How many classes can a PSEO student take at MCAD?

One course per semester, up to six credits. The program is intentionally small in scope, designed as an art school preview during senior year rather than a full dual enrollment course load.

What goes into an MCAD PSEO application?

A personal statement, a portfolio of your creative work, and your application materials including the Notice of Student Registration form, all submitted through Slideroom. Start the portfolio early; it carries more weight than anything else in your file.

What are MCAD's PSEO deadlines?

July 1 for fall semester and December 1 for spring. Since the state also wants your school district notified — May 30 for fall, October 30 for spring — that notice actually comes due before MCAD's own deadline each cycle.

Do I need an amazing portfolio to get in?

You need an honest one. MCAD is reviewing high school seniors, not professionals, and admissions looks for potential, effort, and a genuine creative voice. Include your strongest pieces across a few media, and ask your art teacher for a review before submitting.

Is MCAD PSEO worth it if I only earn six credits?

If art school is on your radar, yes. The credits matter less than the experience: a real studio course, real critiques, and a clearer answer to whether you want four years of this, all free through PSEO before you commit tuition anywhere.

Private College

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Art students get exactly one PSEO option built entirely around them in Minnesota, and it is the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. MCAD's program is deliberately narrow: seniors only, one course per semester, up to six credits total, with admission based on a 2.5 GPA plus a personal statement and a portfolio submitted through Slideroom. It is less a volume play and more a taste of art school, free, during 12th grade.

Start NOSR Application

GPA Requirements

Juniors (11th Grade)

Seniors only

Seniors (12th Grade)

2.5 GPA

Program Details

Accepts 10th GradersNo

CTE Courses AvailableNo

Term Systemsemester

About the PSEO program

That structure is the point. A high school senior weighing whether to commit four years and real tuition to an art and design education can test the studio environment, the critique culture, and the workload at one of the Midwest's dedicated art colleges before applying anywhere. Course areas at MCAD span graphic design, illustration, animation, fine arts, and more, taught in a working studio campus near the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Deadlines land on July 1 for fall and December 1 for spring, and application materials, including the state NOSR form, go through Slideroom with the rest of your file. myPSEO can prepare your signed NOSR so the state paperwork is ready when you assemble your portfolio, which deserves most of your attention anyway.

Why choose Minneapolis College of Art and Design for PSEO

The only portfolio-based PSEO program in Minnesota

Admission runs on your creative work, not just your GPA. For students whose talent shows in a sketchbook rather than a transcript, MCAD reviews what actually matters.

A real art school trial run

One course per semester as a senior lets you experience studio classes and critique culture before betting a four-year tuition bill on art school being right for you.

Credit from a dedicated art and design college

Up to six MCAD credits carry weight in later art school applications and demonstrate you have handled college-level studio work.

A reachable 2.5 GPA bar

MCAD asks for a 2.5 cumulative GPA, among the lowest thresholds of any Minnesota private college, because the portfolio does the heavy lifting.

Programs & courses

Graphic design
Design coursework at a college whose graduates work across the Twin Cities' large creative and advertising industry.
Illustration
Drawing-driven studio work in one of MCAD's signature disciplines.
Animation
Foundations in animation and motion, a field where early technical training compounds quickly.
Fine arts
Studio courses in drawing, painting, and related media that build the core skills every art school portfolio needs.
Media and digital arts
Coursework in photography, film, and digital media within MCAD's broader art and design catalog.

Campus & getting there

MCAD's campus sits in the Whittier neighborhood of south Minneapolis, sharing a block with the Minneapolis Institute of Art just off Third Avenue South. Metro Transit bus lines run nearby along Nicollet and Third, and the campus is a short ride from downtown. Studio courses are inherently in person, so plan for a weekly commute; with only one course per semester, most students find a single studio block manageable alongside senior year.

Will my credits transfer?

MCAD credits are private art college credits, evaluated course by course by receiving institutions. They transfer most powerfully into other art and design programs, where completed studio coursework can also strengthen your admission portfolio, and foundational courses may count as electives or arts credits at general universities. If you enroll at MCAD after graduation, your PSEO credits apply directly. Six credits will not replace general education requirements broadly, so treat them as a head start in your discipline rather than a transfer package.

Minneapolis College of Art and Design PSEO FAQ

MCAD requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA and admits high school seniors only; your transcript must show you entering or in your senior year. Juniors and sophomores are not eligible here, which makes MCAD unique among Minnesota PSEO institutions.