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Where passion
finds purpose.

 

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) is Wisconsin’s only four-year, nonprofit, private college of visual art and design. MIAD is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of 39 leading art schools in the United States and Canada.

 

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Mission

We ignite curious minds through art, design and service.

Values

COURAGE, to seek our own path
INTEGRITY, to pursue our lives and work with meaning
KINDNESS, to thoughtfully engage with others
COMMUNITY, to positively contribute to the world around us
INNOVATION, to meet universal challenges in new ways
INCLUSION, to find strength in diversity

Vision

We will be a galvanized educational and creative community, addressing universal needs through our thought, design and expression.

MIAD building along the Riverwalk

MIAD by the numbers. Ranked in the top 20 small art colleges in the nation. Ranked in the top 10 best schools for Illustration in the Great Lakes. Ranked in the top 10 in the Midwest for Communication Design. 4 MIAD NSP Students have been accepted to the prestigious Yale Norfolk summer program in the last 4 years. Nearly 30% of MIAD graduates own their own businesses.

Quick Facts

History

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) was founded in 1974. It is the successor to the Layton School of Art, founded in 1920.

Accreditation

MIAD is Wisconsin’s only college devoted exclusively to the education of artists and designers. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD) and the Higher Learning Commission,  a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Institutional Memberships

MIAD maintains many institutional memberships, including:

Degree Programs

Communication Design
Fashion and Apparel Design
Fine Art + New Studio Practice
Illustration
Animation Track
Interior Architecture and Design
Product Design

 

STUDIO MINORS

All Major Programs
Art Management
Book Arts
Digital Media Production
Furniture Design
Soft Goods

 

CRITICAL STUDIES MINORS

Advertising
Art History
Business
Copywriting
Humanities
Psychology
Natural Sciences
Sustainability
Writing

 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students must earn 120 credits to graduate, including 78 studio credits and 42 critical studies credits. Critical study areas and the number of credits required in each are: English & Writing, 12: Art History, 12; Humanities & Sciences, 18.

Campus & Community

Campus

  • Fully equipped 3-D Lab, including wood, metal and plastic power and hand tools
  • Emerging Technology Center (ETC) with 3D printers, laser cutters/etchers, digital printers, virtual reality and animation resources, Waicom drawing tablets
  • Innovation Center for innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and making in collaboration with corporate and nonprofit partners
  • Laptop-compatible labs for both fine art and design majors
  • Numerous photography labs
  • Textiles Lab
  • Individual fine art and design studios
  • Sculpture studio with foundry
  • Printmaking studio with equipment for intaglio, lithography, screen printing and digital processes
  • Library (SWITCH Program) providing students with access to over half a million volumes, 2000 videos and extensive online resources
  • Academic Support Center (tutoring, counseling, ELL support)
  • Blick Art Materials (located on-campus)
  • MIAD Cafe

Galleries

  • Brooks Stevens Gallery of Industrial Design (Jane Bradley Pettit Building)
  • Frederick Layton Gallery (Jane Bradley Pettit Building)
  • MIAD Student Gallery (Jane Bradley Pettit Building)
  • MIAD Gallery at The Ave (301 West Wisconsin Ave., Suite 104)

Community

MIAD’s faculty consists of more than 100 artists, designers, and scholars. Our student faculty ratio is 11 to 1.

900 Students (Includes full-time and part-time, degree-seeking students)
600 Pre-College students
250 Outreach/Special Programs students

Application Requirements

MIAD requires a completed application form, transcripts and portfolio for admissions consideration. There is no fee for applicants who apply online at miad.edu/applynow.

Cost & Aid

For complete cost information, please refer to Tuition & Payment.

Study Opportunities

MIAD offers special study opportunities on and off campus. They include:

  • The AICAD Exchange program, allowing students to attend 33 other AICAD schools throughout the nation for one semester.
  • Semester-long exchange programs in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain
  • MIAD-led short-term study/travel to such locations as Ireland, Italy, Thailand and France
  • Independent Study
  • Work Study
  • Internships
Marquette University Affiliation

The MIAD and Marquette University connection offers MIAD students access to an increased number of Humanities and Sciences classes, library, health care, intramural sports, and health club facilities.

MIAD’s Campus

Directions to campus
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MIAD’s campus is located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, the city’s official arts district, some twenty blocks of renovated warehouses, artists lofts, theaters, businesses, shops, and restaurants. Bordered by the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan and a destination for both tourists and residents, the Third Ward possesses a distinct and unique urban flavor.

The college offers one of the largest, safest, and most comprehensive art and design environments in the United States. Its campus occupies a mix of historic and modern buildings:

  • The Jane Bradley Pettit Building, 273 East Erie Street: In 1992, after a complete renovation, the college moved into this facility. Our  main academic building offers students, faculty, and staff 245,000 square feet of space on five floors.
  • Two50Two MIAD Student Apartments, 252 East Menomonee Street: Offers students exceptional apartment-style living with upscale amenities, including LED TVs, modern furniture and upgraded appliances in every apartment, and on-site lounges and laundry. Two50Two is located directly across the street from MIAD.
  • MIAD Gallery at The Ave, 301 West Wisconsin Ave Suite 104: The college’s first off-campus gallery showcasing work by students, staff, faculty and alumni is located downtown near Milwaukee’s 3rd Street Market Hall.
  • Blick Art Materials, 242 East Menomonee Street: MIAD’s extensive on-campus art and design supply store.
MIAD's main building

News

La Mère Brazier: Phoebe Nelson Senior Exhibition 2025

Phoebe Nelson ’25 (Illustration) came to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) to study children’s book illustration. Now at the end of her senior year, she is writing and illustrating a children’s book about Eugénie Brazier, the first person to get six Michelin stars, for her Senior Exhibition project.

MIAD Independent Inquiry Program launches with three student grants

Galilea Cerda ’26, Tina Voith ’26 and Madi Weglarz ’25 are the first three Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design students selected to receive Independent Inquiry Program stipends to investigate new technologies and their applicability to art and design education. As first-time applicants, each receives a stipend of $1,200 for a six-week Mini Inquiry this summer.

Grilled Cheese grants propel MIAD seniors

Funds from the annual Grilled Cheese Grant helped Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) awardees Siren Harris, Yo Yo collective and Madi Weglarz complete their 2025 Senior Exhibition projects and future work. All the MIAD awardees are Fine Art + New Studio Practice seniors.

Sebastian Penn: Senior Exhibition 2025

Sebastian Penn ’25 (Animation Track in Illustration), “From Home to Legacy: Black and Queer Bars in Milwaukee.” Sebastian is a President’s (Honor) List student from Holman, Wis.

McKenna Martin: Senior Exhibition 2025

McKenna Martin ’25 (Product Design), “Hyacinth.” McKenna received first place for her design for the 2023 Delta design project/competition at MIAD, is on the Dean’s List and is from Fond du Lac, Wis.