How to apply to art and design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD): BFA majors after a shared First-Year Experience, Common App for fall 2027 first-years, a 10–20 piece portfolio and automatic merit scholarships from $15,000 a year, with portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a college of art and design that awards the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). This guide summarises MIAD’s published requirements for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Majors and when you choose

• BFA majors: Communication Design, Fashion and Apparel Design, Fine Art + New Studio Practice, Illustration (with an Animation Track), Interior Architecture and Design, and Product Design.
• First-Year Experience (FYE): all first-year students and many transfer students take FYE courses, working in two, three and four dimensions with textiles, vinyl cutting, zines, screen printing, animation and the history of art and design.
• Fine Art + New Studio Practice: focus on a single field such as photography or painting, or work across approaches, with support from your FA+NSP advisor.
• Every student also takes Critical Studies (academic) courses alongside studio work.
• Minors: every studio major except Fashion and Apparel Design can be taken as a minor, and there are minors such as Arts Management, Art Education, Book Arts, Digital Media Production, Furniture Design, Advertising, Art History, Copywriting, Games and Interactive Media and Creative Writing.

2. Portfolio

• Every applicant submits a portfolio.
• How many pieces: the portfolio page asks for 10–20 examples of your best and most recent work; the international students page asks for 15–20 pieces of your strongest work. The two pages differ; check with Admissions.
• Content: show the depth and breadth of your creative experience, your ideas and conceptual ability as well as your skills. Two-dimensional work, photography, three-dimensional work, design, architectural renderings, interactive media, websites, video and animation are all welcome, as are text-intensive works, book arts, furniture, marketing and advertising, and sketchbook or workbook pages showing research.
• Observation: include work completed from direct observation rather than imagination or copied from photographs.
• How to submit: fall first-year applicants submit through SlideRoom as part of the Common App; transfer, non-traditional and spring applicants receive instructions for MIAD’s SlideRoom portal after applying. MIAD cannot make a merit scholarship decision until your portfolio is uploaded.
• Feedback: not required, but MIAD strongly encourages an in-person or virtual portfolio review with an admissions counselor before you submit. You can also bring work to MIAD’s National Portfolio Day (3 October 2026 in Milwaukee).

3. How and when to apply

• First-year applicants for fall 2027: must apply through the Common App.
• Transfer and non-traditional applicants for fall 2027, and all spring 2027 applicants: use MIAD’s own online application.
• Dates: applications are open on a rolling basis; 1 December 2026 is the Early Application Date, and MIAD Information Day is on 14 November 2026. A final deadline is not published; ask Admissions.
• Essay: optional; tell MIAD about yourself or upload an artist or designer statement. MIAD encourages it.
• Transcripts: official transcripts from your high school and every college attended. If you hold a bachelor’s degree, send only the final transcript from the college that awarded it.
• Application fee: the international page says there is no fee for online applications.
• Codes: TOEFL 7590, SAT 1506, ACT 4701. Whether test scores are required is not stated on the pages we read.

4. International applicants

• International students meet the same requirements as other degree-seeking applicants, plus:
• English: TOEFL iBT 79 (550 paper-based, 213 computer-based), or pursuing or holding ELS certification. Other tests such as IELTS are not mentioned on the pages we read.
• Interview: in person, by phone or sometimes by email, arranged with Admissions.
• College transcripts: if you studied at college level, have those transcripts translated into English and evaluated at your own expense; Admissions can give you a list of organisations, and it can take several weeks.
• Proof of funds: MIAD sends a Verification of Finances Form after it receives your application; it must be notarised. MIAD notes that international students’ annual expenses typically run about $1,500 higher than domestic students’ because of travel.
• I-20: issued after all materials and a non-refundable $250 tuition deposit are received. MIAD advises international students to apply about a year before they plan to start.
• Health insurance is required (students without it are enrolled in MIAD’s plan), and off-campus work cannot be arranged in the first calendar year on an F-1 visa.

5. Costs and scholarships (2026-27)

• Tuition: $44,880 a year ($22,440 a semester).
• Fees: major fee $850 a year, student services fee $390 a year, technology and software fee $510 a year; in the first year, an FYE core kit ($105) and course and kit fees for FYE 100 ($185) and FYE 110 ($105).
• Merit scholarships: admitted students are automatically considered on artistic and academic merit, with decisions on a rolling basis from October. Awards are renewable and range from $15,000 a year up to full tuition. The tuition page says every student who attends MIAD full time receives a merit scholarship.

6. Students at high schools in China

• For fall 2027, apply through the Common App and submit your portfolio through SlideRoom, including observational work; the two pages give different piece counts (10–20 or 15–20), so check with Admissions.
• How the Gaokao is used is not published; ask Admissions (admissions@miad.edu).
• Score at least 79 on the TOEFL and prepare for the interview and a notarised statement of funds.

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• The application route and portfolio are the same. MIAD does not publish grade requirements for the BC curriculum.
• The international page asks international students for TOEFL scores or ELS certification and does not mention an exemption for Canadian students; if English is your first language, check with Admissions.

8. Transfer students

• Apply with MIAD’s own application and submit your portfolio through MIAD’s SlideRoom portal. Many transfer students also take FYE courses.
• MIAD has articulation agreements with community colleges including College of DuPage, Gateway Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Waukesha County Technical College (agreements with College of Lake County are also listed). Students who meet an agreement’s minimum requirements and present a portfolio of aligned skill level are guaranteed transfer credit toward their first two years.
• How many credits can transfer and how courses from other colleges are evaluated is not published; ask Admissions.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare your portfolio (10–20 pieces on the portfolio page, 15–20 on the international page), including observational work
• Score at least 79 on the TOEFL
• Aim to apply through the Common App by the 1 December 2026 Early Application Date and upload your portfolio
• Prepare for the interview, the notarised proof of funds and the $250 deposit

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Apply through the Common App and upload your portfolio on time
• Ask Admissions whether you need an English score and how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Apply with MIAD’s application and send official transcripts from every college
• Check whether your college has an articulation agreement with MIAD
• Make sure your portfolio shows your current studio level

Sources: Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Application process; Your portfolio; Academic programs; First-Year Experience; Fine Art + New Studio Practice; Scholarships; Transferring to MIAD; Articulations and guides; International students; Tuition and fees 2026-27. Costs are 2026-27 figures; check MIAD’s website for the latest.