Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Visual and Critical Studies degree program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) allows you to pursue in-depth academic study in the creative environment of an art school. During your work, you will draw connections between the visual arts and history, philosophy, psychology, and the natural sciences.
Alumni of this program go on to graduate work in the humanities, museum studies, arts administration, art-related law, or pursue careers in communications, teaching, public service, social activism, media production, or journalism.

You will share most classes, including a minimum of 39 hours of studio courses, with students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program, yet also follow a distinct sequence of courses, seminars, and personal research. Core courses provide you with diverse critical methods for exploring the cultural meanings of visual phenomena as they relate to social, economic, and material circumstances. You may choose from a variety of courses in studio practice, art history, writing, and the liberal arts and sciences, with special attention to topics such as visual and media literacy, cultural history and theory, and global studies.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago considers students who have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent for admission. Your counselor may submit your transcript through the Common Application, Parchment, email or mail.
If your high school diploma(s), certificate(s), or transcript(s) are in a language other than English, please include officially translated transcripts. We recommend students consider and use credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
All admission decisions are subject to evaluation of final high school transcripts, which must be received by August 15 for fall and January 15 for spring.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): minimum 82 Internet Based
TOEFL Essentials: minimum 9
International English Language Testing System (IELTS): minimum 6.5
Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic): minimum 55
Duolingo: 110
International Baccalaureate (IB): 6 college credits for any International Baccalaureate (IB) score of 4-7 at the Higher Level (HL) only up to a maximum total of 12 credit hours.