artwork credit: Agnes Hamerlik, 2022
The Master of Fine Arts in Fashion, Body and Garment program seeks to provide a creative and intellectual context in which the nature and potentiality of fashion is closely examined and reimagined. Uniquely situated within a vibrant contemporary school of art and design, this program builds on the connections and relationships between art and fashion that have been evolving in the past century and that reach an unprecedented level in contemporary practices today.
Through a combination of dedicated design studios, topical seminars, self-directed research, technical labs, design history, theory courses, and a wide range of elective options such as performance, film, new media, writing, and sculpture, students are able to explore a breadth of possibilities, yet achieve an in-depth focus within their individual practice.
Priority Deadline: December 1 - $45 Application Fee
Final Deadline: January 10 - $90 Application Fee
Apply online via SlideRoom
SAIC requires applicants to apply online. Filing an online application requires a valid credit card and a current email address. You may apply to up to three programs with one application and fee. If you are applying to either the MFA in Studio or the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio you may select up to three departments of entry.
Applications must be submitted prior to 11:00 p.m. (CST) on the appropriate deadline. When you click the "submit" button on the Graduate Application form, you will be prompted to enter credit card information to pay the application fee. Your application form is not fully submitted until you have entered your credit card information.
Under no circumstances will an application fee be refunded. After you submit the application form you will be directed to a dashboard where you can begin working on your ePortfolio(s).
A conferred four-year baccalaureate degree or its equivalent is required for admission to all graduate programs at SAIC. Transcripts are records of your studies that list the courses you completed, the grades received, and provide evidence of degree conferral. They may include grade sheets, exam results, final diplomas, degrees, or graduation certificates. Official copies are issued in the original language directly by your university. Copies must bear the official stamp or seal of the institution, as well as the signature of the appropriate official such as the dean, rector, registrar, controller of examinations, or office of teaching affairs. Photos, notarized copies, facsimiles, or email transmissions are not acceptable.
Official translations are expected for all educational documents issued in a language other than English. A translation agency or university language department should issue official translations typed on official stationary and the translator must attest proficiency in the original language and indicate their translations are accurate word-for-word.
During the application process, an unofficial transcript is acceptable for review pending an Admissions decision. Official transcripts are required upon admission. Include transcripts both official and unofficial from all universities/colleges from which a degree was obtained or prerequisites were fulfilled. You can attach unofficial transcripts as .pdf or .jpg files in the Educational History section of the application form. If you are in the process of completing a bachelor's degree when you apply, a transcript showing your first three years of study is acceptable.
Transcripts are considered official if sent directly from the degree- or credit-granting institution to the SAIC Graduate Admissions Office. Hard copy transcripts are considered official if the documents remain in the registrar's original signed and sealed envelopes. Official transcripts can be sent both in digital and hard-copy format. Digital transcripts can be sent from the degree- or credit-granting institution to gradmiss@saic.edu. Hard copy transcripts can be mailed to:
SAIC Graduate
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1201
Chicago, IL 60603
Students admitted to a graduate program who have not received a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent are not eligible for federal Title IV financial aid funds.
Write a 500- to 700-word statement that describes your work. Discuss how you came to focus on the body of work that you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also, discuss future directions or goals for your work, and finally describe how the SAIC program(s) to which you are applying is/are suited to your professional goals. Save your statement as a PDF and upload it as an attachment.
A statement of intent is required for all graduate programs though the content varies by department. You will upload your statement of purpose to the Attachments section of your E-Portfolio.
Two Letters of Reference are required.
You are responsible for securing letters of recommendation from persons who are qualified to write about your potential for success at SAIC. If you are currently a student or are a recent graduate, we recommend you request letters of recommendation from current or former instructors.
Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically via the References section of the application form. In this section, you will be asked to provide an email address for each of your references. Once you click "send request," an email will be sent from SlideRoom to your references with instructions on how to submit their recommendations online.
If your references are unable to provide an online recommendation please contact the Graduate Admissions office at gradmiss@saic.edu.
A current résumé is required.
A résumé is required for all graduate programs. Upload your résumé to the Attachments section in your E-Portfolio.
Your portfolio should include a minimum of five different projects documented in up to 20 images, or up to 10 minutes of time-based work, or a combination of the two in which one image is equivalent to approximately 30 seconds of time-based work.
Applicants are required to submit an E-Portfolio, though the content varies by department. Please visit your individual program of interest to find details. You must submit a separate E-Portfolio for each program or studio department to which you apply. After you pay the application fee and submit the application form, an E-Portfolio for each of the programs you selected in the application form will automatically appear in your SlideRoom dashboard.
Submission specifications:
TOEFL: 85
IELTS: 6.5
DUOLINGO: 120
International applicants are required to submit evidence of English language proficiency. You are waived from this requirement if you meet any of the following conditions:
If you do not meet one of these conditions, you must submit official English language proficiency test scores. You are strongly encouraged to schedule a language proficiency test appointment as early as possible in order to receive official test scores prior to the application deadline.
SAIC accepts official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Duolingo. The TOEFL Institution Code for SAIC is 1713. Please upload an unofficial copy of your test score results to the International Requirements section of the application form.
The department conducts interviews by invitation only. Applicants who pass the preliminary review will be invited to schedule an interview in mid-February. Notification will be sent by late January. For students at a distance or unable to travel, interviews may be conducted remotely.
| First Year Fall | 15 |
| First Year Spring | 15 |
| First Year Additional Requirements Participation in Fall & Spring Graduate Critiques | |
| Second Year Fall | 15 |
| Second Year Spring | 15 |
| Second Year Additional Requirements Participation in Fall & Spring Graduate Critiques Participation in the Thesis Show | |
| Total Credit Hours Fashion, Body & Garment Studios: 27 Interdisciplinary or Fashion Electives:15 Professional Practice: 6 Art History: 12 | 60 |
Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for approved leaves of absence.
Transfer credits: A minimum of 45 credit hours must be completed in residence at SAIC. Up to 15 transfer credits may be requested at the time of application for admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
Design Studio: Each design studio must be successfully completed prior to participation in the consecutive design studio.
Advanced Fabrication Lab: FASH 5311 Advanced Fabrication Lab must be taken in the first fall semester.
Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
| First Year Fall | 12 |
| First Year Spring | 12 |
| First Year Additional Requirements Participation in Fall & Spring Graduate Critiques | |
| Second Year Fall | 12 |
| Second Year Spring | 15 |
| |
| Second Year Additional Requirements Participation in Fall & Spring Graduate Critiques | |
| Third Year Fall | 15 |
| |
| Third Year Spring | 12 |
| |
| Third Year Additional Requirements Participation in Fall & Spring Graduate Critiques Participation in the Thesis Show | |
| Total Credit Hours Fashion, Body & Garment Studios: 39 Interdisciplinary or Fashion Electives: 21 Professional Practice: 6 Art History: 12 | 78 |
Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for approved leaves of absence.
Transfer credits: A minimum of 45 credit hours must be completed in residence at SAIC. Up to 15 transfer credits may be requested at the time of application for admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
Design Studio: Each design studio must be successfully completed prior to participation in the consecutive design studio.
Advanced Fabrication Lab: FASH 5311 Advanced Fabrication Lab must be taken in the fall semester of the second year of the MFA 3-yr.
Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
Engage with key faculty members from our graduate departments, meet current graduate students, learn about our curricula and facilities, and inquire about admissions and financial aid. While not required, you may wish to bring your portfolio for review. Graduate campus tours will also be offered.
Visit the graduate admissions website or contact the graduate admissions office at 312.629.6100, 800.232.7242, or gradmiss@saic.edu.
Artist: Caterina DeRousse Photographer: The Ox Project