Graduate Overview
Fashion, Body and Garment Overview
The Department of Fashion, Body, and Garment at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers serious fashion design students an intensive, two-year Master of Fine Arts in Fashion, Body and Garment program devoted to a final, distilled collection or body of work that is exhibited as appropriate to the form.
The main component of the program, the Fashion Design Studio taken each semester, provides a place for an expansive investigation of fashion, body, and garment and for deeper individual investigation of fashion within the broader context of community, sustainability, technology, and the industry.
You will have the freedom to explore a breadth of possibilities, yet achieve an in-depth focus within your individual practice through a combination of:
- Dedicated design studios
- Topical seminars
- Self-directed research
- Technical labs
- Design history and theory courses
You are also encouraged to explore a range of electives in other disciplines, such as:
- Performance
- Film, Video, New Media, and Animation
- Writing
- Sculpture
- Fiber and Material Studies
If you have a bachelor’s degree, but need additional foundation work to prepare a portfolio, or you are an international student in need of a year of intensive studio work typical to the U.S. education system before beginning a master’s program, we recommend our three-year MFA program.
Letter from Nick Cave
It's been a decade since the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Fashion Department launched its graduate program called Master of Design, Fashion, Body & Garment.
We are extremely proud of its success, but even more by its growth. The program keeps evolving as the world keeps changing, ensuring its relevance to our creative future. This dynamic quality is what keeps it fresh, exciting, and always BOLD.
As an artist, educator, and activist it has also been an incredible opportunity for me to spearhead this program. It has gifted me with a plethora of amazing young creators who are quickly becoming the next leaders in the field of fashion, art, education, politics, and parenting.
I could not be more proud of each and everyone's success to date and look forward to your future development via whatever road you choose next.
– Nick Cave
Stephanie and Bill Sick Professor of Fashion, Body and Garment
Requirements and Curriculum
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Degree requirements and specifications
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
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- FASH 5330 Design Studio: Interfacing Fashion (6)
- ARTHI 5560 Critical Perspectives in Fashion, Body and Garment (3)
- Fashion elective, 3000 level and above (3)
- FASH 6310 Design Studio: Contextualizing Fashion (6)
- Elective (6)
- Art History, must be 4000, 5000 or 6000 level (3)
12 - FASH 6330 Design Studio: Fashion, Fusion, Vision (6)
- FASH 6335 Seminar: Professional Practice 2 (3)
- Elective (3)
Degree requirements and specifications
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
MFA in Fashion, Body, and Garment Courses
Take the Next Step
Accepting Applications
Apply to SAIC's graduate Fashion Design program for fall 2024 admission. APPLY
MFA in Fashion, Body and Garment Admissions Information
Visit the graduate admissions website or contact the graduate admissions office at 312.629.6100, 800.232.7242 or gradmiss@saic.edu.
Fashion, Body, and Garment program inquiries: FashionGrad@saic.edu