Classes in the Cinematic Arts & New Media program are project-based and focused on building your portfolio. Choose the topics and media you’re most passionate about and leave with a portfolio that proves your skills.
By the time you graduate, you’ll have an impressive portfolio and know exactly what it takes to succeed in a career in media.
Join a supportive creative community
Whether you’re studying online or on-campus, our classes are a safe creative environment that feels like family. As a student, you’ll be connected to a community of creative people focused on inner growth and creating meaningful work from the deepest level.
Our professors are active in their field and stay up to date with the latest industry trends. All classes are focused on highly collaborative projects and allow you to create deep bonds with fellow classmates that last beyond graduation.
What equipment and facilities are available to students?
While on campus, students will enjoy using professional, state-of-the-art film/video, photography, and sound studios. You’ll have access to:
The Equipment Room, fully stocked with cameras, lights, dollies, gimbals, mics and all the essentials for your projects.
A 400 sq ft photography studio with backdrops and lights.
A recording studio with a master control room and foley room used for sound design and music recording.
The Computer Lab, with iMacs with 5k screens, perfect for editing, animation, or sound design work.
Key questions
What can I do with this degree after graduation?
A degree in Cinematic Arts & New Media prepares you for careers in film, digital media, and emerging platforms. Graduates work as filmmakers, editors, animators, sound designers, and content creators, or launch their own projects in media and marketing.
When is the next entry?
The next entry for both the online BA and Bachelor’s Specialization in Cinematic Arts & New Media and the on-campus BA and the Bachelor’s Specialization in Cinematic Arts & New Media is August 2026.
Is MIU accredited?
Yes. MIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the same body that accredits major universities in the Midwest.
Get started by contacting your admissions counselor
Your admissions counselor will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with program faculty when you have questions.
Animator / Motion-Graphics & Visual Effects Artist
Sound Designer / Audio / Foley / Podcast Producer
Digital Content Creator / Social Media Video Producer
Multimedia / Graphic Designer or Digital Artist
Screenwriter / Scriptwriter / Storyboard Artist
Media Manager / Production Coordinator / Project Manager in media
Documentary Maker / Independent Filmmaker / Content Creator for new media
Career fields
Cinematic arts & films
Learn the art of storytelling, screenwriting, producing, directing, lighting, cinematography, digital photography, nonlinear editing, short narrative film production, documentary film, motion graphics, and visual effects. See examples of student work
Digital music & sound design
Explore digital music production, music for film, post-production and sound design, foley art, ADR, SFX, podcasting, mixing and mastering using software such as Ableton Live and Pro Tools.
Digital arts
Learn how to take professional photographs and create graphics and animations using Adobe Creative Cloud software like Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Lightroom, and Premiere.
Study online or on-campus – or both!
While our degree program is available both on-campus or online, we also offer US students the flexibility to develop their own hybrid model.*
For example, if an online student would like to spend one semester or more on-campus to take advantage of using all our specialized equipment and facilities, we make that possible! Or, if a non-campus student needs to study remotely and become an online student for a semester or more, that is also an option. We work with you to develop the best format to fit your needs.
*The hybrid option is not available for international students.
Meditate & create with Consciousness-Based Education
As a student, you’ll learn the Transcendental Meditation technique. This evidence-based technique reduces stress, enhances clear thinking, and heightens creativity. It will also get you in touch with your deepest self, helping you to bring renewed creativity and fresh inspiration to every one of your projects.
Amine Kouider is an award-winning filmmaker, Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts & New Media, and a founding member of David Lynch Foundation Television.
He has worked as the producer, director, director of photography, and editor on projects around the world, including subjects such as high-security prisons, street children in Colombia, homeless men in New York City, refugees in Uganda, teenage prostitutes in Los Angeles, Buddhist nuns in Thailand, and Pandits in India. His works include the feature-length Rue Des Vandales and a surrealist narrative short film, The Land of Nothing.
Stuart Tanner
Stuart Tanner is Assistant Professor of Cinematic Arts & New Media and an acclaimed producer and director of documentary films for the BBC, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, and others.
Stuart’s past projects include Saving The Disposable Ones (2011), a documentary that takes viewers to the streets of inner-city Columbia; Time Team (2004), an hour-long archaeological program for the Channel Four/Discovery series, which uncovered the mysteries of one of the first man-made monuments built in Britain; and Children of Vengeance (2002), a documentary for the BBC on the Arab-Israeli conflict, which won the Foreign Press Association’s Story of the Year award.
Rodolfo Rincones
Rodolfo “WOX” Rincones is a filmmaker, animator, illustrator, fine-artist, and musician. He is from the politicized border of El Paso and Juarez. He got his bachelor’s in graphic design and Painting from UTEP, where he also worked two years producing oral history videos. He has worked as director, production designer, art department, editor, motion graphics, VFX, and animator for various international projects. Rodolfo graduated from the David Lynch MA in Film in 2015, and from the MFA in 2017. His thesis short film “DreamLogic” was a semifinalist at the 47th Student Academy Awards among other festivals. His co-directed short film “ChronoLogic” (2020) was selected at 14 national and international festivals. He is currently working in production of an animated feature titled “The MadHaus,” which is in production utilizing new media such as 3D animation and motion capture and received funding from the IEDA. Rodolfo currently serves as the Program Director for Cinematic Arts and New Media and has been a full-time faculty member at MIU since 2024.
In this class, you will learn the language of cinematography in its technical and aesthetic forms; explore the fundamentals of camera position and light set-ups; practice camera movements, handheld techniques, and learn about the power of the frame in conveying a story.
Art of story
This course will examine the range of narrative forms and narrative devices that have been used since the dawn of time right up until the modern day. We will discover that although the forms and types of media used might have changed as technology has advanced, in fact, most of the essential forms of narrative used in creative works have been with us for ages.
Power of social media marketing
In this course, students will learn to harness the power of media marketing in the Internet age by using social sites – such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn – for their current, future or imagined businesses. Students will learn key marketing and branding concepts, and gain hands-on experience with visual marketing and modern content marketing.
AI and Creativity – The New Prometheus
This course explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and creativity, offering students an in-depth understanding of how AI technologies can be leveraged to foster creative processes across various media such as film, music, writing, and design. Through a blend of lectures, course projects, and case studies, participants will learn to use AI tools to enhance their creative capabilities. There is an emphasis on creative experimentation and the use of AI tools to enhance creative expression. The course will also address the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI-generated content.
All courses may include
This course examines the essential role of narrative in the creation of all forms of media. From the very beginnings of human records, whether it be mythology, scripture, literature, or the earliest cave paintings, the creators of these works have always told their audience a story or imparted a message by the use of narrative. In order to work in any creative medium, understanding the various ways in which narrative is used is a great advantage. This course will examine the range of narrative forms and narrative devices that have been used since the dawn of time right up until the modern day. We will discover that although the forms and types of media used might have changed as technology has advanced, in fact, most of the essential forms of narrative used in creative works have been with us for ages. Understanding why will reveal how narrative reflects both the universal and unique aspects of the experience of human life. As part of the course, students will be required to undertake projects that aid the development of their own narrative skills. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisites: WTG 191 or equivalent. (4 credits)
Learn to harness the power of online marketing by using social media platforms — such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and other current favorites — for their current, future, or imagined businesses. Students will gain hands-on experience with visual marketing and modern content marketing. Topics of exploration include how to find and attract an audience to help solve their problems, organizing followers and friends to reach more people; the visual marketing creation process using, for example, large images, memes, and GIFs; e-commerce tools for social media; and developing a social media marketing strategy to successfully reach more people online. Prerequisite: basic computer skills (4 credits)
Cinematography is the art of telling stories through moving images. By balancing camera angles, movements, and light, cinematographers translate the director’s vision into powerful images. In this course, students will learn the language of cinematography in its technical and aesthetic forms. We will explore the fundamentals of camera position and light setups. Students will practice camera movements via supported (tripod, jib, dolly, etc.) and handheld techniques, and will learn about the power of the frame in conveying story. Students will understand that clarity of mind, broad vision, and attention to detail are the cinematographer’s greatest assets, and that these develop with the growth of consciousness. Prerequisite: basic computer skills, Adobe Creative Cloud and additional camera equipment (4 credits)
Video editing requires the student to be able to synthesize all the different elements of their video into a greater whole. The emphasis of this course is on exploring the craft of editing and the techniques used to maximize the emotional impact of the story. Students will study examples of work by accomplished editors and discover ways to build momentum and render the cut ‘invisible’. Topics include: the language of the cut, the 180-degree system, and Murch’s Rule of Six. Students will become expert in utilizing 2018/19 218 non-linear editing tools through daily editing assignments. Students will learn keyboard shortcuts and advanced trimming tools, transitions, filters, titles, keyframes, compositing tools, audio mixing, color correction, capturing and outputting. Towards the end of the course some production time will be allotted so that students may edit a final piece of their own. Students may also bring in footage that was shot previously for their final project. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC—F282 or MC-F288 or MC-F310 or CANM282 or CANM284.
Podcasting has become an increasingly popular and universal way to tell stories. In this course, students will learn the industry standard tools for podcasting and learn the fundamentals of audio recording, cultivate a clear and confident voice, develop a long-term strategy for their podcast, produce a script, and publish their content online. Students will learn industry-standard software and hardware (microphone, Audacity, online distribution channels), experiment with editing, mixing techniques, implementing music, sound effects, and silence to create an enriching listener experience. Students will also have the opportunity to research various styles of podcasting to expand their definition of audio storytelling and find a definitive voice that is uniquely their own. Students will explore how the nature of sound design can both expand and transcend the intended message to connect to the underlying source of the senses, pure consciousness. Prerequisites: Basic Computer Skills (4 credits)
In this course, students will learn about the latest smartphone technology to capture high-quality images and post-process them with the most powerful smartphone apps available. Students will learn applications and programs such as Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. Each section of the course will focus on specific aspects and styles of photography and photo processing. The course will include fun photography challenges to push our creative limits to the edge. Prerequisites: basic smartphone skills, basic computer skills, Adobe Creative Cloud License. (4 credits)
Explore the fundamental principles of design using Adobe Photoshop. In this course, you will be introduced to the tools to create a wide range of projects turning your imagination into reality. You will have the opportunity to create professional designs, digital collages and graphic art. Deepen the understanding of your creative process and articulate your ideas from abstract to concrete. Prerequisite: basic computer skills, Adobe Photoshop. (2 credits)
In this course, students will explore and learn in-depth methods of animation, ranging from motion graphics, collage, stop-motion and experimental methods of digital animation to achieve a wide range of possibilities. This class will focus on teaching the basics of the Adobe suite, including Photoshop, After Effects, Adobe Character & Premiere through Dynamic Link. Prerequisite: CANM 260 or MC291. Adobe Creative Cloud. (4 Credits)
Students learn the basic skills of film production by participating in the production of a variety of different scenarios, scenes and subjects. They will learn to handle and care for production equipment including lights, stands, cameras, and sound equipment. We will explore the different roles and responsibilities to be played in the process of filming a scene. This includes a director, director of photography, gaffer, grip, electrician, art department, assistant directors, and production assistants. Prerequisite: basic computer skills. (4 credits)
This course is designed to teach the technical aspects of on-set filmmaking. Students will acquire the technical knowledge and skills of using on-set filmmaking equipment to improve understanding, quality, and efficiency on any set, from small video productions to big-budget films. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to various assignments that highlight the fundamentals of being a specialized technician on set in the Camera Department, Sound Department, Lighting Department, and the Digital Imaging Technician Department. Prerequisite: Basic Computer skills. CANM major, specialization or Minor or consent of professor. (4 credits)
The Music Video class is designed to enhance the student’s ability to cultivate and curate their own interpretation and self-expression through moving images to accompany a piece of music. Students will research, practice, and perform all aspects of film making, and editing to create a cohesive music video that demonstrates wholeness and cohesiveness from start to finish. Prerequisites: CANM 284 and/or CANM 288 or consent of the professor. Equipment and software needs: Adobe Creative Cloud, a camera, and a computer. (4 credits)
Documentary films have their basis in the real world. They are made for a variety of purposes but fundamentally they explore the entire range of human experience. This course will examine the role of documentary filmmaking and all the various forms of the documentary. It will be a fascinating journey that will take students all over the globe and throughout history dealing with a wide range of issues both past and present. In this course, students will also examine how to make a documentary. It is therefore very practical in its focus. The first requirement to any documentary is knowing what the story is and what kind of story makes a good documentary. Having chosen a story, there is then the realization of it. Students will learn what is required to make the all-important pitch. They will then choose some stories and make short documentaries about them. (4 credits) Prerequisites: MC—F288 or MC-F310 and MC—F284
This is an advanced video editing course where students learn the fundamental artistic elements of video editing. In this course, students will learn a variety of techniques such as rhythm, flow, the ability to enhance an actor’s performance through editing, visual storytelling, methodology for keyboard shortcuts, and accelerating the editing process. This course will be building on what is explored in the Video Editing course and taking it to the next level. Students will integrate the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that every element of filmmaking finds its fulfillment in the cut. Prerequisites: CANM 284 or CANM 310 and CANM 288. (4 credits)
This course will introduce you to the study of directing actors. You will be taught the fundamentals of preparing as a director for a role or scene. We will cover the specific demands of acting for the camera and discuss the differences between stage and film techniques. Through a variety of exercises, you will acquire the tools to direct actors to perform on camera with confidence. Topics covered include: diverse directorial styles; audition and rehearsal techniques; working with actors on a scene and character development; improvisation; story and text analysis; developing, blocking, and shooting a character-driven scene; editing a performance. Prerequisites: Only open to CANM major, specialization, minor, or content of the professor. (4 credits)
In this course you will be introduced to the tools to create a wide range of projects turning your imagination into reality. You will have the opportunity to create professional designs, digital collages and illustration and graphic art. Deepen the understanding of your creative process and articulate your ideas from abstract to concrete. Equipment and software needs: basic computer skills, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. (2 credits)
Explore and learn the fundamentals of modern methods of digital arts. Learn different methods of graphic art, ranging from digital illustration, vector art, photo-manipulation, collage, formatting text and exporting for different media and to achieve a wide range of possibilities. This class will focus on teaching the basics of Adobe Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator. Prerequisite: basic computer skills, drawing, painting or photography skills, Adobe Creative Cloud. (4 credits)
Digital photography helps strengthen the connection between the photographer’s vision and the resulting images by providing nearly instant feedback and furnishing ever-subtler tools for self-expression. In this course, students learn foundational principles that underlie digital photography, while using principles of consciousness to consolidate both the experience and understanding of digital photography. Topics include: mastering the digital camera, managing a digital workflow, principles of composition and lighting, and expressing the photographer’s vision in the digital darkroom using Lightroom and Photoshop. Prerequisite: computer skills. $20 lab fee. (4 credits)
The Studio Photography course will provide the foundational skills to attain well-balanced images of light, shadow, color, and composition. Students will explore a variety of different lighting scenarios of studio photography such as portrait photography, fashion photography, product photography, black and white processing and more. We will then explore the foundational principles of post-production processing beginning with RAW digital processing in Adobe Lightroom to prepare photos for additional JPG processing in Adobe Photoshop to create stunning and captivating images while integrating principles of consciousness and self-expression. Prerequisites: Basic computer skills, Adobe Creative Cloud (4 credits)
With modern music recording and production being more accessible than ever, anyone with a computer can share the melodies in their head with the world. Be it a symphony or the next number one hit single, students will learn to use music creation software to make their dreams come true. Minor knowledge of music preferred. Students will learn basic compositional techniques as well as production and sound engineering methods to bring as much clarity to their vision as possible. (4 credits) Prerequisite: basic computer skills.
The Mixing and Mastering course is designed to give students a well-rounded and foundational understanding of how to use the proper tools to separate, exemplify, equalize, compress, route, monitor and export audio to create a clear and pleasing sound to for listener that expresses all the audible frequencies available in a song. Students will work to mix and master their own music from the Digital Music Production course or in collaboration with fellow colleagues. Prerequisite: CANM 233. (4 Credits)
Science fiction and fantasy writers use their creative intelligence and imagination to explore the full potential of life. The name speculative fiction is given to these popular genres because writers imagine different kinds of human society. Speculative fiction writers imagine what the future will be like, what additional abilities and attributes humans will develop, and how we might use science and technology to redesign life and shape new worlds in other solar systems. They also explore deep themes about what it is to be human, along with the benefits and dangers of technology and powers that are extraordinary. Speculative fiction stories can influence cultural trends, inspire political movements and contribute to debates about a wide range of ethical and social issues. An essential aspect of science fiction and fantasy writing is world-building, and we will dedicate time to looking at software that helps writers with this process. Every world a speculative fiction writer creates must also have compelling characters and a good story. Students will spend time working on story structure and techniques to develop a character. In this course, we focus on the writers of speculative fiction, examine some influential works, and undertake a course project writing a science fiction or fantasy short story or section of a novel. Prerequisites: WTG 191 or consent of the Professor. (4 credits)
The Global Solutions course seeks to answer the question, why aren’t we doing enough to avoid the ongoing consequences of climate change, the depletion of natural resources and ecosystems, and loss of biodiversity? Any reasonable person can see that the need is great, the solutions are available, or within reach, and the consequence of not doing enough will be severely detrimental. Every day there are stories about the declining state of our world, and growing evidence of the negative impacts of global warming. Millions of lives are being impacted by the unsustainable use of the planet’s resources on an unprecedented scale and at breakneck speed. These global imbalances and lack of access to resources challenge the human dignity and self-development of hundreds of millions of people. Are there alternatives that provide self-determination, resource sufficiency, the regeneration of natural systems, and just and sustainable practices at every level of society? This course provides a critical understanding of the pressing issues of our world and its people and examines potential solutions that are regenerative for people and the planet. Debate, self-determined research, and course assignments will test all assumptions, examine counterarguments, and open paths for a student to determine their own trajectory. We enable you to discover and integrate new knowledge and experience, and to determine what part you wish to play in the great project of this century, one that we all know we need to achieve for the good of humanity. (4 credits)
Students will be introduced to the process of preparing a story to be told in a visual medium. Students will learn the basics of script and screenplay writing by participating in basic skills exercises, including dialogue emulation and performance, script-to-screen analysis, and scene adaptation. To produce effective screenplays, students will develop their own toolkit for overcoming challenges in idea conception, story structure, and dialogue. Course work will result in scripts suitable for production in later courses. This is a writing-intensive course (4 credits)
In this project-based course, the faculty will review the work produced by advanced students up until the course, then the faculty will guide, mentor, and assist students in improving upon and achieving their highest creative vision. In this course, students will be encouraged to experiment and approach their creative process from a place of freedom and intuition. The faculty will facilitate a more exploratory approach to media and cinematic arts and expose the students to a range of filmmakers, artists, musicians, and other such creators to get inspiration and learn from them. At the end of the course, students should have their best work fine-tuned, and be able to create from a deeper level. Prerequisites: 16 credits in MC or CANM courses and consent of faculty.
In this project-based class students will have the opportunity to continue on the progress of the work started in the Media Lab class. Prerequisite: CANM 376
This is a capstone course in which individuals who have taken the courses in Cinematic Arts & New Media or other programs, to come together to envisage and then realize a set of core projects across a range of media. These projects are formulated among the student group with the aid of faculty members. The first stage of the course will be the generation of the project ideas, which can include ideas that utilize a range of media or ideas that are focused on a particular medium, film, music, websites, etc. The central goal of the course is for students to apply everything they have learned to these projects. This can be a cooperative venture, so students can be involved in a variety of projects playing different roles on each one. The idea is to produce great projects that get noticed. Prerequisites: courses that teach skills that will be used on the Creative Studio. Creative Studio provides the ideal setting to undertake the senior project for those students who are graduating.
In this course, students have a chance to further develop their skills, their understanding, and their portfolio by completing advanced media projects in film/ video, web design, graphic design, animation, music and/or sound design. Students may also work on a research essay in the field of their study in order to further develop their critical thinking and research 2015/16 242 skills. (Variable credits — may be repeated for credit) Prerequisite: CANM 380 and consent of the Cinematic Arts & New Media faculty.
What’s the difference between the BA and the Bachelor’s Specialization?
The BA program includes 12 credits of required core courses, 20 credits across four categories, 8 elective credits, and an 8-credit senior project, totaling a minimum of 48 credits. This option provides greater depth and scope within the field of Cinematic Arts &New Media while still allowing for a personalized selection of courses.
The Bachelor’s Specialization includes 32 program credits, 28 of which are electives chosen from the program catalog, allowing students to focus on the creative niche of their choice. Students can take a Specialization as part of a BA in Applied Arts & Sciences, or any other degree program, to broaden their expertise with a greater range of courses.
What are the degree requirements?
A minimum of 128 credits (semester hours) is required for students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. This may include up to 90 transfer credits.
Undergraduate degree students may apply to transfer credits for up to half the coursework in the major. Transfer credits are accepted for courses completed with a grade of “C” or higher.
Only two courses are required of all undergraduate students
Exploring Consciousness
This course is your entryway into MIU and Consciousness-Based Education. We dive into an ancient yet radically new framework for understanding the universe and our place in it. This model holds that consciousness, not matter, is fundamental. With this in mind, we look at some of life’s big questions: How can we develop our fullest potential as human beings? How do art and stories help us understand that potential? How can our own growth help create a more just and peaceful society? What do the world’s great wisdom traditions have in common? How can we improve education and healthcare? The new paradigm we explore in this course infuses all your classes at MIU. In this course, you'll learn the Transcendental Meditation® technique to awaken the full potential of consciousness in your life.
Comments from students
“I truly had a significant experience every single day in class.”
“I’m hesitant to even call it a class; it felt more like a philosophical playground. Not only do I feel like the course has primed me well for the rest of my time at MIU, I feel that the information covered in class will be extremely relevant for the rest of my life.”
“It was easily digestible, deeply engaging (edge of my seat in pure focus many days), and incredibly enjoyable.”
Writing
Writing is a crucial skill not only for college but for life. Students are required to complete at least one writing course; a second writing course may be required depending on an entering student's skill level.
Cost & Aid for bachelor‘s degree, 2026-2027
US On-Campus Undergraduate
The table below is the estimate for a semester during 2026-2027 of a typical new MIU undergraduate (transfer-in FAFSA Independent with maximum Pell Grant) and is subject to change in future years.
Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees
$9,350
Housing and meals
$3,700
Grants and scholarship
-$8,148
Federal student loan
-$4,902
Your payment
0
Additional Financial Aid Information
Personal Expenses and Books
Your potential costs for personal expenses, transportation, books and supplies may cost an additional $4,800 per semester and may be partially covered by $2,000 Federal Work Study and $1,000 Federal Student Loans.
Grants and Scholarship
Grants and scholarship combines MIU scholarship and federal grants based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Education Tax Incentives
There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.
Veterans
For questions regarding Veterans Benefits, please contact Tal Ron, our Veterans Certifying Official and Director of Financial Aid, at tron@miu.edu or 641-472-1156.
Loan Repayment Options
Standard
Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Extended
Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.
Graduated
Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Income-Based
Your monthly payments will be either 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (depending on when you received your first loans), but never more than you would have paid under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.
Income Contingent
Payments are recalculated each year and are based on your updated income, family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. Any outstanding balance will be forgiven if you haven't repaid your loan in full after 25 years.
Income Sensitive
Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.For more information, contact us at awardofficer@miu.edu for a quick reply — normally one business day — or see more about financial aid.
US Online Undergraduate
The table below is the estimate for a semester during 2026-2027 of a typical new MIU undergraduate (transfer-in FAFSA Independent with maximum Pell Grant) and is subject to change in future years.
Full-Time (two courses at a time)
Tuition and fees
$9,200
Grants and scholarship
-$5,848
Federal student loan
-$3,352
Your payment
0
Part-Time (one course at a time)
Tuition and fees
$5,600
Grants and scholarship
-$2,824
Federal student loan
$2,776
Your payment
0
Additional Financial Aid Information
Other Potential Expenses
While attending college, you may have out-of-pocket cash living expenses, including books, supplies, transportation, or other personal costs which could total an estimated $8,500 per semester and may be partially covered by federal student loans.
Grants and Scholarship
Grants and scholarship combines MIU scholarship and federal grants based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Education Tax Incentives
There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.
Veterans
For questions regarding Veterans Benefits, please contact Tal Ron, our Veterans Certifying Official and Director of Financial Aid, at tron@miu.edu or 641-472-1156.
Loan Repayment Options
Standard
Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Extended
Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.
Graduated
Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Income-Based
Your monthly payments will be either 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (depending on when you received your first loans), but never more than you would have paid under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.
Income Contingent
Payments are recalculated each year and are based on your updated income, family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. Any outstanding balance will be forgiven if you haven't repaid your loan in full after 25 years.
Income Sensitive
Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.For more information, contact us at awardofficer@miu.edu for a quick reply — normally one business day — or see more about financial aid.
International On-Campus Undergraduate
Semester Payment
Tuition and fees
$9,350
Housing and meals
$3,700
Health insurance (estimate)
$1,278
Your payment
$14,328
Personal expenses and books (estimate)
$1,750
Students may apply for up to $3,000 per semester scholarship based on documented financial need using an application available after applying to the university.
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.
International Online Undergraduate
Semester Payment
Full-time (12 or more credits)
$9,200
Part-time (9-11 credits)
$600 per credit
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.
What are the entrance requirements?
In general, we require bachelor’s applicants to have received a 2.5 GPA or above from their most recent institution attended. Applicants below a 2.5 may still be considered depending on additional qualifications.
Additional requirements
English language verification
International applicants must submit official English proficiency test scores within the past 2 years from one of the following: at least 100 on Duolingo, 6.0 on IELTS Academic, 51 on PTE, 79-80 [0-120 score] or 4.0 [1-6 score] on TOEFL iBT.
Before your first class
All MIU students practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique. If you have not learned it yet:
Once accepted as a US student, the cost of TM instruction is covered through a grant offered by MIU
On-campus students can either learn TM upon arrival or prior to enrolling
Online students are required to learn the TM technique before starting the first class
Contact your admissions counselor for details
Find information on the TM technique or search for a TM teacher at TM.org
FAQ
No. We will teach you everything from scratch. All you need is the will to learn and some passion for the area you choose to learn. Experience always helps but we’re here to guide you through the entire process from start to finish.
Online Students: Yes. Our classes use up-to-date, industry-standard software like the Adobe Creative Cloud software. As a student, you are required to purchase your own Adobe Creative Cloud license. It costs $19.99/month for the first year and then $29.99/month every year after that. On top of that, you’ll have to purchase your own equipment. We will provide you with links to find the best computer, camera, lighting, and sound equipment for your budget. Contact your financial aid officer about additional grants and loans for purchasing equipment.
On-campus students: Yes. Each on-campus CANM class has a $20 lab fee to help pay for our expenses. This lab fee will give you access to state of the art equipment and software ranging from computer, camera, lights and sound equipment to software required to go through your classes.
We have professional state of the art film/video, photography and sound studios as well as Youtube and podcast recording rooms and a media lounge available for our on-campus students. All you need to access our spaces and equipment is training on how to use the equipment and a $20 per class lab fee. The lab fee that you pay allows you to check out film and audio equipment and studio space for the duration of the class. You can also check out equipment even if you’re not taking a CANM class for that particular class.
Yes. However, before you enroll you’ll need to learn the TM technique since it is a key element of Consciousness-Based Education. This instruction will be in-person with a certified TM teacher near you. Since we offer an on-campus program as well, US-based students can opt to study on-campus for a semester or longer any time during your education.
All MIU students practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique. If you have not learned it yet:
Once accepted as a US student, the cost of TM instruction is covered through a grant offered by MIU
On-campus students can either learn TM upon arrival or prior to enrolling
Online students are required to learn the TM technique before starting the first class
Contact your admissions counselor for details
Find information on the TM technique or search for a TM teacher at TM.org
A minimum of 128 credits (semester hours) is required for students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. This may include up to 90 transfer credits.
Undergraduate degree students may apply to transfer credits for up to half the coursework in the major. Transfer credits are accepted for courses completed with a grade of “C” or higher.
You should plan to spend 12-14 hours per week for a 4-credit course. If you are taking two courses at a time, you should plan to spend 24-28 hours per week reading, creating assignments, writing discussion forum posts, and studying course materials.
There are two semester terms, plus a January term and a summer term, in the academic school year.
Online students: 4-credit courses are eight weeks long and 2-credit course are four weeks long.
On-campus students: 4-credit courses are 4 weeks long and 2-credit course are 2 weeks long.
Online students: You can take one or two courses at a time. Choose the pace that is best for you. Full-time students take 12 credits or more per semester, and Three-quarters time students take 9-11 credits per semester
On-campus students: Full-time only, 12 credits or more per semester
An undergraduate major is a primary field of study during your undergraduate years. This major defines the actual degree and specifies core courses, electives, and the foundational knowledge that you will acquire. An academic specialization is a more concentrated area of courses which you can choose in addition (32 additional credits) to your major field, which may be in the same disciplinary area or something different.
Next Steps
Get your questions answered
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Your admissions counselor will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with program faculty when you have questions.
As a student, you’ll learn the Transcendental Meditation technique. This evidence-based technique reduces stress, enhances clear thinking, and heightens creativity. It will also get you in touch with your deepest self, helping you to bring renewed creativity and fresh inspiration to every one of your projects.
This course is your entryway into MIU and Consciousness-Based Education. We dive into an ancient yet radically new framework for understanding the universe and our place in it. This model holds that consciousness, not matter, is fundamental. With this in mind, we look at some of life’s big questions: How can we develop our fullest potential as human beings? How do art and stories help us understand that potential? How can our own growth help create a more just and peaceful society? What do the world’s great wisdom traditions have in common? How can we improve education and healthcare? The new paradigm we explore in this course infuses all your classes at MIU. In this course, you'll learn the Transcendental Meditation® technique to awaken the full potential of consciousness in your life.
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