SUMMER 2026 PROGRAM DATES: JUNE 2 TO JUNE 29, 2026

• APPLICATION AND NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15, 2026
• APPLICATION TO OPEN NOVEMBER 1, 2025
• PROGRAM SYLLABUS

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

In this interdisciplinary liberal arts program, you’ll have the chance to examine historic national pavilions in the Biennale Gardens, engage with the work of dozens of prominent contemporary artists (including Yto Barrada, Lubaina Himid, and Ei Arakawa-Nash) in the Giardini and the Arsenale, interrogate the logic of leading curators, weigh the assessments of art critics, and develop your own critical positions in response. And two onsite MICA faculty members will offer personal support during each step of your journey.

In addition to investigating the history and current form of the Biennale, we will seek out collateral events, projects, and installations throughout seductive, labyrinthine Venice. You will tour Peggy Guggenheim’s jewel-like collection of modern art, the creatively curated Mario Fortuny Museum, the François Pinault Collection, and the Prada Foundation, gaining insights into the international art scene embedded in Venice. As you visit the Murano glass industry, the dramatic mosaic of the Last Judgment in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, and Giotto’s Arena Chapel, you will practice a form of art-historical analysis rooted in direct observation. Over the course of four weeks, too, you’ll absorb the myriad sights and sounds of contemporary Venice, a favorite destination of cosmopolitan travelers for centuries. 

Most class meetings will be held onsite, in galleries, palaces, city squares, and the shady green spaces of the Giardini; those lessons will be supplemented with occasional classroom lectures and discussions. Local experts, curators, art historians, and artists will provide special insights, and day trips to nearby towns such as Padua and Ferrara will offer a chance to explore Italy’s rich historical and artistic cultures from several angles.

Moreover, you’ll live on the beautiful, breezy island of San Servolo, just ten minutes away from the historic Piazza San Marco. Fully equipped with wireless connections, an affordable cafeteria, luxurious grounds, and access to the nearby Lido beaches, San Servolo provides a wonderful and relaxing balance to the rigorous, academic side of this program.

ABOUT THE FACULTY

Jennie Hirsh (jhirsh@mica.edu) has taught modern and contemporary art history at MICA since 2007. Co-editor of Contemporary Art and Classical Myth (2011) and Ventriloquism, Performance, and Contemporary Art (2023), she has published numerous essays on modern and contemporary Italian art, architecture, and cinema, and is currently completing a monograph on painter and writer Giorgio de Chirico. She has directed MICA’s program in Venice since 2009, and has lived and taught in various cities in Italy for the past 30 years. She holds a BA in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Italian Studies from Middlebury College, and an MA focused on Italian Renaissance Art as well as a PhD in the History of Modern and Contemporary art from Bryn Mawr College.

Kerr Houston (khouston@mica.edu) has taught art history, theory, and criticism at MICA since 2002, and has served as an instructor with the summer Venice program since 2013. In his scholarship, he focuses mainly on Renaissance visual culture, but he also writes regularly on contemporary art and art criticism. He’s the author of two books, An Introduction to Art Criticism (2012) and The Place of the Viewer (2019), and numerous articles, and is a regular contributor to BmoreArt. He holds a PhD in the History of Art from Yale University, and in working with students in Venice, he seeks to combine a spirit of shared inquiry and constructive critical analysis with a close attention to the city's rich artistic legacies.

PROGRAM FEES

TBA.  The program fee (which does not include international airfare, travelers' insurance, incidentals, and personal expenses) includes tuition for 6 undergraduate credits (total) in Art History or 3 in Art History and 3 in Humanistic Studies, housing for the duration of the program, and some meals. Some programs do not provide meals—please consult the program's coordinator for further details.

All MICA faculty-led programs are self-funded and require student participation to operate. After an exhaustive application cycle, if the required number of students enrolled in the program is not met, the Office of International Education reserves the right to cancel the program at any time. Students should never buy airfare or plan to travel to the host country until instructed to do so by the Office of International Education or the faculty program coordinator.

NON-REFUNDABLE COMMITMENT DEPOSIT

After acceptance into the program, a $300 non-refundable deposit is required, and this fee cannot be waived. It's important to note that this deposit is non-refundable. Upon acceptance, students will receive an email outlining the next steps in the official matriculation process, including submitting the non-refundable deposit via Nelnet, MICA's preferred online payment service. In partnership with MICA Student Accounts, Nelnet offers payment plan options to help students and their families pay for their MICA faculty-led summer program in monthly installments. Please consult MICA Student Accounts for more details.

Accepted students will also receive regular, critical follow-up emails with instructions for completing their official matriculation into the program. Students must check their MICA emails regularly throughout the remainder of the semester for essential communications from faculty and study abroad staff. MICA Global Pathways programs are self-funded and require sufficient enrollment to operate. If the program receives more applications than required, the Office of International Education reserves the right to create and manage a waitlist.

CANCELLATION POLICY

We ask that all applicants carefully consider and commit to participate or not shortly after being accepted to the program. Students should be financially prepared to cover the entire program and travel expenses out of pocket, regardless of whether they receive a need-based scholarship. There is no guarantee of receiving a scholarship; even if awarded, it will only cover a small percentage of the total cost.

On Wednesday, February 28, a non-refundable acceptance deposit of $300 will be due in Nelnet, along with the student's total commitment to participate. Applicants who have submitted the $300 deposit will have until Friday, February 27, 2024, to cancel without penalty. After that, the Office of International Education will begin making payments on each student's behalf to international and domestic program and service vendors (e.g., student residences, transportation, excursions, museum passes, materials) once students have been accepted into the program. 

Refund amounts are at the sole discretion of the Office of International Education in consultation with MICA Student Accounts and Financial Aid. If a student withdraws their application after Thursday, February 29, they will be responsible for a $300 withdrawal penalty (the non-refundable program deposit) and any costs incurred or committed on their behalf. All applicants will sign an agreement acknowledging this policy in the program application. For further inquiries about this policy or to withdraw an application before the deadline, email Mike Rini at mrini@mica.edu.

We ask that all applicants carefully consider and make a commitment to participate or not shortly after being accepted to the program. Students should be financially prepared to cover the entire program and travel expenses out of pocket, regardless of whether they receive a need-based scholarship. There is no guarantee of receiving a scholarship, and even if awarded, it will only cover a small percentage of the total cost. On Wednesday, February 28, a non-refundable acceptance deposit of $300 will be due in Nelnet, along with the student's total commitment to participate. Applicants who have submitted the $300 deposit will have until Thursday, February 29, 2024, to cancel without penalty. After that, the Office of International Education will start making payments on each student's behalf to international and domestic program and service vendors (e.g., student residence, transportation, excursions, museum passes, materials) once students have been accepted to the program. Refund amounts are at the sole discretion of the Office of International Education. If a student withdraws their application after Thursday, February 29, they will be responsible for a $300 withdrawal penalty (the non-refundable program deposit) and any or all costs that may have been spent or committed on their behalf. For further inquiries or to withdraw an application before the deadline, email Mike Rini at mrini@mica.edu.

We ask that all applicants carefully consider and make a commitment to participate or not shortly after being accepted to the program. Students should be financially prepared to cover the entire program and travel expenses out of pocket, regardless of whether they receive a need-based scholarship. There is no guarantee of receiving a scholarship, and even if awarded, it will only cover a small percentage of the total cost. On Wednesday, February 28, a non-refundable acceptance deposit of $300 will be due in Nelnet, along with the student's total commitment to participate. Applicants who have submitted the $300 deposit will have until Thursday, February 29, 2024, to cancel without penalty. After that, the Office of International Education will start making payments on each student's behalf to international and domestic program and service vendors (e.g., student residence, transportation, excursions, museum passes, materials) once students have been accepted to the program. Refund amounts are at the sole discretion of the Office of International Education. If a student withdraws their application after Thursday, February 29, they will be responsible for a $300 withdrawal penalty (the non-refundable program deposit) and any or all costs that may have been spent or committed on their behalf. For further inquiries or to withdraw an application before the deadline, email Mike Rini at mrini@mica.edu.

We ask that all applicants carefully consider and make a commitment to participate or not shortly after being accepted to the program. Students should be financially prepared to cover the entire program and travel expenses out of pocket, regardless of whether they receive a need-based scholarship. There is no guarantee of receiving a scholarship, and even if awarded, it will only cover a small percentage of the total cost. On Wednesday, February 28, a non-refundable acceptance deposit of $300 will be due in Nelnet, along with the student's total commitment to participate. Applicants who have submitted the $300 deposit will have until Thursday, February 29, 2024, to cancel without penalty. After that, the Office of International Education will start making payments on each student's behalf to international and domestic program and service vendors (e.g., student residence, transportation, excursions, museum passes, materials) once students have been accepted to the program. Refund amounts are at the sole discretion of the Office of International Education. If a student withdraws their application after Thursday, February 29, they will be responsible for a $300 withdrawal penalty (the non-refundable program deposit) and any or all costs that may have been spent or committed on their behalf. For further inquiries or to withdraw an application before the deadline, email Mike Rini at mrini@mica.edu.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship opportunities are available to need-based undergraduate applicants in all majors. At this time, there are no need-based scholarships available for graduate students. The scholarship application is available in the program's application, and students can choose to apply for or decline a need-based scholarship. Additional scholarships are offered through professional and external organizations supporting study abroad, which can be found here. Please pay attention to external scholarship deadlines,  requirements, and disbursement timelines related to committing to this program.  External scholarship deadlines and decision timelines may not align with this program's timeline.  In short, the Office of International Education cannot wait to learn whether a student has been awarded a scholarship outside MICA and how it will impact a student's decision to commit to or withdraw from this program.

Note: Applying for a MICA need-based scholarship does not automatically mean a student will be awarded one; scholarships are competitive and are based on a compelling scholarship statement submitted by the student as part of the program application. Award amounts for Global Pathways programs are not intended to cover the prospective student's entire program fee, including airfare, transportation, and on-site activities. However, these scholarships are being offered to help students and their families subsidize only a part of the total costs associated with their program, providing valuable support. All prospective applicants should be prepared to cover the full cost of their summer study abroad program from the outset if they are not awarded a need-based scholarship. The scholarship application deadline is February 15, 2025. For more information about  program applications and scholarships, contact Mike Rini in the Office of International Education at mrini@mica.edu

QUESTIONS?

Contact Program Coordinator Jennie Hirsh at jhirsh@mica.edu. For more information on how to apply or to inquire about need-based scholarships, contact Mike Rini, Associate Director of Education Abroad:  mrini@mica.edu.

                              APPLICATION TO OPEN NOVEMBER 1, 2025