.
Completing Pre-registration does not register you for a study trip. By reviewing the details under each tab/section and indicating your agreement, you will be confirming your eligibility and accepting the terms of participation should you successfully register for a trip. It is a required step to move to Step 2 (registration, deposit payment, form completion). After successfully completing Pre-registration, you will receive an email notification with more details about Step 2.
Financial Aid Priority: Complete pre-registration by March 1 (for summer trips), and October 1 (for winter trips).
Pre-registration serves as the financial aid application. If you are eligible for financial aid, and you complete Pre-registration by the financial aid priority date above, Student Financial Services will review it and issue a response prior to study trip registration. Be aware that any funds awarded will not be available for use as your study trip deposit. Note that this is not the final deadline for financial aid applications. You can still submit an application after the priority deadline and SFS will review it as soon as possible.
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Register for study trip class, pay deposit, and complete a waiver and a Health Disclosure via SAIC Self-Service.
Register for Your Class
Online registration typically opens in the middle of March for summer study trips and middle of October for winter study trips.Registration Times
9:00 a.m. – Graduate students, post-baccalaureate students, seniors, and juniors
12:00 p.m. – SophomoresIn order to register, access PeopleSoft in the same way you would usually register for on-campus courses. Search by “Off-Campus Study Trip” subject area, and then enroll in the “Study Trip Reservation” class corresponding to the study trip you plan to take.
Credit type and the amount of credits (e.g., 3 credit studio and/or 3 credit art history) will be added to your registration later based on what type of credit you selected when completing Pre-registration (Step 1).
You must have already completed Pre-registration to get access to study trip registration (Step 2). Check your account in advance and clear any holds that may prevent your ability to register. A waiting list will be available at the Registrar's Office if the trip is already full.
Pay Your Study Trip Deposit
After you successfully register, you must pay a non-refundable $525 deposit within 24 hours in order to secure your place. Payment can be made by credit card (Visa, Discover, American Express, or MasterCard) or by electronic check (ACH) via the TransAct link in the My Account section of Self-Service. You may also pay by paper check or money order in US currency at:SAIC Bursar's Office: Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., room 245
Important: As study trip deposits are nonrefundable, do not pay your deposit before you have successfully registered for the trip.
Complete Waiver and Health Disclosure Tabs in Self-Service
Each participant is required to read, understand, and sign a waiver within 24 hours of registering as well as complete a health disclosure. These must be submitted in SAIC Self-Service as soon as you make your deposit. Access them at Study Trips Step 2 under the Other Services Non-Mobile tile on your laptop. (Not accessible on a mobile phone). Read them in advance to become familiar with SAIC policies.Failure to make your non-refundable deposit and agree to each item outlined in the Waiver tab within 24 hours may drop you from the course.
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After registering, each participant must return to the Study Trip link in SAIC Self-Service to complete the My Travel Info tab by a specified due date soon after registration. Here is a copy of the tab:
Other information that must be submitted to Study Abroad:
- A copy of your passport (for international trips)
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Study Trips are different from on-campus SAIC courses. A lot of planning and preparation goes into facilitating each study trip, arrangements are frequently made 6-12 months ahead of the trip dates. To make the trips financially viable for the students and fiscally possible for SAIC a certain enrollment criteria must be met. If the trip experience a low enrollment SAIC reserves the right to cancel the trip. In case this happens, students who enrolled will have their deposits refunded.
Student is considered committed to participating in the study trip at the moment they complete deposit payment and the Legal Waiver and Health Disclosure (in Study Trip Step 2). After registration date students will not be able to drop from the course. If student decides to withdraw from the study trip they would need to go through the Academic Review Board appeal process which includes a request for refund. Depending when student requests to withdraw part of or all of the program fee may be forfeited. Study trip deposit is non-refundable.
Picture This: Winter 2025 Study Abroad
Each semester, School of the Art Institute of Chicago Study Abroad trips engage with art and culture all over the globe. This January, three trips took place in Peru, India, and New York City. We asked students and faculty to share their trip highlights.