MICA offers students a wide array of study abroad opportunities, including MICA's honors program in Italy, exchange partnerships and affiliated programs at more than 30 institutions abroad, and domestic exchange options at more than 30 institutions in North America. See the "Study Abroad Programs" section of this website for specific program information.
Eligibility Requirements
- Junior standing during the semester abroad. Exceptions: First-semester seniors and advanced second-semester sophomores are also eligible for the MICA @ SACI program. First-semester seniors may be eligible for other programs with department chair approval.
- Minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average
- Completed paperwork by the appropriate deadlines
- Attendance at a study abroad advising session
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
Students on all semester study abroad programs pay MICA tuition (without fees) directly to MICA and pay no tuition at the host school. Students are responsible for all other expenses (e.g., travel, housing, meals, health insurance, studio fees), some of which may be required and billed by the host institution. If the host program's tuition is greater than that of MICA, the student will pay the difference. Students are responsible for researching fully their prospective program's policies and procedures, including costs, prior to enrollment. For more information, please make an appointment with the Office of International Affairs.
MICA students with MICA scholarships or financial aid will be able to use their award (except work-study) for their approved MICA study abroad program. These students must maintain full-time status while abroad (taking the equivalent of 12 or more U.S. credits) and maintain standards of financial aid satisfactory academic progress in order to meet the award renewal requirements. Students on study abroad are eligible to participate in MICA's annual competitive scholarship process.
All financial matters must be up to date with MICA's Office of Student Accounts before an application for study abroad will be approved, and student accounts must be settled prior to departure. Questions about accounts should be directed to the Office of Student Accounts 410-225-2211.
Academics
Students must be registered through MICA's Office of International Affairs for study abroad status to be eligible to earn credit from a program abroad. Specifically, students must:
- Attend an approved study abroad program through MICA's Office of International Affairs.
- Obtain approval for courses abroad from the appropriate MICA department chair(s) using the Course Approval Form.
- Submit required forms to the Office of International Affairs prior to departure.
- Receive a passing grade in each course.
- Arrange to have an official transcript sent directly from the host institution to the Office of International Affairs.
Course Approval Process
Students are responsible for working with their advisor and department chair to understand how the course credit will fulfill degree requirements and to obtain the required course approvals prior to study abroad. After acceptance to study abroad, students will complete the Course Approval Form to determine how credits earned at the host institution will be applied in their MICA degree plan.
Students are advised to seek approval for courses prior to departure whenever possible. Many students will know their course schedules ahead of time, but students on several direct exchange programs may not know their exact schedules until they arrive abroad. Therefore, we advise students to have as many potential courses pre-approved as possible, which will provide maximum flexibility when finalizing the schedule once abroad.
At the end of the semester abroad, upon receipt of a student's official transcript from the host institution, International Affairs will automatically apply "studio elective" credit to the student's degree plan for all studio courses passed. If students would like their studio work abroad to fulfill a more specific requirement in their degree plan (for example, a "photography elective," "painting elective," etc., or a specific course such as "Typography I", etc.), then students will need approval (on the Course Approval Form) from the chair of MICA studio department for which the credit will be earned.
Academic and art history electives require approval from chairs of the LLC and Art History departments. Exceptions not requiring approval on the Course Approval Form are academic electives and art history electives at SACI, Burren, and the NYSP, which have been pre-approved by the LLC and AH chairs; International Affairs can automatically apply credit to students' degree plans for academic and art history electives passed on these three programs.
Note that department chairs can also e-mail International Affairs directly in place of signing the Course Approval form. E-mail approval is most useful for students on certain direct exchange programs whose schedules are not available until they are actually abroad, but is also useful for students who, upon arriving on site, find that new courses are on offer or enroll in other courses not previously approved. To obtain e-mail approval, students should contact the appropriate MICA department chair via e-mail once their schedule abroad is finalized and/or during the host institution's add/drop period. Students are advised to take care of all outstanding course approvals during their host institution's add/drop period; students are advised not to wait until their return to MICA. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that International Affairs has a copy of all course approvals in writing and that any e-mail approval messages address all of the same information as the Study Abroad Course Approval Form. International Affairs must receive the e-mail approval directly from the department chair.
The credit approval process will also be discussed in detail at the predeparture orientation.
While abroad, students should document the work they complete to ensure proper awarding of credit, as some department chairs may wish to review work for certain courses upon a student's return to MICA.
Credits Abroad
Credit systems vary throughout the world and it is important to understand how the credit systems abroad relate to the credit system at MICA. In researching courses abroad, consider the following transfer systems:
European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
Many universities throughout Europe use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). 2 ECTS credits are equivalent to 1 MICA credit. Students studying abroad at universities that use ECTS should take about 30 ECTS credits per semester in order to maintain adequate progress toward their MICA degree. (A minimum of 24 ECTS credits is required to maintain full-time status.)
United Kingdom
At most British universities, students take about 60 UK credits per semester. 4 UK credits are equivalent to 1 MICA credit. Students studying at universities in the UK should take 60 UK credits per semester in order to maintain adequate progress toward their MICA degree. (A minimum of 48 UK credits is required to maintain full-time status.)
Other Locations
Students participating in programs elsewhere in the world should consult with International Affairs to discuss the credit system at their host institution.
Study abroad credit is not transfer credit, so students who transferred to MICA or who are seniors may be eligible to study abroad if they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Note that some study abroad programs may have credit limits. For example, some partner institutions in the United Kingdom may have short (e.g., 12 week) terms for which a MICA student can earn a maximum of 12 credits.
Grades
On most programs, grades earned abroad are not included in a student’s MICA grade point average, and only the credit values are recorded on the MICA transcript. Nonetheless, students may be asked to submit their study abroad transcript when they apply to graduate or professional schools, which will certainly take the study abroad grades into consideration when evaluating an application.
MICA's honors program at SACI in Florence and the New York Studio Program are exceptions: All grades from these programs are recorded on the MICA transcript and are included in participants' grade point averages at MICA.
Please contact the Office of International Affairs with any questions about academics and study abroad.
Passports and Visas
All students intending to study abroad must have a valid passport before leaving the U.S. Passport applications are available from many U.S. post offices. Be sure to allow at least six to eight weeks for processing. Students planning to study in certain countries may also be required to obtain a visa prior to departure. Paperwork for visa applications will often be supplied by the host institution after acceptance or can be obtained through the country's embassy or consulate in the U.S. See the "Pre-departure Information" page for more information on passports and visas.
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