Academics
Small, "prestigious" Maryland Institute College of Art specializes in "turning promising talent into undeniable skill." Majors here include an "incredible painting program" and "one of the best" illustration programs in the country. While MICA obviously focuses on art, there's also a respectable array of required liberal arts and art history courses and a thorough foundational curriculum. "The school makes sure everyone has a strong foundation...so that, for example, even a photo major will still be at least decent at drawing." Extensive internship opportunities and a throng of study abroad options are other perks. Classes are "wonderfully small" and often "very long." "The workload is quite heavy." "It is insanely time-consuming to be a student here." "Everyone works their [butts] off and complains about it," says an illustration major, "but we all really love what we do." The faculty at MICA is largely comprised of "actual artists living and working in the real world." There are "really exceptionally amazing teachers and horrifyingly bad ones." For the most part, though, professors are "dedicated" and "readily available" outside of class. "They challenge students on an individual basis and critique with expert eyes." The administration is "a little disorganized." "They take forever to get back to you on any issue," gripes an exasperated senior.
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