An MCAD Education

Internships are academic learning experiences where students work under the mentorship of an experienced professional. Working on-site, students apply their skills to real-world projects while learning about the industry, enhancing their skills, networking, and building their portfolio.

Externships, unique to the bachelor of science degree program, are full-time, semester-long, paid internships.

Examples of Internship Sites


• Nickelodeon, New York, NY
• Tupperware Brands, Orlando, FL
• Urban Outfitters, Philadelphia, PA
• Bloomingdales (Public Relations), New York, NY
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA
• Gucci, New York, NY
• K2 Sports / Ride Snowboards, Seattle, WA
• Medtronic Inc., Mounds View, MN
• Ogilvy & Mather, Warsaw, Poland
• Werc Werk Works, Minneapolis, MN
• Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• City Pages, Minneapolis, MN
• Target, Minneapolis, MN
• Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN
• KMSP Fox 9, Eden Prairie, MN
• Green Team USA, New York, NY
• MTV, New York, NY
• Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis, MN
• Charles S. Anderson Design, Minneapolis, MN
• Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, MN
• Cambria, Eden Prairie, MN
• Alec Soth Photography, St. Paul, MN
• Minnesota Timberwolves / Lynx, Minneapolis, MN
• US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ft. Snelling, MN

MCAD has many off-campus study opportunities—both internationally and in the United States—that will expose you to even more educational and cultural experiences. Most programs require you to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and be in junior standing during the semester you are away.

Bauhaus Universitaet—Weimar, Germany

Founded in 1993, this program offers students the chance to work in an innovative, interdisciplinary, and project-oriented environment. Students may study fine arts, media/ photography or visual communication. The program also includes a one-month German-language intensive taught at the beginning of the term.

Fachhochschule Vorarlberg—Dornbirn, Austria

The University of Applied Sciences offers interactive media majors a chance to further their practice-oriented career goals, experience project-oriented curricula and refine their design, marketing, management and communication skills to become first-rate employees. Dornbirn is set on Lake Constance bordering Germany and Switzerland. The program also includes a German-language intensive taught at the beginning of the term.

Florence Honors Program—Florence, Italy
This program was created in 1989 to provide an opportunity for students to explore art on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Each year, the exchange program provides that experience for three students from Italian schools and three from MCAD. In Florence, students from Minneapolis may attend classes at three schools Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Istituto Statale d’ Arte di Firenze and/or the Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche (ISIA). Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, provides MCAD students with an unparalleled opportunity to encounter art as immersive experience.

Royal Academy of Art—The Hague, The Netherlands
The Royal Academy of Art (Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten or KABK) prepares students to become self-aware artists and designers who make a significant contribution to their discipline and society with their passion, profundity and experimental attitude. Established in 1682, KABK is one of Europe's oldest academies. With over 1000 students and 150 international students from 50 countries, KABK exudes creativity, innovation and professionalism. Theory supports inquiring attitudes and tutors from prominent positions in their fields coach students in well equipped workshops.

University of Brighton—Brighton, England

Located on the southern coast of England, the University of Brighton is an hour train ride from London. The program at Brighton is for students studying graphic design or illustration, and who enjoy working independently within a project-oriented environment. Programs are structured to promote individual creative exploration with both faculty and an extensive roster of Great Britain's top professionals.

New York Studio Residency Program—Brooklyn, NY

This semester-long learning experience allows students to become immersed in the many cultural resources of New York City. You’ll make frequent visits to artists' studios and get critiques by visiting artists. And you’ll join select students from art schools throughout the United States who work independently in a studio or in full-time internships—meeting weekly for a Contemporary Art Seminar. The program culminates with a group exhibition in New York City.

AICAD Mobility Program
As part of the Mobility Program, MCAD students can spend a semester at one of the art and design colleges in the United States affiliated with the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). This program makes the faculty, course offerings and resources of these schools available to MCAD students with ease of accessibility and without special cost. Get to know these colleges at aicad.org.

Most walls inside MCAD are available to students as gallery space. Our main gallery displays work from a variety of professional artists and designers in a variety of media and styles. Every hallway on the third and fourth floors offers student exhibition space that changes weekly. MCAD showcases and interprets contemporary art and design in MCAD Gallery on the first floor, as well as in other galleries and spaces throughout the college. We also regularly sponsor artist lectures, panel discussions, and gallery talks that are open to the public.

A college-owned and student-staffed nonprofit, the MCAD Art Cellar is your on-campus book and art materials store. Get all of your required class supplies here. Read why the arts and entertainment weekly City Pages voted the MCAD Art Cellar the Best Art Supplies Store in 2010.

The MCAD Library holds 50,000 volumes, 1,700 CDs and DVDs, and a slide library of more than 145,000 images. A top-ranking resource, the library also has subscriptions to hundreds of periodicals and access to eight online databases.
View the Library's resources.

The MCAD Service Bureau offers professional digital printing, scanning, and other print-related services right on campus.

• Photo-quality inkjet prints (up to 44" wide)
• Black and white copies and laser prints
• Color copies and laser prints
• Finishing (folding/stapling/punching/binding)
• CD and DVD duplication
• CD and DVD label printing
• Scanning of artworks, text documents, and film
• Sales of CDs and DVDs, cases, transparency film, inkjet papers, and more

All full-time MCAD students who have earned thirty credits or more (usually sophomore-level or higher) are eligible for a personal studio space.

MCAD currently has 254 studios, accessible 24/7. Graduate students are guaranteed private studio space, and our newest building—the Whittier Studios—is an all-MFA facility.

MCAD's computer labs and advanced production studios come equipped with the latest hardware and software technology to support your project needs. Count on our support team for informative workshops on new software and hardware, as well as managing the overall technology infrastructure, exhibition equipment checkout and circulation. They’re also on-call for troubleshooting.

Get hands-on experience inside this haven for hi-tech innovation. Our 3D shop comes furnished with professional tools of the trades—from wood and metal to plastics and fabric.

Utilize this functional and flexible work studio for Western and Japanese papermaking, cast paper, wet work and drying areas, as well as the equipment necessary for creating papers with botanicals, fabric and linters.

Gain access to a wide variety of print processes, including lithography, intaglio, relief, screen-printing, non-silver photography, letterpress, artists' books and more. The studio occupies an inviting, naturally sunlit 5000-square-foot space.

Obtain the most current photo, film, digital, animation and sound technology from our Media Center. Professionally staffed and open 80 hours per week, the space includes two large studios, several darkrooms, sound studio, video editing suites and a huge inventory of AV equipment for checkout.

Be safe at all times. MCAD has a dedicated Public Safety department that works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—monitoring all of the academic buildings, residence halls, and grounds. Urgent requests, such as jumpstarting your car, getting an escort late at night, or gaining access to a building, are cheerfully honored. Stop by the Public Safety desk anytime.

All public safety officers have completed 96 hours of specialized training and are vigilant in over-seeing campus-wide activities. They also answer the main switchboard, and serve as an information source for visitors and the MCAD community.

All students at MCAD are assigned an advisor to assist them in choosing classes appropriate to their degree program and personal goals. All special issues and problems. See the academic advising staff in the MCAD Student Affairs Office.

The MCAD Career Services Office helps students to develop meaningful, satisfying, and sustainable careers using the skills learned in the classroom. We provide industry information (outlook, salaries, etc.), arrange on- and off-campus recruiting, post job and opportunity listings, and offer portfolio reviews and career counseling for students interested in traditional employment or self-employment.

Utilizing the MCAD Career Services Office helps students to gain the abilities, experience, and professional knowledge to intelligently, aggressively, and successfully pursue career and life goals.

Job and Opportunity Listings

Students work hard in the classroom pursuing the skills and knowledge needed to succeed, but they don't need to wait until graduation to apply them. There are volunteer and freelance opportunities, competitions, internships, and employment positions posted right now at the MCAD Career Services Office website. Email updates are sent to MCAD students once a week, and the site can be used for researching employers, connecting with alumni, and self-promotion.

Career Counseling

The MCAD Career Services Office works one-on-one with students to develop the professional skills and strategies necessary to establish successful careers. We provide the services to help students to:

• Explore career options
• Learn job-hunting strategies
• Practice interviewing skills
• Gain networking skills
• Learn about industry-specific practices
• Prepare professional materials:
  • Résumés
  • Cover letters
  • Reels
  • Grant proposals

And while many students find traditional employment after MCAD, many decide to freelance their skills or market their work independently. We help these students to learn the practices necessary to pursuing an independent career:

• Business-plan development
• Marketing strategies
• Financial management
• Consumer identification

Individual career-counseling meetings are encouraged. To make an appointment, contact us at 612.874.3796 or careers@mcad.edu.

The Learning Center is an interdisciplinary academic support center and enrichment resource for all MCAD students. Peer tutors offer assistance with every level and style of writing, software and digital skills, and professional development. In addition to offering individualized tutorial assistance and instructional handouts, the LC provides a wealth of services for English as a Second Language (ESL) students.

Any student with a registered learning disability can meet with the director of the Learning Center to request accommodations for courses. Depending on need, students may be eligible to receive some or all of the following services: recorded texts, notetaker, extended test time, distraction-free testing, etc.

All international students can more easily assimilate to college and American culture with the help International Student Advising. A program coordinator handles all immigration requirements and serves as liaison between students and the US Department of Homeland Security, as well as MCAD offices.

MCAD offers two undergraduate degree programs: a bachelor of fine arts degree and a bachelor of science degree. And because we're a small school that encourages students to cross disciplines, there's a lot of interaction among the students pursuing each of the degrees—which makes you an even stronger artist or designer, no matter what path you pick.

Areas of Study

• Advertising
• Animation
• Branding, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Comic Art
• Drawing-Painting
• Entrepreneurship and Project Management
• Filmmaking
• Fine Arts Studio
• Furniture Design
• Graphic Design
• Illustration
• Photography
• Print and Web Communications
• Print Paper Book
• Sculpture
• Web and Multimedia Environments

The master of fine arts degree program at MCAD is based on the European model of advanced study, which is a mentor-based approach combining the independence of open studio work with the structure of regular feedback, critiques from visiting artists, and liberal arts seminars.

Areas of Study

• Animation
• Comic Art
• Drawing
• Filmmaking
• Furniture Design
• Graphic Design
• Illustration
• Painting
• Photography
• Print Paper Book
• Sculpture
• Web and Multimedia
  Environments

MFA Curriculum

More information about credit requirements, the graduate teaching seminar, and the mentor-based curriculum

If you want to expand your studies beyond standalone classes but don't have the time to pursue a degree, check out MCAD's professional post-baccalaureate certificate programs.

These programs are built for working professionals—those with the ambition and talent to progress further in the field of design, but who have limited time. Courses in these programs are taught by experienced professionals and provide access to MCAD's renowned facilities, coursework, and faculty.

Areas of Study

• Graphic Design
• Sustainable Design Online

MCAD's pre-college summer sessions give 16- to 18-year-olds the chance to live on campus, build a portfolio, and earn two college credits.

The curriculum provides the type of coursework that a first-year MCAD student would experience: The first week is equivalent to the first weeks of a term where you learn skills, programs, and techniques. The second week is comparable to the final week in which projects are planned, critiqued and completed.

Students work independently and together on projects. Particularly during the second week, students learn the reality of art school: you must often work at night to get the project done! Nighttime studios are fully staffed with teachers and provide some of the most intense and valuable working experiences.

Summer Session 1 / Music and Media

June 12–26, 2011

Pick a Major:

• Digital Photography
• Graphic Design
• Music Video
• Web Design and Multimedia

Summer Session 2 / Singular and Sequential Images

July 10–24, 2011

Pick a Major:

• Animation
• Comic Art
• Game Design
• Painting