Policies and Expectations

At MICA, we believe that travel—whether domestic or international—is a powerful extension of the learning and creative experience. It offers opportunities to grow as artists, thinkers, and citizens of the world. Following MICA's International and Domestic Travel Policy will help ensure that every member of our community is equipped to travel responsibly, safely, and with cultural awareness. By staying informed, prepared, and in compliance with the guidelines outlined here, we collectively uphold the values of care, accountability, and curiosity that define the MICA experience. We encourage all travelers to approach their journeys with open minds, thoughtful planning, and a commitment to safety—for themselves and for the communities they engage with along the way.

Read the full policy on the Institutional Policies page

Students studying abroad through MICA must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Sophomore standing at the time of program participation is required, unless otherwise approved.

• Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA for semester programming. GPA requirements for non-semester programs may vary from program to program.

• Good financial standing with MICA.

• Completion of all application materials by the deadline.

SEMESTER PROGRAMS: You will be charged by MICA for regular MICA tuition during your participation in semester programs. You must make payments in accordance with MICA's published schedule for payment of tuition. MICA tuition does not cover the costs of accommodations and meals, transportation, host institution fees (e.g., studio fee, activity fee, etc.), insurance, passport and visa fees, and personal expenses. Students do not need to pay tuition at the host institution.

NON-SEMESTER PROGRAMS: Each program will have a unique pricepoint and payment structure.  Please work closely with the program administrators to understand the expectations and timelines.

You are expected to obtain insurance coverage valid in the host location to protect against the costs of hospitalization and physician care in the event of sickness, accident, disability, and death resulting therefrom, and to offset expenses of unexpected emergency evacuation and possible repatriation. It is recommended that you also purchase insurance to cover trip cancellation and loss of property. Students are solely responsible for obtaining said insurance.

Please note that upon returning to the USA, most study abroad insurance policies are no longer in effect. In case of injury or serious illness resulting in the need to return to the US for treatment, you will also need to have coverage that is effective in the US. Therefore, we strongly advise that students maintain a US health insurance policy while abroad in addition to a policy that covers needs specific to study abroad.

If you are offered approval to participate in the program to which you have applied and subsequently decide to withdraw, you must notify MICA's Global Education Office. 

Before the program begins

Please be aware that if you accept an offer of admission to a program, deposits and/or advance payments related to your participation may be required by the affiliated institution(s). A student who withdraws voluntarily at any time after accepting admission or if a student's acceptance to the program is rescinded, the student will be charged via her/his MICA student account for any unrecoverable deposits and/or advance payments made on the student's behalf. If a student withdraws at any time after accepting an offer of admission, the student remains individually responsible for any financial obligations due to an affiliated institution or to MICA.

After the program begins

The program begins on the date of the first scheduled activity for which attendance is required (or the official start date of the host institution's term, whichever is earlier). After that date, any adjustment of billed tuition and fees due to involuntary or voluntary withdrawal can be made only as approved by MICA and in accordance with the published MICA policy on refunds. The student must satisfy all financial obligations due the host institution abroad before any refund may be made.

Any decisions a student might make after the program has begun and while the program is in operation regarding her/his individual participation and continuation in the program are personal and students are individually responsible for a personal decision to withdraw from a program or return home early. There can be no guarantee of credit should a student withdraw from a program before the completion of scheduled instruction and examinations.

Students must also notify the host institution or program provider of the decision to withdraw following the guidelines set forth by the program. The student should also contact his/her academic advisor about the decision to return to MICA for the semester and to ensure that all holds are removed from the student's account to register for MICA classes. If the student receives any type of financial assistance, he or she must also notify the Financial Aid office of the decision to return to MICA. Students should be aware that courses available to them for the semester may be limited due to the late date of their subsequent registration.

While researching and applying to study abroad, all students are responsible for working with their academic advisor and department chair to understand how the course credit from study abroad will fulfill degree requirements and to obtain the required course approvals on the Study Abroad Course Approval Form.

Students are required to seek approval for courses they intend to take abroad as part of the application process. The process is discussed at length during required group advising sessions. In addition, instructions can be found on the Course Approval Form. Many students will know their course schedules ahead of time, but students on certain direct exchange programs may not know their schedules until they arrive abroad. Therefore, we advise students to have as many potential courses as possible pre-approved, which will provide maximum flexibility when finalizing the schedule once abroad.

All students are advised to document carefully and thoroughly all of the work they do abroad and to keep copies of all syllabi, coursework, papers, and exams in case these are needed upon their return to MICA. If works completed abroad are too large or fragile to ship home, students should document these works through photographs or a similar means.

Note that department chairs can also email International Education directly in place of signing the Study Abroad Course Approval Form if a student's courses change when they arrive abroad. Although International Education still needs a completed Course Approval Form by the application deadline, this form will serve as a list of courses a student intends to take abroad and a blueprint for what they will need in order to graduate.

To obtain email 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 should copy the Study Abroad Advisor of International Education on all emails pertaining to course approvals. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that International Education has a copy of all course approvals in writing and that any e-mail approval requests they send to chairs address all of the same information as the Study Abroad Course Approval Form. Students should also keep copies of course approvals for their own records.

Students may not receive credit for courses that were originally taken at MICA.

Students must be registered through MICA's Global Education Office for study abroad/away status to be eligible to earn credit toward their MICA degree from a program abroad/away.

Specifically, students must:

• Attend an approved study abroad program through MICA's Office of International Education.

• Obtain approval for courses abroad from the appropriate MICA department chair(s) using the Study Abroad Course Approval Form.

• Receive a D or above to receive credit.

• Arrange to have an official transcript sent directly from the host institution to MICA's Global Education Office.

Grades will be assigned by the host institution based on host institution policies. Passing grades earned during study abroad are not included in a student's MICA grade point average, and only the credit values are recorded on the MICA transcript. Students must receive a "D" or above in order to obtain credit for courses taken abroad. 

MICA's Global Education Office must receive an official transcript directly from the student's host institution in order to evaluate and record study abroad credit. Please note that it may take up to several months for some host institutions to finalize and mail transcripts to MICA.

Unlike MICA faculty, instructors at institutions abroad are usually not obliged to report grades within a limited time frame. Therefore, official transcripts from some host institutions may take several months to reach MICA and MICA has no power to influence that process.

If MICA does not receive a student's transcript as required, the student may risk his/her enrollment ranking and/or graduation date. If a host institution does not issue transcripts, students must have the institution send a certificate of attendance or diploma indicating the courses taken and a written evaluation of work completed.

Students must choose MICA sponsored programs. Students who do not receive approval through MICA's Global Education Office for semester study abroad and/or who take a leave of absence will not receive credit at MICA for courses taken abroad during that leave, even if the student attends a MICA affiliated program. This includes international students who may return to their home country and take classes at an institution there.

Students are required to observe all academic and disciplinary regulations in effect at the host institution which may differ significantly from that of MICA. Students are also advised that they are subject to any consequences as set by the host institution for breaking with conduct policy.

Misconduct will be referred to MICA's Office of Student Affairs. Students are expected to comply with MICA's and the host school's rules, standards and instructions for student behavior.