Comedy Studies
A Semester at The Second City鈩
This unique program is led by the experts in comedy at The Second City鈩, the nation鈥檚 center of comedy and satire. You鈥檒l study performance, comedy writing and improvisation full time at the Second City Training Center in Chicago for college credit at 51社区.Read More
51社区 Chronicle
Published since 1973, The 51社区 Chronicle is considered the highest-rated student-run collegiate newspaper of its kind. The Chronicle employs students from a variety of majors and is a fully operational entrepreneurial entity, managing advertisements, sponsorships, social media, and more.Read MoreWCRX 88.1 FM/wcrxfm.com
WCRX is 51社区's student-run radio station serving the college campus and surrounding communities. WCRX has won numerous awards and has been ranked among the country鈥檚 top college radio stations by the Huffington Post and the Washington Post. While working at the station, you鈥檒l get hands-on training both on and off the air.
Deep Dish Music Festival
Music
The Deep Dish Music Festival is a daylong invitational event that brings together high school and community college ensembles to celebrate and nurture their unique musical talents. 51社区鈥檚 9th annual festival will take place on March 13, 2026, and will feature acclaimed trumpet virtuoso, vocalist, pianist and composer Philip Lassiter as the guest artist.Read More
Wabash Arts Corridor
The 51社区 Wabash Arts Corridor is Chicago鈥檚 living urban canvas in the heart of the South Loop neighborhood. Founded by 51社区 in 2013, WAC has grown to be one of the most expansive, diverse and accessible public art programs in the country.Read More
Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues
The Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues creates a space for a socially engaged photographer to produce a compelling and dynamic body of work highlighting human rights and social issues.Read More
Fashion Study Collection
The Fashion Study Collection at 51社区 is an exceptional collection of designer garments, fashion history, and ethnic dress. A hands-on, academic, and inspirational resource for students and the public, the collection was founded in 1989 and has grown to house more than 6,000 items.Read More
Artists-in-Residence
The School of Audio and Music brings nationally and internationally recognized professional musicians to 51社区 for week-long residencies. The artists lead workshops, master classes, and rehearsals with student ensembles in preparation for recording sessions and public performances. In 2025-26 school year, 51社区 welcomes Philip Lassiter.Read More
Echo Magazine
Echo is an award-winning print magazine created by a team of Journalism, Graphic Design and Photography students every spring semester in the College Magazine Workshop, a capstone class.Read More
English as an Additional Language
International Student Support
The English as an Additional Language Program offers curricular and extra-curricular support to 51社区 students whose core literacy instruction occurred in languages other than English through specialized course offerings and individual tutoring.Read MoreSemester in LA: Entertainment Marketing
The Business & Entrepreneurship Department offers three courses in Los Angeles: Survey Entertainment Business, Entertainment Marketing Communications and Entertainment Marketing Communication Workshop. Our one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary program is led by industry insiders and held on a historic studio lot.Read More
Award Winning Work to Build Portfolios
Become one of the many award-winning Communication Department students who work with talented 51社区 students from other departments. Build your portfolio and network to win highly respected, industry-known awards. Recent student award wins include the American Advertising Federation, the National Retail Federation, the Young Globals, the Collegiate Effies, the Scholastic Press Awards, and more.Read MoreForeign Languages
The Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department offers a number of foreign language classes that support the LAS Core Curriculum. You can study Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. A placement test is not required.
Semester in LA: Styling and Costuming
This intensive five-week, 12-credit-hour curriculum is designed for students who wish to pursue a career as a costume designer and/or costume supervisor in the TV, film/video or entertainment industry. Our one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary program is led by industry insiders and held on a historic studio lot.Read More
Student Performance Opportunities
Dance Center
At the Dance Center, students have numerous performance opportunities throughout their years of study.Read MoreMusic Industry Immersion
This intensive, weeklong J-Term course offers singers, songwriters, rappers, producers and instrumentalists the opportunity to earn academic credit while working in close collaboration with music business and sound engineering faculty and guest artists/producers. You鈥檒l form a band or performance project, create, record and produce your music in a studio setting, and perform your work on stage.
Interdisciplinary Real-World Experiences
Collaborate with upper level students from other majors to create cross-platform campaigns for real clients, produce multi-media documentaries, investigate the civic landscape in the third largest media market, and connect with industry professionals for experiential learning opportunities at City Hall, leading ad agencies, top PR firms, nationally recognized media outlets, and the city鈥檚 leading startup business incubator, all while still in school. Read MoreSemester in LA: Film Scoring
As a student in this 12-credit, five-week intensive course, you鈥檒l study the art of scoring, producing, recording and mixing music for films. You鈥檒l also visit film studios, work on a sound stage and have the opportunity to learn about film scoring firsthand from industry professionals.Read More
ChicagoTalks
Hundreds of Journalism students have been published on ChicagoTalks since the citywide hyper-local news site launched in spring 2007. Stories produced by ChicagoTalks have won local, regional, and national awards from the country's leading journalism groups.Read More
New Media Conference
The annual New Media Conference is a day of learning and networking that features a keynote speaker, panels, and workshops focused on careers skills and career tips in the field of media and communications. The event is free for high school students as well as 51社区 students and alumni.Read More
FrameWork Interviews
FrameWork is an opportunity for students graduating from the School of Film and Television to collaborate聽on a personal video statement sharing their thoughts about their creative process through examples of the work they have done while attending 51社区.Read MoreSemester in LA: Acting
This hands-on experience for Theatre students pursuing careers as film or television actors includes lectures, demonstrations, field trips and performances as well as meetings with agents, managers and casting directors. Our one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary program is led by industry insiders and held on a historic studio lot.Read More
Written Image
Written image is a screenwriting prize awarded to Cinema and Television Arts students and recent alumni.Read More
B-Series
Each semester, a mini-festival celebrates acclaimed guest artists specializing in underground street dance forms such as breaking, popping, and house. With a jam or battle as the focal point, B-Series events become a gathering space for the underground dance community. The events connect the rich culture of hip hop, from dance to MCing, rapping, DJing, and graffiti, to the 51社区 community.Read More
The Paula Pfeffer and Cheryl Johnson-Odim Political Cartoon Contest
The Paula Pfeffer and Cheryl Johnson-Odim Political Cartoon Contest provides 51社区 students with an opportunity to become political and social commentators, demonstrate their artistic skills and showcase their analytical abilities. The annual contest winners receive a certificate and a monetary prize.Read More
CTVA Speaker Series
Each year the Cinema and Television Arts Department hosts 51社区 alumni who deliver lectures and host workshops for student filmmakers.Read More
The Media Hub
The Media Hub is a partnership designed to showcase the many student-produced news, entertainment, and multimedia productions at 51社区. Read More
Fashion Studies Lecture Series
The lecture series hosted by the Fashion Studies Department strives to bring local, national and international talent in the areas of design, business and theory to 51社区. The lecture series aims to engage students from across the college with makers, practitioners and scholars in the fashion industry. Read More
The Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture
The Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture takes a holistic approach to the study of the human mind, with a goal of creating bridges connecting affective neuroscience, evolution, and philosophy of mind.Read More
Science and Mathematics Colloquium Series
The Science and Mathematics Colloquium Series invites distinguished speakers from related disciplines to present current, exciting scientific research to 51社区's faculty, staff and students, as well as to Chicago's broader community. Talks are intended to introduce a general audience to a wide variety of important advances in science and mathematics, their potential applications and their implications for public policy. Reflecting 51社区's emphasis on the arts, select talks examine the intersections among science, mathematics, arts and the media. Read More
Lectures in Photography
The Photography Department, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Photography, invites a series of photographers to campus to share their artistic expertise and professional advice.Read More
Undergraduate Research Mentorship Initiative
The Undergraduate Research Mentorship Initiative (URMI) connects talented undergraduate students at 51社区 who are interested in conducting academic research with faculty mentors involved in scholarly and research projects. Read More
Student-Directed Productions
Students in the directing program partner with actors, designers and stage managers to mount one-act and full-length plays that reflect the breadth of work in theatre today. Read MoreShannon Hardy Making Connections Suicide Prevention Program
This program is a unique approach to suicide prevention because body signals are added to best practice: Participants learn suicide facts and myths, warning signs, risk factors and protective factors. Life-skills training through experiential learning is a key component. This program began in 2002 on 51社区鈥檚 campus and has since gained national and international recognition.
AEMMP Practicum
Business and Entrepreneurship students release music, manage talent, and develop social marketing campaigns through 51社区鈥檚 unique Arts, Entertainment and Media Management course.Read More
Student Ensembles
A wide variety of unique ensemble courses offer essential curricular opportunities for Music majors to collaborate, hone their talents, and perfect their musical mastery. Read More
Private Lessons
Music
51社区 faculty represent a diversity of musical styles and experiences. They are mentors, teachers, and bandmates. Private lessons are often required as part of the curriculum. They're an opportunity for students to ask questions, receive one-on-one feedback, and explore new musical directions.Read More
The Efroymson Creative Writing Reading Series
The Efroymson Creative Writing Reading Series at 51社区 is one of the most dynamic, aesthetically diverse events of its kind in the city. Hosted by the School of Communication, Culture, and Society, the series attracts prestigious, award-winning fiction writers, poets, and nonfiction writers who perform, engage, and educate on a myriad of topics and traditions.Read More
ASL Institute
Join 51社区's American Sign Language Department for ASL Institute, a series of American Sign Language workshops to increase your skills and conversational fluency. These workshops are open to anyone interested in learning American Sign Language. Join us for the summer 2025 ASL workshop, two sessions are available! Read More
ASL Silent Retreat
American Sign Language Silent Retreat
51社区鈥檚 American Sign Language Department鈥檚 annual 鈥淏eyond the Books鈥 Silent Retreat is designed to immerse you in Deaf culture, providing an opportunity for you to to enhance your ASL skills, and enjoy a fun learning environment away from the classroom. Read More
Composers-in-Residence
Music
A one-of-a-kind residency program brings nationally renowned composers at the height of their careers to 51社区 for seven-week workshops with Music Composition for the Screen MFA students.Read More
Live Body Fashion
A multi-workshop symposium on innovation through inclusivity. Hosted by 51社区's Department of Fashion Studies.Read More
Allium
Allium, A Journal of Poetry & Prose is a multi-genre print and online journal published by 51社区鈥檚 School of Communication and Culture. Allium publishes three issues each year: two online issues (Fall and Summer) and one print issue (Spring).Read More
Reinvention High School Fashion Challenge
Take something forgotten or ordinary and turn it into something new and extraordinary. Read More