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Assume nothing. Try everything. Find what you love to do.
Your studio experience begins on the first day.
On your first day of class, things already look different. No lecture halls, no sterile rows of desks, in fact no clocks or even doors. Even the smells are different–charcoal, paint, plaster, clay permeate each room. This is a studio art program, and you are in the studio. Because MIAD's Foundations Program, the starting point of all traditional 1st-time students, immerses you in visual art study immediately. And intensely.
Foundations is the year you spend finding out about yourself. It’s the centerpiece of MIAD’s core curriculum, and is the basis for every specialization offered. Regardless of which of the eleven majors you ultimately choose, or whatever combination of areas of specialization you choose, the Foundations year gives you the core requirements you need and the freedom to define your future.
Foundations is about exposure and experimentation. You explore two-dimensional and three-dimensional challenges that elevate and stretch the skills and knowledge you already have. You also have the option to touch a fourth dimension—time-based media—that includes video exploration and animation. You are constantly introduced to, and learn to command up-to-the-minute technologies as tools to develop greater artistic range. You gain insight into your own abilities, your dedication, your manner of problem-solving, what you value and what motivates you to create. Many students who enter MIAD do not have a specific major in mind, other than "art". And about half of the students who enter MIAD the first year with an idea of a specific major change that major by their sophomore year, principally because Foundations turns their world upside down. The second semester focuses a student's path toward either fine art or design, and the coursework begins to focus towards specific majors, but allowing for continued exploration and expansion of craft and ideology.
Think of it as entering a new world. Because you are. Part of the Foundations year is also getting used to MIAD, and getting comfortable with transformation. We know it’s not easy, so there’s lots of one-on-one guidance and support. You see your world somersaulting, but somehow it’s OK, because we’re holding your hand during every turn.
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