FAQ

Visit continuingstudies.saic.edu. Select Certificate Programs under the heading Adult Continuing Education in the left column, then “Add to cart.” After you have selected at least one course, pay the $100 nonrefundable fee along with your tuition. If you are unable to register online, contact us at cs@saic.edu or 312.629.6170.  

A portfolio is not required to enroll in a certificate.

Students must be 18 years of age or older and have received a high school diploma or equivalent. A post-secondary degree is not required.

Your availability and the availability of the courses being offered will impact your progress. Courses are scheduled based on demand, and not all requirements are offered every term.

Requirements can be completed in 18 months at a rate of two courses per term in fall and spring. Taking more than two courses per term is not recommended.

Students can also complete coursework requirements, including their elective, in winter and summer.

Adult Continuing Education noncredit certificates were not designed to be completed entirely online, and we do not guarantee that all coursework will be offered virtually.

Required courses may not be offered every term and scheduled courses may not be offered in the student's preferred instructional mode (online or in person).

Email saic-ace@saic.edu with your first and last name and 7-digit ID number. Include your current certificate and the one you would like to pursue.  

All current Adult Continuing Education course offerings can be found at continuingstudies.saic.edu.

Some courses are meant to be taken in sequence and have a prerequisite course or other requirement deemed necessary to ensure the greatest likelihood of student success. It is your responsibility to be aware of and meet any course prerequisite(s) prior to registration.

If you do not meet the prerequisite(s) for a specific course but feel that you are academically prepared to take the course, you can request permission by emailing saic-ace@saic.edu.

You may not enroll in a course and its prerequisite(s) in the same term.

Prerequisite(s) are included in the course descriptions available online at continuingstudies.saic.edu.

Each certificate program requires six 30-hour courses. Coursework requirements can be found on the Certificate Programs page.

All 30-hour Adult Continuing Education courses are eligible electives for all certificate programs. 

Students can apply one SAIC course (Adult Continuing Education, degree program, or Ox-Bow) completed within the past year to their certificate requirements.

Students may not apply a course toward their certificate coursework requirements more than once unless it is topically based and taken for a different topic in a different term.

For working adults, taking more than two courses per term is not recommended. Your availability and the availability of the courses being offered will impact your progress. Courses are scheduled based on demand, and not all requirements are offered every term.

All required courses will be offered at least once each academic year in fall, spring, or summer. Many are offered in two or more terms.

Visit saic.edu/ace and select Noncredit Courses to peruse current and future offerings, or contact Continuing Studies for suggestions on organizing your course sequence.

All 30-hour Adult Continuing Education courses are eligible electives for all certificate programs.

Continuing Studies will classify a student not enrolled in courses for one year as inactive. Students classified as inactive are subject to curriculum requirements at the time of re-enrollment, rather than as stated at the time candidacy was originally declared. Upon re-entry to the program, students must pay the nonrefundable fee.

There is a $100 nonrefundable fee to join a certificate program and you will pay the tuition and fees for the six classes as you register for them. This means that the full tuition for a certificate program is not due at the outset of joining the program, but rather is paid incrementally as you register for your courses.

The tuition for a single certificate course ranges from $625–750, meaning the total cost for certificate program tuition plus the nonrefundable fee will range from $3,850–4,600 depending on which courses you enroll in as you progress through the program. 

The cost of supplies varies by course and is determined in part by individual projects and material choices. Typically students can expect to spend between $50 and $200 per course, and between $300 and $1,200 per certificate. 

None, aside from the $100 nonrefundable fee paid at the time you enroll.

Financial assistance is available in the form of the need- and merit-based Madeleine Stanley-Jossem scholarship and remission for employees, Art Education student teacher supervisors, and Art Therapy fieldwork supervisors. Scholarships and remission are awarded for individual courses and not certificate programs. Learn more.

Completion of your certificate requires a portfolio review, fulfilled by participation in Portfolio Review Days offered in the fall and spring, and taking part in a brief exit interview. Visit the Certificate Program Website for more information.

Students enrolled in noncredit certificates must successfully complete all required coursework, including one elective, submit the Certificate Completion Form, participate in Portfolio Review Day in the fall or spring, and take part in a brief exit interview.

To submit the Certificate Completion Form, you will be asked to review your coursework and upload five or more images of your work and a signed consent form. Continuing Studies staff will review your transcript and contact you via email if anything is missing.

A portfolio is a living document that changes over time. It is a collection of ideas, work, and other materials that represent you as a creative thinker and maker; tangible evidence of skills and abilities that support credentials on your resume; and a useful tool in marketing yourself to clients and employers, colleges and universities, funders and galleries.

A portfolio can take many forms, including a website or PDF file that can be sent by email.

Your portfolio should include your best and most recent work. It can also include works in progress and sketchbooks. Personal work or work not associated with a classroom assignment that reflects research, ideas, and personal motivation can strengthen the overall portfolio.

Certificate students are encouraged to collect and document their work in each class.

The portfolio review is an opportunity for you to reflect on your creative development, obtain substantive feedback, and exchange information about you and your practice to inform the next steps in your evolution as an artist, designer, and scholar. It is also a requirement for the completion of all ACE noncredit certificates.

We encourage students to participate in Portfolio Review Days as many times as they are able to while they are enrolled in courses. Certificate students are required to participate in a final portfolio review.