PROGRAMS
MILWAUKEE’S CREATIVE FUTURE & MIAD’S ECONOMIC IMPACT
MIAD seeks to meet the needs of record-breaking enrollment and, through curriculum innovation, increase teaching capacity and inclusivity, engagement with emerging technologies and professional opportunities.
Internships, Service Learning, sponsored projects and Lubar Innovation Center client projects provide hands-on professional opportunities to prepare students for life after graduation. New programs – such as the Animation track within the Illustration major – respond to student interest and industry demand for skilled creatives.
To ensure success for MIAD’s diverse student body, the college developed a three- year Equity & Inclusion Action Plan to provide anti-racism and cultural sensitivity training for all staff and faculty. An additional major focus is doubling full-time faculty positions and increasing representation among faculty by participating in the national AICAD Fellows program. This program brings promising master’s level graduates to MIAD for professional development while helping to foster a climate that recognizes diversity and supports student success.
In addition, MIAD supports the college and career talent pipeline through its community outreach and Pre-College programs. Our Design Internship Program, founded in 2021, partners with local high schools and businesses to provide paid summer internships to talented, underserved students followed by yearlong mentoring and scholarships for Pre-College. One hundred applicants applied for 45 internships for the summer 2022 program.
MIAD was ranked the nation’s top art and design college for helping low-income students attain upper-middle-class jobs. 38% of MIAD students with low-income backgrounds were shown to be employed in upper-middle-class jobs by their mid 30s.*
*(Source: Money magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money,” 2019.)
2021 AICAD Fellows
“When I got accepted into the MIAD and Hanson Dodge internship and Pre-College [in 2021], the scholarship made me so happy. It was one of the biggest opportunities for me to expand on more mediums of art and explore ways of innovation and creativity in general….”
“As I reflect on why I feel a great need to serve my community, I acknowledge the positive impact being able to express myself through art has had in my life. I’ve had these opportunities thanks to MIAD and its Pre-College program.
It is my responsibility to ensure that opportunities are available for young underserved youth in our city searching for access to the arts.”