Class Policies | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Class Policies

Registration and Cancellation Policies

Cancellation Due to Low Enrollment

Classes must enroll a minimum number of students to run. A minimum enrollment deadline is approximately 5 days before the class start date. If the minimum number of students is not enrolled by this date, the class may be cancelled. Students will be notified by email if a class is cancelled. If a class is cancelled, students may either transfer into another class with a discount or will be provided with a full refund. 

Students are strongly encouraged not to purchase supplies or make travel arrangements until the class is confirmed to run. Students may contact our office with any questions.

Cancellation and Transfer Policy

Students wishing to either:

  • Drop a class and receive a refund on tuition and fees
    OR
  • Transfer into another class during the same semester

must contact continuing education within the schedule stated below to be eligible.

Please Note:

  • Not all requests for refunds or transfers can be accommodated.
  • These policies are enforced regardless of the number of students registered for the class.
  • No class transfers or refunds are possible starting the first day of the class or thereafter. For classes beginning on Monday, students must notify continuing education of their desire to transfer before noon the previous Friday.
  • Class registrations may not be transferred between students.
  • Please allow up to two weeks for the processing of a refund.
  • Students may not attend a class without being pre-registered. Students may not "try-out" a class without registering. 

Cancellation, Transfer, and Refund Schedule

All cancellations and transfers are subject to a $25 non-refundable cancellation/transfer fee, which is calculated before any further refund is applied.

  • If a student cancels or transfers more than 7 business days prior to the class start date, full tuition, less cancellation/transfer fee, is refunded.
  • If a student cancels or transfers 7 or fewer business days prior to the class start date, 75% of the tuition, less the cancellation/transfer fee, is refunded.
  • If a student cancels or transfers the same day of the class start date or thereafter, no refunds or transfers are offered.

Illness or Medical Emergencies

Students who have been ill or hospitalized and wish for a special consideration to the cancel/refund policy must obtain a letter from a medical professional indicating that they are unable to complete their class. There are no exceptions to this policy. Refunds are prorated based on attendance.

Late Registration

Late registration for adult online and campus-based classes is allowed, provided that the student registers:

  • Before the second class meeting for a campus-based class
  • Within the first week of an online class

Late registration is not allowed for kids programs. Adult and teen students may register for most classes after the first class meeting. To register after the start date of the class, please contact continuing education at 612.874.3765. Late registration is not available online.

Discounts

Any relevant discounts must be taken at the time of registration. Discounted amounts will not be refunded if the student neglects to select the appropriate discount when registering. 

Withdrawals

Non-attendance does not constitute authorized cancellation or withdrawal. Please refer to refund policy and schedule above.

Inclement Weather

Classes will not be canceled due to inclement weather unless MCAD closes. If classes must be canceled, we will make every effort to notify current students via the email address provided upon registration. Students can also find this information on the main MCAD website or by calling 612.874.3700.

Prerequisites, Grades, and Credits

Prerequisites

It is the student’s responsibility to evaluate whether their working skill and knowledge base is equivalent to the listed prerequisites. No refunds or transfers will be granted due to missing prerequisites, except according to the refund schedule above. Questions about curriculum may be directed to continuing education at 612.874.3765 or continuing_education@mcad.edu.

Grades and Credits

Continuing Education classes may be taken on a non- or for-credit basis, depending on the needs of the students and the length of the class. Transcripts will not be established for students in non-credit classes, nor will students receive a grade. When a for-credit option is available for a class, students may change their status from non-credit to for-credit (or vice versa) until the start of the second class meeting (for campus-based or shorter than a full semester classes) or through week 4 for 15-week long online classes, or the end of week 1 for online classes shorter than 15 weeks, but not thereafter. When making the change from noncredit to credit an additional fee will be required. All students who enroll in classes for credit will receive a grade (A–F). After the second class, students who withdraw from a class or change from credit to non-credit status will receive a “W” on their transcripts. An incomplete grade is not available for continuing education classes taken, whether for credit or not for credit. All coursework for credit must be completed before the last day of the class. Students not completing graded work during the dates of the class will receive an "F." Students may contact the MCAD records office to request a transcript.

Certificate of Class Completion

A digital certificate of class completion is available for students who successfully complete noncredit classes in Continuing Education. The document indicates that the student attended and completed the class, but does not constitute evaluation of the student’s performance.

Campus Facilities

Facilities Fee

Some classes and workshops require the payment of a facility fee. This fee is used to cover the cost of equipment maintenance and commonly used chemicals, inks, paper, etc. in the studio areas.

Facilities Access and Use

Registration in Continuing Education classes entitles students to use only the MCAD facilities and equipment assigned to the class for which they are registered during the dates of the class. Students are expected to attend all sessions and participate in class in order to maintain their access privileges. Library privileges are also available to all currently registered Continuing Education students for a moderate semester fee.

Disability Accommodations

Please contact us in advance if you require any disability accommodations or have questions about our facilities. Some areas of the MCAD campus are accessible only by stairs. If this will present a challenge to you due to mobility issues, please contact our office in advance to discuss possible accommodations. Students who require ASL interpretation must register for the class and notify our office that they will need these services a minimum of two weeks before the class start date.

Service and Emotional Support Animals on Campus

Animals are not allowed on campus, including residential halls, except for service dogs and emotional support animals which have been approved as a reasonable accommodation by the Learning Center and Disability Services. Information about the disability disclosure and accommodation process can be found on the Learning Center and Disability Services website.

Class Formats

In Person

In person classes meet onsite at MCAD or occasionally offsite at a partner organization. 

Online Asynchronous 

These courses will have no set class meeting times. Courses are project-based with two to three deadlines per week, and students can choose a time and place that works best for them to complete the work. Students will have access to an online learning management system to access all course materials. Course activities may include readings, video demonstrations and tutorials, discussions, projects, and critiques. 

Expected work time per week: 6-8 hours 

Online Asynchronous With Live Meetings

These courses will have a mix of asynchronous and synchronous activities. Students will meet virtually with instructors and other students for lectures, demo and class discussions. Students will have access to an online learning management system to access course materials and can choose a time and place that works best for them to complete the work. Course activities may include readings, video demonstrations and tutorials, discussions, projects, and critiques. The majority of the course will be online.

Expected work time outside of class meeting per week: 5-6 hours

Online Synchronous

These courses have scheduled meeting time on a virtual conference platform (Google Meet/Zoom). The majority of the course content will be completed during the class meetings. Note that some instructors will offer optional virtual office hours throughout the course.

Expected work time outside of class meeting per week: 1-2 hours

General Policies

Financial Holds

Students with prior, unpaid balances with the college may not register for Continuing Education courses until their financial obligations have been satisfied. For more information about financial holds, please contact Student Accounts @ 612-874-3654 or by email: student_accounts@mcad.edu.

Age Minimums

Continuing education adheres strictly to age minimums. Students wishing to enroll in an adult general or online learning class must be at least the minimum age as specified in the online class description by the date the class begins. There is no age maximum for adult general classes, or Art Educator Workshops.

Class Cancellations

Continuing Education reserves the right to alter its curriculum, cancel classes for any reason including low enrollment, or change faculty without prior notice, when circumstances warrant.

In the event a class or workshop is canceled, Continuing Education will refund the tuition and fees paid or transfer the tuition into a class in the same semester that has not yet begun.

Continuing Education assumes no liability for travel expenses or non-refundable airline tickets that cannot be used due to any classes or workshops being canceled, schedule changes, or any misprints in this catalog. Continuing Education also assumes no responsibility for the cost of any other class registration that may be impacted by these cancellation (i.e. families who have children registered for a Children’s Theatre Company class during that same week.). All students accept full responsibility for personal injury and/or personal losses during the period of the class.

Please refer to the “Please Register By” dates as listed in the online class listings for campus-based adult classes. It is highly advisable to register for a class before the date listed in the online class descriptions so that Continuing Education can properly gauge the number of participants before a class must be called as go or no-go. Please note that the registration deadline is not a guarantee that a class will be canceled by that date if it is low enrolled. 

Required Supplies and Books

Some classes and workshops require the purchase of supplies and/or books. This is typically stated in the class description, either as a list of supplies to be purchased by the students or as a materials fee paid to MCAD for supplies provided by continuing education. The instructor will announce additional information about supplies at the first class meeting.

Photography

MCAD photographs its educational programs for promotional purposes. Students and parents of students agree to be included in such photographs. Contact our office if you have questions or concerns.

Student Work

All works created by students during a Continuing Education course at MCAD are considered the intellectual property of the students. Such ownership by students of the intellectual property rights in their own scholarly and artistic works are subject to the college and faculty rights to:

  1. make photographic or similar representational reproduction of student's work; and
  2. distribute, display, perform and otherwise use such reproductions.

MCAD Continuing Education students automatically grant to the college and its faculty the nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable rights to use student works as described above, for the noncommercial purposes of education and scholarship, exhibition, accreditation, development, alumni relations, promotion, and marketing; as examples of student work; and for inclusion in the college's permanent collection and/or archives.

Minors on Campus in Non-Degree Programs

The safety of Minors participating in our programs is our highest priority. This policy is designed to ensure the safety of all Minors participating in MCAD programs and activities.

Code of Conduct

MCAD reserves the right to dismiss a student when his/her actions show disrespect for other people or property.

Complaint Resolution Policy

If you are experiencing a problem with a Continuing Education class or workshop, please speak with the instructor first. If the problem goes unresolved, please address it in writing to the director of Continuing Education at continuing_education@mcad.edu.