Categories:

• Researching MICA's Graduate Community

• Admissions

• International Applications

• Financing Graduate Education

Researching MICA's Graduate Community

Can I visit campus?

The Office of Graduate Admission encourages all potential applicants to visit campus. Visits are available by appointment, and special visit opportunities (like the Graduate Open House) are also available. If you can't make it to campus, consider attending an online information session or one of the National Portfolio Day events or an in-person information session. The Office of Graduate Admission also conducts Online Information Sessions for prospective students who cannot visit campus. A full list of upcoming events is available on our Connect with MICA page. 

Can I meet with faculty?

Faculty are not available during campus visits due to their commitments to current students. However, faculty do represent their programs at the Graduate Open House--this is best opportunity to interact with graduate faculty members in person.

Do you offer portfolio reviews?

Portfolio reviews are not available during campus visits, but the Office of Graduate Admission does attend the National Portfolio Day events with alumni representatives. In September and October, select faculty participate in the Online Graduate Portfolio Review, an opportunity to submit work online for short feedback from graduate program directors themselves.

Do you offer on-campus housing for graduate students?

A limited amount of on-campus housing is available for graduate students (approximately 20 beds). Graduate students receive private bedrooms in apartment-style housing with 1 to 3 roommates. When completing the online application, be sure to indicate your interest in on-campus housing if you would like to receive more information.

Admissions

How can I apply after the deadline has passed?

Certain programs do accept applications after their published deadline. For a full list of updated program deadlines, click here.

Should I apply early?

The Graduate Review Committee does not begin reviewing materials until after the priority deadline, so there is no particular advantage to submitting an application early. Certain programs offer secondary deadlines. In that case, submitting your application as soon after the priority deadline is recommended for priority scholarship and admission consideration.

Do you offer Spring admission?

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Fine Art program considers applicants for spring admission provided studio space is available. Post-Baccalaureate spring applications are accepted from September 1 through November 15 on a rolling basis. However, no other graduate programs are able to offer spring admission.

Can I apply to multiple programs?

Admission offers are made on a program-by-program basis: it is not possible to ‘double major' or simultaneously enroll in multiple programs. For example, if you apply to Hoffberger and Mount Royal, you will receive two separate notifications, one from each program.

Can I study part-time?

Each graduate program at MICA has a set structure: full-time, low-residency or part-time online. Students are required to abide by their program's structure. Most MICA programs are full-time. On the list of programs, low-residency and part-time online programs are identified in parenthetical after the program name.

What application materials should I send in hardcopy?

Most application materials are submitted online through SlideRoom, including letters of recommendation and unofficial digital transcripts, which are used for the initial review. Candidates may be asked to submit hard copies of transcripts later in the process. International and non-native English speakers must submit the TOEFL or IELTS score in hardcopy.

Do I need to wait for my recommenders to submit their letters to SlideRoom before submitting my application?

No. You'll input your recommenders contact information when creating your application in SlideRoom and they will receive an email with additional instructions for completing their recommendation. While it is a good idea to let your letter writers know that they will be receiving an email from SlideRoom, you do not need to wait for them to complete the recommendation before you submit your application.

Do you require specific test scores, a certain GPA or kinds of degrees?

In most cases, no. Non-native English speakers are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score, and MBA/MA applicants are required to submit a GRE or GMAT score. The Teaching (MAT) program has unique academic pre-requisites. However, graduate study at MICA does not require applicants to have earned a specific type of bachelors degree or have maintained a certain GPA. Be sure to review the procedures and guidelines for your program of interest to verify exact requirements.

Can I re-use materials from a previous application?

No. We ask candidates to re-upload unofficial transcripts to their new application. You are also asked to re-request letters of recommendation. Your recommenders may use the same letter, a new request must be made.

Do you conduct admission interviews?

Most programs conduct a version of admission interviews, ranging from formal in-person conversations to less formal telephone interviews. The interview process generally takes place in February and March. It is very important to note that not all finalists are interviewed: if you are not contacted about interviewing with graduate faculty, that is not an indication of your final decision.

When will I be notified of MICA's decision?

Decisions are released as soon after the scholarship juries as possible. In general, you can expect to receive your official notification via post in mid-March. International candidates and candidates with an overseas address will receive email notification of their decision.

If accepted, can I defer study for a year? In general, deferral requests are discouraged. However, graduate program directors do consider deferral requests on a case-by-case basis. A written request must be made to the program director. The Office of Graduate Admission cannot guarantee that deferral requests will be approved.

International Students

Are there special application requirements for international students?

All non-native English speakers are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores to demonstrate English proficiency. If you are a non-native English speaker, but English was your medium of instruction (indicated on your academic transcript), the TOEFL/IELTS requirement is waived. If you have completed more than 2 years of degree work at an English language institution, the TOEFL requirement is also waived. Additional materials are required for the I-20 application, but they should not be sent until after you have been notified of your admission status.

Do you offer conditional TOEFL/IELTS admission?

Unfortunately, no. All international applicants are required to satisfy the TOEFL/IELTS requirement prior to enrollment.

What percentage of MICA's graduate school is international?

Currently, about 20% of MICA's graduate community is made up of international students.

Are there special awards for international students?

The Office of Graduate Admission does not offer special awards for international students. As a private college, we are able to consider both international and domestic students equally for scholarship funding.

Financing Graduate Education

How much is tuition?

Visit the Graduate Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid page for more information on costs by program. The costs reflected on that page will be for the current academic year. Updated tuition for the following year will be released in February.

Do you offer scholarships?

The Office of Graduate Admission is pleased to consider all applicants for merit-based scholarship funding. No additional materials are required: by applying for a graduate program, you are applying for scholarship consideration. We are able to offer most candidates some form of scholarship funding, usually ranging between about 15% and 60% of tuition. Admitted candidates will be notified of their scholarship award at the same time as their acceptance.

Do you offer any full-tuition awards?

The Office of Graduate Admission is not able to offer full tuition awards. In order to maximize scholarship offerings for as many students as possible, the largest award is generally around 60% of tuition.

Do you offer additional financial aid?

Domestic applicants should complete the FAFSA form to be considered for federal financial aid. The most common form of aid for graduate students is student loans, which most MICA students rely on to fund their education. There are agencies and financial institutions that will issue loans to international students, as well. The Office of Graduate Admission recommends researching other scholarship and grant opportunities early in the admission process.

Can I work as a teaching assistant or find other on-campus employment?

The Office of Graduate Studies offers G.T.I. (Teaching Internship) positions to most graduate students. The positions are non-competitive, but your program director's approval is required. Due to curricular demands, some programs limit the G.T.I. work available to students. G.T.I. positions offer a small stipend of approximately $800 per class per semester. Unlike T.A. positions at larger colleges and universities, G.T.I.'s do not teach a full section of an undergraduate class. As a result, the time commitment is approximately 8 hours per week. Other competitive on-campus positions exist as well, and are offered at Graduate Orientation prior to the start of the semester. While Graduate Studies works to offer as many employment opportunities as possible, students are generally not able to cover the full cost of tuition and expenses with just scholarship and on-campus employment.