Student-led initiatives are at the core of co-curricular graduate programming at MICA. With the support of the Office of Graduate Studies, graduate students have the opportunity to develop their own programming that reflects their personal interests, expertise, and professional goals. Co-curricular activities enhance the academic experience beyond the classroom and help you build a network of artists, designers, and kindred spirits.

Professional Development

Career Development Workshops

Hosted by the Joseph Meyerhoff Career Development Center, these weekly workshops support your individual professional development goals including an introduction to the grant seeking process. For more information, professional development resources and a complete schedule of upcoming workshops, visit MICA's Career Development webpage.

Graduate Research Lab

MICA graduate students utilize cutting-edge technology in their artwork through workshops, tutorials, print lab, and a wide variety of video and audio equipment at the Grad Lab.

Salon

Salon is a graduate student organization in which artists, designers, curators and non-art professionals affiliated with the MICA are invited to give presentations to the graduate community on topics of their choosing. Selected guests present their work using informal and unconventional means to engage the audience. Salon offers students a casual evening to engage and interact with their peers while snacking on food and drink. Students are encouraged to exchange ideas, new work, and diverse opinions as they listen to presenters, ask questions, and discuss art beyond the typical classroom setting. For more information contact the Graduate Studies Office.

Open Studio Night

Graduate programs open their doors for Open Studio Night! This casual evening is an opportunity for the graduate community to step out of their own spaces to visit the studios of their peers. Students tour studios and program spaces, talking with their classmates, getting to them and their work.

MICA GRAD SHOW

MICA Grad Show is a season of innovative and inspiring events and exhibitions featuring the culminating work of more than 150 of MICA's graduate students from the College's internationally renowned programs. Join the next generation of creative thinkers-artists, designers, educators, curators, and critics as they demonstrate the power and possibilities of contemporary art and design. MICA Grad Show includes exhibitions and critiques, gallery talks and presentations, public programs, a symposium, and student-curated installations throughout Baltimore city

Meet the Class of 2023 artists, designers, and curators in the gallery or in the Lazarus Center Auditorium and learn about their creative process and resulting exhibition. A great opportunity to ask questions and support your graduate colleagues. Gallery Talks and Artist Presentations are often moderated by guest critics, visiting artists or alum.

Student Advocacy

Student Voice Association (SVA)

The Student Voice Association serves as MICA's student advocacy and advisory board. On behalf of all student concerns, SVA serves as a liaison and advisor to MICA's leadership and administration. Undergraduate and graduate students from each department or graduate program, student organizations, and other campus entities represent the student body at each monthly SVA council meetings.

Graduate Student Council (GSC) 

The SVA Graduate Student Council is a student advocacy group that acts as a liaison between MICA's graduate population and the Office of Graduate Studies with a goal to improve and enhance the MICA graduate experience. GSC meets regularly to discuss topics relevant to graduate education and student life. Each semester GSC hosts a town hall-style forum providing important face-time between the graduate community and MICA's senior administration, including the President, Provost, Vice Provost and VPs from various MICA departments. GSC meetings are open to all current graduate students to voice their opinions, offer suggestions and advocate for change related to their graduate experience at MICA.

Graduate Student Advisory Group

The Graduate Student Advisory Group is a group of graduate student leaders who provide insights and perspective as a MICA graduate student on the new initiatives in Graduate Studies.

These meetings invite graduate student feedback and input on the development of projects in Graduate Studies that are intended to enhance your educational experience. We would like to align our programs, both in and out of the classroom, with your goals and aspiration, so you get the most of what you are seeking from a graduate program here at MICA.

Graduate Student Activities

Theater Action Group

Theatre Action Group  (TAG) is a group of artists/ teaching artists who use the arts to discuss race, privilege, diversity, and inclusion. TAG has been working with churches, schools, colleges and business organizations that want to create space for participants to share their truth about race and privilege. TAG uses the arts to create dialogue, which allows participants to glean one another's truth without judgment or resentment and to recognize the celebratory nature of differences. TAG's belief is that it is our differences that make us stronger as a community, not our similarities.

Intersectionalities Workshops

In response to local and national events that (we believe) represent the beginnings of cultural/social/civil shifts taking place in our country and on our campus, Graduate Studies would like to provide the graduate community a supported space and time to process and respond to this changing context.

Kalima Young, Project Coordinator for the Office of Community Engagement's Baltimore Art + Justice Project, will lead a series of discussions focusing on:

• power and privilege
• micro-aggressions
• identity as a construct
• radical self-care

Power/Equity Forum

Power / Equity Forum at MICA invites you to join the discussion among undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff to create a more inclusive campus at MICA. Our goals are to identify and make recommendations to inform a college-wide, multi-year initiative to promote a more equitable, diverse, and reflective place of learning at MICA. 

You are invited to join us and contribute to advancing the conversation to make this institution more equitable and supportive of all its constituents. 

Graduate Pop-Ups

In response to an increase in graduate student initiatives, the Office of Graduate Studies invites students to submit proposals for student-led activities that integrate programs and build graduate community and culture.

This pilot program provides funding for student-designed events and programs that bring graduate students together and advance the academic and social life of our graduate community. We encourage all students to apply!

GradEx

GradEx is a student organization, dedicated to providing graduate students with professional solo and group exhibition opportunities including graduate student space gallery Great White Wall in the Gateway Building.  

Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for more information about membership or to apply for an upcoming exhibition.

Masters Benefit Art Sale

This benefit sale offers the public a chance to browse and buy affordable works of art from MFA, MA, and Post-Bac students. Graduate students open their studios or set up tables in Lazarus Center. A portion of the sales fund Graduate Research Development Grants. Masters Benefit Art Sale takes place the Saturday of Commencement week.

Yoga & Meditation

The MICA Health and Wellness Center supports the academic mission of the College by fostering the promotion and maintenance of positive health for emerging artists and designers.

The Center achieves this goal by offering a robust menu of high quality and culturally sensitive health-related services that support student learning, development, and retention. Join the wellness team for bi-weekly yoga classes at the Lazarus Center for Graduate Studies each semester.