MICA Graduate Programs
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MICA's programs, led by world-renowned faculty, help students find new creative and professional pathways in design and illustration. Programs cater to the thinkers, creators and problem solvers of the world. Learn more about our Design and Illustration programs and see how we can help you take your art and your career to the next level.
Get started nowStart building your future today, learn more about MICA's Design, Media, & Illustration Graduate Studies programs:
The M.F.A in Illustration Practice has — at its core — a philosophy of necessary reexamination and reinvention, both in your work and thinking and in the paradigm of what it means to be an illustrator. Our intent is to provide an environment for students to delve into their relationship with their work, to intelligently break existing perceptions and rules and — taking advantage of technologies — consider social needs and artistic perspectives, to be pioneers in the future of illustration. This intense program of study helps students revisit their creative process and use of materials while awakening their abilities to chart their own course as entrepreneurs.
Get started nowThe M.A. in Illustration is a one-year program for those interested in a career in illustration or in refining their existing illustration practice. The program is immersive with focus on studio work and professional practices. Students build a compelling portfolio, for freelance opportunities, or for application to competitive M.F.A. programs, including those at MICA. The M.A. in Illustration is paces to help students develop the vocabulary, and conceptual, observational, and handcrafting skill sets, tool sets, and mindsets needed to begin professional initiatives or pursue more specialized study. Students work independently and collaborate with others, gain!1a global view through historical study and exposure to diverse contemporary practitioners, and expand the scope of your professional practice making skills and professional development.
Get started nowM.F.A graphic design students at MICA are encouraged to view themselves as cultural producers, practical visionaries, and utopian entrepreneurs who actively initial projects. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary, cross-media field that is rooted in the fine arts. The program provides students with the skills and knowledge to successfully compete nationally and internationally and to contribute to the public discourse of design. The program serves as an advanced lab for interdisciplinary research and exploration within the context of one of the nation’s top art colleges. The 60-hour curriculum engages students in a mix of critical seminars, guided studio courses, and independent work. Students can take advantage of electives in many MICA departments, including video, printmaking, and digital media.
Get started nowThe M.A. in Graphic Design (GDMA) program offers students an immersion in graphic design that is tailored to the needs of those who seek a cohort of dedicated peers in a challenging and supportive environment. The full-time program prepares students for advancing their careers or for applying to competitive M.F.A programs at MICA and elsewhere. GDMA provides an in-depth study of the language and practice of graphic design. Our students are professionals and graduates from complementary fields, including liberal arts, fine arts, architecture, media studies, and journalism as well as those who studied design as undergraduates yet desire a more comprehensive and rigorous education int he theory and concepts of graphic design.
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Artist: Hayley Thornton-Kennedy
Illustration Practice, 2016
Artist: Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum, 2016
The M.A. in Social Design program prepares students to underhand address the challenges facing society as they grow their skills, examine the designer’s role and responsibility in society, and bring about social change through design. MASD is uniquely positioned within the Center for Social Design (CSD) at MICA, an interdisciplinary center dedicated to demonstrating and promoting the value of design in advancing equity and social justice, and to inspiring and preparing the next generation of creative change-makers. The CSD expands upon MICA’s pioneering work in social design, bringing together our four key social design initiatives: our MASD graduate program, our award-winning practice-based studios, our fellowship programs, and our multi-year impact initiatives.
Get started nowThe M.F.A Filmmaking program prepares the next generation filmmaker to enter a field that is expanding beyond Los Angeles and New You and to sustain a practice through participation in the international file community. In the program, aspiring narrative, documentary, and experimental filmmakers work to refine their practice and to engage with evolving distribution and business models. The curriculum integrates a broad understanding of cinematic history with diverse technical experience — from generating ideas and writing to production, postproduction and delivering a film to its intended audience. Through a hands-on curriculum and unique collaborations with The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) File and Media Studies program and the Maryland Film Festival, the M.F.A in Filmmaking prepares student for sustainable careers in film and media.
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The Photographic and Electronic Media program is a platform to explore the reverberating social and artistic uses of optical and electronic media. Students are prepared to realize complex artistic projects while gaining the intellectual and technical skills for professional practice and teaching. The curriculum combines liberal arts coursework, regular critiques with faculty and visiting artists, and individual studio exploration. Students have the resources for collaborative, cross-disciplinary exploration, and facilities include dedicated spaces for highend video production, a full sound studio, high-end output equipment, and traditional blackand- white and color darkrooms with three-inch color processors. Graduates are prepared to add to the discourse surrounding contemporary art as exhibiting artists, faculty, and critics.
Get started nowBuilding your future at MICA is the best choice you could make. We partner with you to help you succeed. Our faculty are experts in their fields and are committed to improving your skills and helping you achieve your goals. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to those with first-hand knowledge.
MICA's international community of artists, designers, and educators is one of the most important resources we have to offer for our alumni. No matter where life takes you, we can help you stay connected to your MICA family.
You have dreams, goals, a vision. We can help you get there. Take the next step.
