To ensure your success in the program, students will meet virtually for a 1-day orientation where they will meet administrative staff, learn more about student services and success initiatives, and engage in community building with their cohort. In addition, students will complete an asynchronous orientation course in Canvas as a means to introduce them to the navigation of MICA’s administrative tools as well as inform them of academic services available through MICA. The content and assignments in the orientation course are designed to be an introduction to the program as well as a resource throughout the students' time at MICA.

Business planning, business models, and common business terms and practices, regardless of the business industry, are the focus of this course. Students define key elements of a business plan and begin to develop a small business framework for their start-up, growth, or diversification plan. Students start to imagine a small business concept through discussions and assignments related to market research, value proposition, business missions/visions, and financial planning. Additionally, students identify concepts around entrepreneurship, including individual student strengths and weaknesses, core values and drive, resiliency, company and product/service story, and the demands of small business ownership. Throughout the course, students will be expected to apply what they learn to their own business idea in development.

In this course students study the management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and operating a business. Students will learn current techniques used to improve productivity and morale/employee training and development. In addition, this course reviews service and product business models, how to set goals and objectives, and how to create a mission statement. Students also apply management principles to scenarios in art or design that entrepreneurs and/or managers encounter as they attempt to achieve organizational objectives. By studying core issues of leadership including risk-taking, initiative, storytelling, and relationship building, students implement strategies for managing and leading a creative business.

Students define and describe entity structures and the tax implications of each. Students also study personal and business tax returns, how to keep accurate accounting systems needed to develop tax returns, and how different accounting methods affect tax bottom lines. Additionally, students identify the resources needed to set up accounting systems for estimating, organizing, and optimizing the tax efficiency of a small creative business. In navigating the complexities of small business creation and set-up, students compare and contrast the differences between local, state, and federal treatment of taxes as well as the multi-state tax issues that can affect small creative businesses.

In this course students will learn the nuts and bolts of business operations. A good network of advisors and team members expert in matters, like accounting, human resources and legal is key in running a successful business. A basic understanding of these core concepts will enable a business owner, director, or entrepreneur’s ability to interpret and apply counsel from expert advisors. In addition to gaining knowledge of these and other operational topics, students will grow their network and connect with industry professionals in various fields.

This course provides students with an understanding of market research, why it is essential, and how to do it. Students will learn how to develop a hypothesis and explore different methods of conducting market research — including focus groups, surveys, and competitive analyses — as a means to prove or modify the hypothesis. Students will learn how to interpret and analyze research results, turn insights from results into marketing recommendations, and finally construct a compelling narrative to present to stakeholders. Application of skills, methods, and strategies to the small business setting vis-à-vis broader industry will be considered throughout the course.

This course provides students with a foundational understanding of how to acquire and manage money, as well as how to read, plan, and make decisions based on financial statements. Students recognize managerial accounting and finance concepts, tools, and techniques and create the four basic financial statements: income statement, statement of retained earnings, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. In addition, students make interpretations from financial statement data, including taking risks, making predictions, and presenting key financial statement items.

Students in this course navigate the complexities of the modern marketing/social media system. Students investigate why marketing is essential and how it performs. They also execute a concept, integrate knowledge from the Market Research course, identify a target audience, and propose plans for pricing, promoting, as well as distributing ideas, goods, and services. Additionally, students will define and design ideas around personal selling, working with agents and representatives, refining product/services advantages and messaging, writing proposals, networking, and completing an action plan. This course will additionally consider how social media applies to art and design marketing, and how to develop a strategy for social media marketing efforts that encourage consumer engagement.

This weekend-long experience is designed to have you implement the concepts, methods, and strategies learned thus far in the program. You will network with industry professionals, collaborate with your cohort and faculty, experiment with technologies and applications in workshop settings to create visualizations, listen to experts and gain insight into design trends and strategies. Two elective sessions will be offered across all three MPS residencies to enable you to meet, learn from, and network with peers in UX Design, Business of Art and Design, and Product Management sections.

This course guides students through the process of creating their individual business plan as a capstone project. Students will develop business plans that are comprehensive documents for their business concept, growth, or diversification plans, including an executive summary, company and product/service description, market analysis, strategies and sales, operations management, funding request, management, and projections. Students prepare a pitch deck that provides an overview of their business plan and present their work to a panel of industry professionals to culminate the project and program.

Students end their program by virtually presenting their capstone project. These presentations, which include an elevator pitch and investor deck, are shared with a panel of individuals representing the business sector. Students attend each other’s presentations and participate in meaningful critiques based on criteria and guidelines provided.