Admission

Special Information for International Students

International students often choose to study at an American college because the United States offers what is recognized as one of the world's finest educational systems-and degrees from American colleges and universities are recognized throughout the world. What will you find if you choose to study in the United States? An institution like MICA offers a curriculum that combines a solid foundation in knowledge in your field with hands-on experiences that allow you to build problem-solving and professional skills.

Why do international students choose MICA? They tell us that their decision is driven by an awareness of the exceptional professional-level education that MICA provides in art and design. Recognized as one of the nation's leading colleges of art and design, Maryland Institute College of Art is the oldest, fully accredited, continuously degree-granting college of art in the United States. MICA attracts students from around the world with a long-held reputation built upon the excellence of our faculty, the quality of our students, and the accomplishments of our alumni. You will find current statistics about our student body, faculty, and alumni on the About MICA page.

Other factors that lead international students to choose MICA include:
  • Access to MICA's outstanding facilities, equipment, and technology.

  • The opportunity to focus on a single discipline or artistic medium, or to combine a variety of disciplines in an interdisciplinary course of study.

  • The opportunity to draw on both a strong historical focus on traditional art practices (MICA's painting program is recognized as the nation's best, for example, and every program emphasizes the mastery of core studio practices) and innovative approaches to art-making in developing their personal voice (new technologies, new ways of thinking about art, energetic faculty who are professionally active and successful artists and designers).

  • The College's ideal location at the center of the New York-to-Washington, D.C., art corridor, with easy access to many of the world's best museums, top galleries, and ground-breaking design firms.

  • The comfortable, affordable, artist-friendly lifestyle available in MICA's residences, and the city of Baltimore-where more than 100,000 college students studying at institutions including The Johns Hopkins University hail from all over the world. Baltimore offers a rich cultural and ethnic mix that is friendly to international students.

  • The chance to participate actively in class discussions, critiques, and debates, and to build strong relationships with approachable and friendly faculty members, who have an informal approach to their interactions with students.

  • The opportunity to experience American life though a diverse mix of student activities and clubs, the opportunity to live in MICA residence halls. And outstanding support and resources from MICA's professional Student Affairs staff.

Here is some additional information about studying in an American college that may be helpful to you.

Academic Calendar
American colleges offer courses on a variety of schedules. MICA's academic year includes two semesters (the fall semester begins in late August and ends in December; and the spring semester begins in January and ends in May). MICA also offers courses in the summer and a selection of workshops and master classes over January break.

Degree Programs & Requirements
Each degree program (MICA offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees, as well as a number of certificate programs) includes core requirements that you will share with all students (in the undergraduate program this includes requirements for a certain number of credits in liberal arts offerings), courses that are required for your major, and "electives"-courses you can take in a range of departments-which allow you to create your own, unique program of study within a structured academic program.

Campus Environment
MICA's classrooms, like those in most American colleges, are informal and participatory. Students are expected to take an active role in their own education, to comment on and critique the work of their peers, and to interact informally with faculty and visiting artists. Staff and faculty are approachable and available to students.

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