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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

At MIAD, you’ll develop your skills, broaden your horizons, and pursue work in your field of choice. We’ll give you the tools you need to follow your creative path, and redefine the role of artist or designer in contemporary society.

MIAD offers undergraduate degree programs and non-credit programs.  Find your fit.

Michie and I will tend

Animation Track

Architectural rendering of MIAD's lobby

Communication Design

presentation at Generac

Illustration

A person wearing a silky pink off-the-shoulder crop top and floral pants poses in front of a brown backdrop and cherry blossoms.

Fashion and Apparel Design

Michie and I will tend

Fine Art + New Studio Practice

Interior Architecture and Design

Architectural rendering of MIAD's lobby

Product Design

presentation at Generac

First-Year Experience

Undergraduate Programs

FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE: All freshman and many transfer students take First-Year Experience courses in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree program. First-Year courses teach students to try everything, and assume nothing.

CRITICAL STUDIES: In addition to studio coursework, all MIAD undergraduate students take critical studies (academic) courses. Critical Studies at MIAD serves as the bridge between the studio and the world, between the classroom and the community.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS:

MINORS: All MIAD studio majors except Fashion and Apparel Design can be taken as a minor. In addition, students may receive a minor in areas such as Arts Management, Book Arts, Digital Media Production, Furniture Design, Sustainability, Advertising, Art History, Business, Copywriting, Humanities, Natural Science, Psychology and Writing.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS: MIAD offers many mobility, study abroad, and cross-registration opportunities.

Non-Credit Programs

MIAD also offers evening and weekend, non-credit Continuing Education courses for every skill level, and Creative Educator’s Institute focused on educators. In addition, MIAD offers Open Figure Drawing on many Tuesday evenings.

For high school students, MIAD offers Pre-College courses on Saturdays and in summer. MIAD’s Design Internship partners with local design agencies to offer local high school students the chance to explore a career in design.

News

Product Design students design custom tap handles

Juniors in a Product Design class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) partnered with two local industry leaders to work on a unique product—they designed custom tap handles in collaboration with manufacturer Hankscraft AJS for Third Space Brewing’s iconic Happy Place brew.

Service Learning class hosts military cultural preservation experts

Anna Hillary’s “Service Learning: Art, Culture and Community” class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) hosted two special guests recently: Colonel Andrew Scott DeJesse, Director for the U.S. Army’s Monuments Officer program, and Captain Blake Ruehrwein, Cultural Heritage Preservation Officer for the U.S. Army.

MIAD alum designs ‘beautiful’ horror posters

Creating “something that’s beautiful and terrifying at the same time” is not only possible, it’s a “fun and favorite challenge” for Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum and staff member Kyle V. James ‘15. James’ latest horror movie poster, “Forgive Me,” is front and center as the film premieres in Spain.

MIAD Values Recognition Award: Grant Gill

Grant Gill ’13 (Photography), Photography & Digital Media Lab Technician, received the August 2024 MIAD Values Recognition Award at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). Gill’s nominations speak to his values of Community and Integrity.

Lubar Innovation Center brings MKE history to Brix Apartments

The one thing Alivia Rapp ’24 (Illustration) would change about working with MIAD’s Lubar Innovation Center is getting “involved with staff Drew Maxwell and Kyle James even earlier in my college experience to really milk it for all it’s worth! It is one of the things I truly miss about MIAD post-grad.”