How to Apply
First, you will need the approval and nomination of your home school. This can be done by simply asking an official from your international student exchange office to send Notification of Nomination to Mike Rini, Assistant Director of Study Abroad: mrini@mica.edu
Once you have been approved by your home institution to apply for exchange at MICA, please complete and send the following materials directly to MICA's Office of International Education, no later than the stated deadlines, below to avoid delays in processing:
• 1-page Statement of Interest.
• 1 Letter of Recommendation from a select faculty member in your major area of study
• Official or certified university transcript showing all current and prior courses and grades
• Portfolio of artwork: 15 images of your selected artwork - uploaded to Google Photos. The MICA community uses Google for our suite of communication and information sharing services. Uploading your portfolio to Google Photos will ensure ease of access for file sharing with our faculty review committees. Please use these instructions to properly upload your art portfolio to Google Photos. If you should experience any problems, please email Mike Rini, Assistant Director, Exchange Services: mrini@mica.edu
*Do not send photos one-at-a-time*. We require that you send all selected photos bundled together for the purposes of this application. Failure to do so will cause your portfolio photos to be mixed with other students' photos, and we will not be able to determine which ones are yours. This will effectively delay your application from being reviewed in a timely manner.
• Official financial documents, such as original bank statements, indicating sufficient funds of at least $10,200 USD to live in Baltimore, Maryland (please see the Exchange Student application for further details).
• Copy of the biographical page of your passport: the passport pages that include your photo and biographical information. Please check your passport now to ensure that it is current.
• Proof of English language proficiency: In accordance with new J-1 student visa requirements, prospective exchange students need to demonstrate English language proficiency, if your native language is not English. MICA requires a score result on The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 550 PBT (paper-based test), or equivalent 213 CBT (computer-based test), or 80 IBT (internet-based test). MICA also accepts a band score of at least 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Semester Exchange Application Deadlines
The application due date is the date we must have your physical application materials, and digital portfolio, received by our office. Please make sure to account for any delivery times required for submitting your materials by mail or by courier such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL.
- Fall semester (study period: August to December): Exchange Application DUE: April 1
- Spring semester (study period: January to May): Exchange Application DUE: October 1
Decision
When the Office of International Education receives your completed application for exchange, shortly after our exchange application deadline, we will send all materials to the faculty chairperson of the department in your major field of study (for example, Painting, Video, Graphic Design, etc.). The department faculty chairperson will review your application and will make the final decision regarding your acceptance for exchange at MICA.
Once the faculty department chairperson reaches a decision on your application, the Office of International Education will contact you and your home institution's exchange department with the results of the decision.
Exchange Student Confirmation / Acceptance of Offer
If your application for exchange is approved, and you are extended an offer from the Office of International Programs, to accept the offer, you must email your decision to Mike Rini, Assistant Director of Exchange Services (mrini@mica.edu) by the respective deadlines below. In the subject line of your email, please indicate: "Exchange Offer Accepted", or "Exchange Offer Declined". If you decline your acceptance offer, kindly indicate your reasons for declining the offer in your email. Email confirmation due dates:
Spring Semester (study period: January to May): DECISION DUE: November 1
Fall Semester (study period: August to December): DECISION DUE: May 15
Please note that if you withdraw after these deadlines, you may be responsible for any fees incurred by MICA on your behalf.
Once you submit your decision, you will need to plan and prepare for the successful application of a J1 student visa. In order to understand what is expected of students wishing to study in The United States, here is a preview of the J1 application requirements. While there are some documents that the MICA Office of International Education will need to supply you with before you can apply, there are others that you should anticipate having at the time you apply for the visa.