Orientation & Timeline
Finance
Before You Arrive
Living & Eating on Campus
Curriculum
International
FAQ & Contact
Orientation for new First Year, Transfer, and Exchange students will be held Saturday, January 17th, 2026.
Move-in day for students living On-Campus is Friday, January 16th at 10am.
Orientation will have two required components:
Orientation Canvas: an asynchronous, online experience that you will complete on your own time before classes begin. You will receive an invitation to the canvas course the week of December 1st and will have until Orientation starts to complete the required modules and take the final quiz.
Review and confirm scholarship and financial aid offer on the Student Service Center once your MICA email & password are active.
Sign The Agreement
The Office of Student Account Services 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:
A new invoice is available for you to view on your MICA Portal. 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, 2025. 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 (more are listed below in the Payment Options section).
If you have any questions, spot an error, or would like to discuss your billing statement, please give us a call at 410.225.2356 or email us 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.
More Information
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. If you don’t receive the email, please reach out to:
More Information
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. This image should be one you’re enthusiastic about – you’ll use it during the duration of your time at MICA. Please complete this form by January 9, 2026.
All first-year and second-year students are required to reside within MICA Housing unless otherwise approved through the exemption process. To sign up for housing at MICA, each student must make a housing deposit and submit a housing application.
More Information
Undergraduate First Year Experience students living on campus will automatically be enrolled in the 150 meal plan unless they select the 200 meal plan. Undergraduate Second Year students living on campus will automatically be enrolled in the 75 meal plan unless they select the 100, 150 or 200 meal plan.
Review Meal Plan Options
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. Residence Hall Package Rooms (at Founders’, Meyerhoff and Gateway) open Monday-Friday, 12:00 pm-4:30 pm during the regular fall and spring semesters.
Tel: 410-225-2202, Fax: 410-462-0161, Email: postalandprint@mica.edu
Every MICA student is assigned an academic advisor upon arrival at the college. Your advisor will help you plan, brainstorm, and problem-solve your way to graduation... and it all begins with the development of your first semester schedule. Once your MICA account has been activated you’ll receive an email from your advisor including a registration tutorial and an invitation to sign up for an advising session. During these sessions you’ll learn more about the First Year Experience curriculum, review options for your schedule, and receive instructions on how to navigate MICA’s registration system.
If you are a newly admitted transfer student, you’ll be working with Tru Ludwig, our Transfer Advising Specialist. Tru collaborates with Undergraduate Admission to evaluate your prior credits and determine how these will be applied toward your degree requirements at MICA. Tru will contact you shortly after your MICA account has been activated to schedule an individual advising session, during which you’ll review your degree plan and develop your schedule.
MICA’s First Year Experience (FYE) is designed to provide an integrated curriculum and foundational education supporting the diversity of our community and various learning pathways. Through a comprehensive learning experience that includes research, ideation, fabrication, exploration, and critique, individual voices are honored while building community, defining one’s roles and responsibilities as artists and designers. In addition, the program assists students by offering a year-long robust and dynamic instruction to help develop art and design skills and prepare them for upper-level majors, minors, and programs that support integrative education across the Undergraduate Studies (UGS) at MICA.
The MICA First Year Experience provides a rigorous and supportive learning environment for first-year students. Foundational instruction will develop personal inquiry and practical and conceptual skills in art and design to prepare students for integrative and creative work in upper-level majors, minors, and programs across UGS. In working with MICA's mission, the FYE program promotes holistic education and creativity enriched by the community, collaboration, and social and environmental responsibility.
Liberal Arts at MICA is a vibrant learning and research community. There are two departments within Liberal Arts: Humanistic Studies and the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture. Students begin the Liberal Arts curriculum with HMST 101 Ways of Writing and AH 101 Modernisms. Students can enroll in either one in their first semester, taking the other in their second semester.
As students progress through Liberal Arts classes, they will choose from a wide array of classes designed to enrich their artistic practice. Students who would define themselves as intellectually curious and research-inspired may decide to major in Art History or double major in Humanistic Studies and a Studio major.
All MICA students work towards a guaranteed liberal arts major of their choosing without taking any additional credits. In their first semester, the minor will be listed as Liberal Arts, while some students may decide to focus on a specific area of study for their minor such as American Studies, Curatorial Studies, English Language Studies, Gender Studies, Global and Intercultural Exchange, History and Politics, Media and Visual Culture, Narratives and Storytelling, the Natural and Built Environment, Religion and Philosophy, Society and Culture, or Teaching Preparation. The Liberal Arts minor is designed to augment and enhance the student’s studio major and will not preclude them from pursuing studio minors.
For students with writing anxiety or lower confidence in their writing skills, the Liberal Arts faculty are prepared to meet them where they are, working closely with MICA's Writing Studio to provide individualized and professional instruction.
MICA offers several sections of the first year requirements 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, ewagenheim@mica.edu or discuss the opportunity with your advisor.
MICA also offers a 3 week online program, Jumpstart English, for students who would like the opportunity to polish their English language skills before the semester begins. Learn more about the class here.
The Office of International Education is committed to supporting the needs of MICA's newly admitted international students.
Please review these frequently asked questions for newly admitted and deferred students. For more information, please visit the newly admitted international students page.
Still looking for answers? Here are the top questions from incoming students
Learn More
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.
The Office of Student Academic Success at MICA 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 Writing Studio offers one-on-one tutoring sessions and instructional resources designed to bolster the written and verbal communication skills of students.
The Health & Wellness Center is home to the Fitness Center, Student Health Services, Counseling Center, Health Promotion and Campus Safety offices.
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