Orientation & Timeline
Before You Arrive
Campus Life
Baltimore
International Students
MICA Resources
Graduate Orientation will begin at 8:00 am on August 18 with programming throughout the week. Registration is required by August 3 to verify your intent to enroll.
Orientation for new residential MFA and MA Graduate students will be held from August 18 – August 23.
Registration is required by August 3 to verify your intent to enroll. REGISTER HERE!
Click here to view the 2026 Fall Graduate Orientation Snapshot.
Activation information for your new MICA user account will be sent to your personal email with the subject: MICA Account Claim. To activate your account, follow the directions in the email. Once completed, you will gain access to the MICA portal as well as your MICA email account. Please reach out to MICA's Help Desk at help@mica.edu for assistance.
The Office of Student Academic Success is available to assist you in the registration process to maximize your curricular experience and complete your degree requirements. Registration opens on June 1 for all new graduate students.
Graduate Directors are also available for advice or direction regarding course selections.
Use the below link to access registration instructions, the schedule of courses, and specific degree plan requirements.
Student Academic Success: success@mica.edu
Students are required to submit a Health History form and documentation of all MICA required vaccinations by July 31.
REQUIRED immunizations and screening:
Login to the MICA Medicat Student Health portal, using your MICA credentials, to document, complete, and upload all required health forms and vaccination information.
Visit the Health Center's webpage for more information regarding on-campus health services.
Before you arrive on campus, you’ll need to submit a photo for your MICA ID in the Graduate Orientation Registration form. This image should be one you’re enthusiastic about – you’ll use it during the duration of your time at MICA. A photo submission form will be shared soon.
A new invoice is will be available for you to view on your MICA Portal in early July. Go to Student Resources > Student Service Center > Finances > Invoice. The invoice and other student finance links are located in the Student Service Center area of the MICA Portal.
Your tuition and fees are due August 1, 2026. Unpaid tuition and fees after August 1 may incur a 2.5% late penalty fee. Check your mica.edu email for important updates and keep us informed if you have any difficulty making the payment deadline. We have many payment options including student loans and payment plans available that you can find below.
If you have any questions, spot an error, or would like to discuss your billing statement, please call Student Accounts at 410.225.2356 or email at studentaccounts@mica.edu. Student Accounts staff is available Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (EST) via email or phone to assist you with your account questions.
If you have questions about FAFSA or the student loan process, MICA's Graduate Financial Aid Counselor, Ina Nallbani, is available to work with you on any questions at hnallbani@mica.edu or by appointment here.
The Office of Residence Life to works with graduate students that prefer to live on-campus. Those interested in living on campus must submit a housing application by June 8.
Submit your on-campus housing application.
MICA hosts graduate students on the 6th floor of the Gateway Residence Hall, located on MICA's main campus, where undergraduate upper-class students are also hosted. Each unit houses three to four graduate students and includes private bedrooms, a shared kitchen, a shared living space, and a shared bathroom. See floor plans, photos, and a list of provided furniture.
Graduate housing cost for the Academic Year: $14,000.00
Graduate students can reside on campus over the winter holiday break for an additional fee.
When addressing packages, please follow the guidelines below:
Note: Packages will be held for 10 days, the Office of Graduate Studies will attempt to contact you, then will return them to sender.
Located in Bunting, MICA Postal & Print Services serves the business mailing and shipping needs of MICA Faculty, Staff and students as well as academic printing for classroom materials. Postal & Print provides shipping via US Mail, UPS, FedEx, and is your home for B&W and color copying services (up to 12"×18"). Postal & Print sells stamps, shipping supplies, paper and offers faxing (local, long-distance and international) and laminating services. All major credit cards, contactless pay methods, MICARD and cash are accepted.
For information about how you can send packages (all students) and letter mail (on-campus students only), please visit our website.
Postal & Print Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 am–5:00 pm, year-round, except major holidays.
Tel: 410-225-2202, Fax: 410-462-0161, Email: postalandprint@mica.edu
The Center for Student Engagement is home to more than 30 student organizations, the Student Voice Association, and a variety of programs and activities to keep students involved and gain leadership skills on campus. During your time at MICA, we encourage you to get out and supplement your classroom education with involvement experiences outside the classroom, such as being involved in a student organization.
Student Organizations & Activities
MICA offers a range of job opportunities for qualified graduate students in academic departments, research centers, and administrative offices. All MICA graduate employment opportunities are routinely under review and become available at different times throughout the year.
Students participating in the Graduate Internship Program support aspects of curriculum development, tool maintenance and safety, and undergraduate pedagogy. These funded internships greatly enrich the graduate school experience and better prepare graduate students for post-graduate professional life. The Graduate Internship Program is open to all graduate students.
Contact Carolyn Case, Graduate Internship Coordinator, at gradintern@mica.edu with any questions or register for the Graduate Teaching Internship Program virtual session on July 14.
Meal plan selection will be available to all incoming students after they are given access to their MICA.edu email address. While the majority of graduate students choose to secure their meals independently off-campus, the MICA meal plan is available to anyone interested.
Review Meal Plan Options
MICA is surrounded by unique and varied neighborhoods that provide ample off-campus housing. To get you started on your research, here are a few popular neighborhoods. When you're looking at housing, you will find that most listings are organized by neighborhood.
There are four major public transportation options in Baltimore—the local bus, Charm City Circulator, Light Rail, and Metro subway. The buses run throughout the city and into Baltimore County. Use the links here to plan your commute around Baltimore via the city's public transportation.
Baltimore Penn Station is the main inter-city passenger rail hub in Baltimore and is a 10 minute walk or 5 minute car ride away from campus. Penn Station serves multiple Amtrak routes, as well as local Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) routes, which is a commuter rail system in the Washington–Baltimore area.
The Graduate Admission team has compiled a Baltimore Google Maps List of our favorite local spots, including food, drinks, shops, sights, etc. These recommendations are not affiliated with MICA, but we hope they can act as a launchpad of places to go as you explore your soon-to-be new city!
We also recommend checking out BmoreArt, a leading resource for contemporary art and culture in the Baltimore region, to get a sense of the creative community.
MICA offers several sections that are especially designed for multilingual students and taught by language learning specialists. The sections focus on orientation to the U.S. higher education system and strategies for college-level reading, writing, and vocabulary. Students are recommended for these classes by the MICA’s ELL specialist. If you have not been recommended but would like more information about these courses, please contact Elizabeth Wagenheim at ewagenheim@mica.edu or discuss the opportunity with your advisor.
The Office of International Education is committed to supporting the needs of MICA's international students.
Please review these frequently asked questions for international students.
MICA's campus is home to over 15 student production spaces. In an age where the fundamentals—wood, canvas, paper, film, and metal—are being met with 3D printing, laser cutting, augmented reality, and more, artists require a wider array of tools than ever before. From wood shops to its digital fabrication studio to biolab to sound stage, MICA provides you with the room and tools you need to design and make whatever you can imagine.
All MICA students are welcome to use resources at the Art Tech Center, located at 1208 W Mount Royal Ave. Here you will find the MICA Help Desk and Tech Desk. Learn more about what this space offers, in addition MICA's offering of Adobe Creative Cloud to students, by watching this video.
Campus Safety officers patrol the campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Security guards and student monitors at Campus Safety desks near the entrances of most academic buildings are the eyes and ears of MICA. The Office of Campus Safety also offers transportation services and issues MICA parking passes.
MICA Transportation provides safe and convenient Evening and Shopping Shuttles for the MICA student community. The Evening Shuttle is a service that operates between campus buildings every night. This service also includes transportation from campus buildings to the off-campus homes of students who live within a limited range near the College. All services operate during the academic school year.
Station North, the neighborhood of the Lazarus Center, is mostly restricted to a two-hour time limit, metered, on-street parking. It is therefore recommended that students obtain a MICA Parking Permit.
Parking on MICA's campus requires a parking permit and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must be in a campus building while parked on campus. For more information about parking lots, parking passes, and parking policies visit here.
To obtain a parking permit, please fill out this ONLINE PERMIT REQUEST. You may pick up your permit at the Campus Safety Office at 1501 W. Mt. Royal Avenue during business hours (8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday)
The Office of Student Account Services (studentaccounts@mica.edu) welcomes you to MICA! We assist students every day in the following areas, so please feel free to drop by or call us if you ever need help with:
ADS supports students seeking disability accommodations. Students should request academic or housing accommodations no later than the first week of August to ensure that they are implemented by the start of classes.
Through research, innovation and collaborative support, the Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Career Development empowers and educates MICA students and alumni to create purposeful sustainable careers.
The mission of Decker Library is to empower MICA community members to make informed choices in their work and lives. Decker aspires to be a hub for socially engaged artists, designers, and educators in Baltimore, contributing to a more equitable world.
The Health & Wellness Center is home to the Fitness Center, Student Health Services, Counseling Center, Health Promotion, and Campus Safety offices.
The Office of Graduate Studies provides administrative and academic support for graduate programs. Grad Studies coordinates 14 of MICA's MFA and MA programs, advocating for students with the goal of ensuring excellence in the delivery of educational programs, services, and opportunities.
The Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship is a hub for MICA students & alumni to engage with programs that connect resources & training to grow creative ideas into viable businesses.
The Office of Student Academic Success is dedicated to supporting students as they navigate their unique academic paths. Through personalized guidance, inclusive resources, and skill-building opportunities, the office empowers students to strengthen their learning strategies, overcome academic challenges, and thrive creatively and intellectually.
The Student Counseling Center provides effective, high quality, readily accessible, culturally informed mental health and outreach services to MICA students.
The Writing Studio offers one-on-one tutoring sessions and instructional resources designed to bolster the written and verbal communication skills of students.
Join the MICA Graduate Student Discord Channel to connect with other new graduate students.
Find us on MICA Instagram, MICAgrad Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube
