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Orientation & Timeline
Finance
Before You Arrive
Living & Eating on Campus
Curriculum
International
FAQ & Contact
New Student Resource Guide
New Student Resource Guide
Orientation & Timeline
Orientation for new First Year students will be held August 20 - August 24.
Specific Orientation Programming for Transfer Students will be held August 23. Transfer Students are welcome to attend August 20 - August 21!
Each Orientation will have two required components: an asynchronous, online experience that you will complete on your own time before classes begin, and synchronous, in-person orientation that you will attend with your peers.
Your Orientation experience will be tailored based upon your student status.
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May 31: Housing Application due
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Week of June 9: Housing Assignments posted
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July 9: Online Orientation Course (Canvas) launches
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July 15: Housing Exemption Form due
- July 31: Health History form due
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August 1: Tuition Payment Due
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August 1: Academic or housing accommodation requests due
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August 1: Housing Move In Appointments Open
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August 8: Due Date to submit your photo for MICA ID
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August 14: Final date of housing agreement changes
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August 21: Due Date for Online Orientation Canvas Course Completion
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August 20: New First Year and Transfer Student Move-In
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August 20 - August 24: New First Year and Transfer Student Orientation
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August 25: Classes begin
- August 29: Last Day to Lower a Meal Plan
- September 12: Last Day to Waive Health Insurance
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September 1: Holiday; college closed
Finance
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:
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Bill payment questions and concerns
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Signing up for payment plans
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Placing money onto MICARDS, aka the "Flex Account"
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Obtaining reimbursement checks for those students with excessive Financial Aid and/or Private and Grad PLUS loans
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Signing up for meals plans
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Purchasing MICA Health Insurance (Student Affairs can waive MICA health insurance. Students can purchase with the Student Accounts office.)
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
Before You Arrive
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:
- Tetanus and Diphtheria: Tdap within the last 10 years
- Measles, mumps, and rubella: vaccination dates (2 doses) or positive blood lab titers
- Varicella (Chickenpox): vaccination dates (2 doses) or positive blood lab titers
- Meningococcal Quadrivalent (ACWY) vaccine date (1 dose) or waiver for all students living in on- campus housing. Students will not be allowed to enter the on-campus housing until proof of meningitis vaccination or a medical/religious waiver is received.
- Tuberculosis Screening (TB): Mandatory tuberculosis screening for all students. If you answer “Yes” to any of the online screening questions, you will need to print off the Tuberculosis Clinical Assessment form and have it completed. signed by your healthcare provider and reuploaded back into Medicat.
- Health History Form: Provide information regarding medical history, allergies, and medications.
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. Photo submissions are due by Friday, August 8th.
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO
Living & Eating on Campus
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.
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. Tel: 410-225-2202, Fax: 410-462-0161, postalandprint@mica.edu
Curriculum
If you are entering MICA as a first-time/first-year college student, you’ll be working with Chris Kiehne, our First Year Experience Academic Advisor, to develop your first semester’s schedule. Starting June 1st, once your MICA account has been activated, you’ll receive a registration tutorial and an invitation to sign up for one of the group advising sessions that Chris will be hosting throughout the summer. During those 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. After attending a group advising session, you will have the opportunity to meet with Chris individually, should you want to discuss your first year coursework further.
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.
Mission:
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.
International
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.
Learn about:
- International Student Guide
- Documents needed to create your I-20
- Applying for your F-1 visa
- Arriving at MICA
- Life at MICA
Please review these frequently asked questions for newly admitted and deferred students. For more information, please visit the newly admitted international students page.
FAQ & Contact
Still looking for answers? Here are the top questions from incoming students
Learn More
Accessibility & Disability Services
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 Writing Studio
The Writing Studio offers one-on-one tutoring sessions and instructional resources designed to bolster the written and verbal communication skills of students.
Health and Wellness
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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