The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago: Design, Fashion, Culinary and Media Arts Programs
About Us
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago is located in two facilities in downtown Chicago. The larger of the two campuses is situated in the Merchandise Mart and the satellite campus is located on the corner of Lake and Wabash avenues and features the student-run restaurant The Backstage Bistro.
The school offers the following Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs: Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Digital Photography, Fashion Design, Game Art & Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Visual Communications, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics and Web Design & Interactive Media. We also offer Bachelor of Arts degree programs in Advertising and Fashion Marketing & Management, and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree program in Culinary Management.
Our Associate of Applied Science degree programs include Culinary Arts, Fashion Merchandising, Graphic Design and Web Design & Interactive Media. In addition, a certificate program in Professional Baking & Pastry is offered.
All of these programs are offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to continue to work uninterrupted toward graduation.
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago strives to provide quality higher education for students seeking careers in applied arts, media, and design professions. The curricula reflects both the cognitive and creative elements of the major disciplines integrated with a comprehensive general education program. Students are taught by experienced faculty, many whose expertise comes from years of professional experience and academic learning. Dedicated instructors and staff provide an environment that develops personal values, ethical practices, and social responsibility, while fostering an appreciation of diversity. The College's commitment to excellence and to the active participation of students in their education provides a foundation essential for lifelong learning.
Our Mission
The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago is an institution of higher education offering degree and other academic programs in the creative and applied arts to a diverse student body from greater Chicago, the United States and abroad. The college offers a stimulating learning environment where committed and talented students, led by dedicated and professional faculty, can develop their creativity and acquire the skills and knowledge to pursue careers in their fields of study.
The City of Chicago
Chicago has a diverse population of nearly 3,000,000 and is a center for business, industry, education, and the arts. Chicago is a city of extraordinary architecture, 29 miles of lakefront, parks, neighborhood festivals, museums and cultural attractions. Among the top five most visited cities in the U.S., Chicago attracts 1,250,000 international tourists per year as well as millions of Americans. Visitors enjoy the well-known mid-western hospitality and flock to exhibits like Monet, Degas, and the whimsical "Cows on Parade" phenomenon of Summer 1999.
Facilities and Housing
COLLEGE-SPONSORED HOUSING
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago serves the student by establishing a solid foundation in a community environment that enhances a student's well being through opportunities for social interaction, programming, and services that provide for his/her basic needs. Studies show that time spent living in college-sponsored housing increases your chances of success, both in the classroom and outside of it. In addition, a student can include the housing costs in his/her financial plan.
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago maintains master-lease apartments in or near downtown Chicago that offer congenial, convenient, clean, comfortable housing. Specifically, College-Sponsored Housing offers studio apartments at Presidential Towers. Included in the price per quarter are the following: all utilities, internet, basic cable, local phone service and furnishings. Furnishings include
*a kitchen with full-sized appliances
*twin beds
*one dresser and one desk plus a chair per student
*one dinette table with chairs per apartment
Students interested in housing must complete the Housing Application, Student Addition Form required by Presidential Towers and submit a one-time $200.00 License and Restoration Payment. Once the Housing office has received these three items and the financial plan is finalized, the Housing office begins the process of placing the student into an apartment. Approximately two weeks prior to the start of the quarter, the student receives notification of apartment placement, move-in times and dates, as well as contact information about her/his roommate.
Students are encouraged to call roommates in advance to coordinate sharing of the space, small appliances and electronics. Students who have a specific person they would like as a roommate should contact the Student Affairs office at (800) 351-3450, extension 8615.
Read more about the Presidential Towers
Online Housing Application
Student Addition Form - must be completed at the time of application and returned to the housing office.
If you have questions about what to bring or interested in information for parents, please review the documents listed below:
Packing for College
Letter to Parents or Guardians
INDEPENDENT HOUSING
The Housing office maintains a limited listing of apartments within commuting distance. Independent apartments are not inspected or approved by The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. All arrangements are made between the student and the landlord.
Accreditation
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, 1.800.621.7440, www.ncahlc.org.
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). ACCSCT may be contacted at 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 302, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.247.4212.
The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago is approved to award the Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. It is licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
The Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
The Interior Design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 146 Monroe Center NW, Suite 1318, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2822.