May Term 2020: Open to the Public
Update: March 18, 2020
Given the public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus, and in line with recommendations from the CDC, Maine College of Art & Design has canceled the upcoming May Term courses.
If you would like to learn more about upcoming May Term opportunities, please email info@meca.edu.
MECA&D is pleased to invite community members and new and current students to enroll in one or more of our May Term classes at our special tuition rate of $1,280 per course (additional studio fees may apply). These courses offer those who complete them 3 college credits each, which may be applied here or transferred to your current institution. Each course is offered in an intensive, compressed format over five short weeks.
Register Now
Do you identify with any of the questions below? If yes — MECA&D’s May Term offers a class catered to your specific needs to advance your visual-arts education and career.
- Hungry for a studio-arts experience at a world-class art college?
- Need to fulfill your studio elective at your home institution?
- Intrigued by an introductory experience in transmedia storytelling with the Salt Institute?
- Seeking to fulfill some of the course requirements of a teaching certificate?
- Already a MECA&D student interested in fulfilling an English credit online?
Information + Registration
Running May 11 - June 11, 2020
Students who enroll in these courses will have access to campus resources and their classroom studios between 9am and 8pm, Monday–Friday, during the term.
These courses are open to the public. You don't need to be admitted to a MECA&D program to apply. Students interested in MECA&D programs who enroll in these courses should know that taking one or more of these courses does not imply admission to our programs.
Current MECA&D students may qualify for financial aid. Transfer or non-matriculated students are welcome to enroll in this unique opportunity to earn college credits that may apply to electives at their home campuses. Each of these courses is offered without a prerequisite.
Undergraduate-course enrollment is contingent on confirmation of a high school diploma or GED, or demonstration of acceptance into a degree program in the US. Graduate-course enrollment is contingent on verification of a Bachelor’s degree in any field, or a minimum of 90 credits toward a Bachelor’s degree program, or permission of the instructor.
Interested students who are not currently enrolled at MECA&D must complete and return the Non-Matriculated Student Enrollment form. Please download the
May Term 2020 Application and return it to
registrar@meca.edu. Additionally, students will need to supply vaccination records and copies of transcripts to the registrar in order to receive credit for these courses.
For more information, please contact MECA&D’s registrar at
info@meca.edu.
Ready to enroll? Visit to reserve your spot today! Registration closes April 30.
Register Now
This term, we are excited to offer:
The Salt Institute presents an Introduction to Documentary Storytelling, with Salt alum Nora Boydell. This is a Bachelor’s level, 3-credit experience for undergraduates looking to sample Salt. This is a great course for students in writing, communication, new media, or journalism programs, or for those who are looking to develop a portfolio before applying for our graduate certificate!
Master of Arts in Teaching presents Teaching Exceptionality in the General Education Classroom (with an Arts focus), with Piper Bolduc. This is a graduate level, 3-credit experience. This is an excellent course for educators looking to advance their skills or for any degree-holder in any discipline seeking to fulfill the course requirements for certification.
English Composition (fully online), with veteran MECA&D educator Dr. Seth Rogoff. This a fully online, 3-credit undergraduate course is an excellent opportunity for existing MECA&D students to gain academic writing skills in a focused, intensive, rigorous learning environment. We also welcome students from other institutions to enroll.
Methods and Media in Illustration, with Michael Connor, is a 3-credit, undergraduate, foundational studio-art course perfect for those seeking an elective experience in the multimedia field of illustration.
Introduction to Drawing, with Jim Flahaven, is a 3-credit, undergraduate, introductory studio-art course perfect for emerging artists to evolve this critical, foundational artistic skill which is a cornerstone for any creative pathway!
Full course descriptions below:
MAT: Teaching Exceptionality in the General Classroom with a Focus in the Arts
MAT: Teaching Exceptionality in the General Classroom with a Focus in the Arts
Master of Arts in Teaching, MAT 506, May Term, 2020
Instructor: Piper Bolduc
Meetings: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 1:30–5pm
Dates: May 11–June 11, 2020 (Memorial Day closed, May 25)
In this graduate course, students will develop an understanding of the legal, ethical, social, and educational issues that affect how schools meet the needs of exceptional students. Students will explore the characteristics of exceptional learners, discover effective instructional strategies for exceptional learners, and demonstrate how to provide educational services and resources to nurture an accessible classroom that accommodates learners with a diversity of educational needs. This course will focus on developing an inclusive art classroom, and the methods can be applied to any general education classroom. Students will create a robust curriculum of lesson plans for teaching exceptionality in the general classroom.
No course prerequisite, though students enrolling in this course must minimally possess a Bachelor’s degree in any field. Course materials and textbook TBD.
The Salt Institute’s Introduction to Documentary Storytelling
The Salt Institute’s Introduction to Documentary Storytelling
SA 200, May Term, 2020
Instructor: Nora Boydell
Meetings: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9–12:30pm
Dates: May 11–June 11, 2020 (Memorial Day closed, May 25)
How do you tell a story? The art of storytelling is one of the oldest forms of narrative as people would gather around a fireplace or the family radio to hear and tell stories to one another. It was a practice of history in the making as stories become memories and memories make up histories. The modern-day story is still constructed of the same material of those campfire tales, but the media we use to deliver them—from podcasts to websites to radio to film—has evolved. The Salt Institute of Documentary Studies brings you this introductory course to documentary storytelling. In this course, students will not only learn to tell better stories but to live them and deliver them using mixed media. We will draw upon a variety of documentary practices and methods to explore the craft of storytelling and learn how to tell good stories. Students in this course will complete a final project in an audio storytelling format, such as a podcast or other audio-based recording.
No course prerequisite, though students enrolling in this course must minimally possess a high school diploma or GED. Course materials and textbook TBD.
English Composition (Online)
English Composition (Online)
EN 100, May Term, 2020
Instructor: Dr. Seth Rogoff, PhD
Meetings: Online - Google Classroom. Though this course will be provided asynchronously, students are expected to turn in work on a schedule and may be asked to have occasional, synchronous meetings with the instructor of academic support staff either by phone or web-conference.
Dates: May 12–June 11, 2020
Writing is an essential part of college learning and successful art practice. In this class, students will explore a variety of approaches to writing essays, including descriptive, reflective, analytical, and scholarly argumentation. Reading will be an essential element of the class. Students will also develop skills in research and citation using the Chicago Manual of Style. Three credits for May term, compressed at 9 hours of class time per week.
Required: No course prerequisite, though students enrolling in this course must minimally possess a high school diploma or GED. Course materials and textbook TBD. High-speed internet and a webcam with microphone/speakers or earbuds required for this fully online, asynchronous course.
Methods and Media in Illustration
Methods and Media in Illustration
IL 110, May Term, 2020
Instructor: Michael Connor
Meetings: Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays (likely 1–4:30pm, TBD)
Dates: May 12–June 12, 2020
Students learn and build technical skills using a variety of water-based materials such as acrylic, gouache, and watercolor as they apply to illustration. Students will gain an understanding of the effective use of color through painting and color mixing exercises. Focus on representational and observation. 3 credits/semester; 9 hours/week.
Required: No course prerequisite, though students enrolling in this course must minimally possess a high school diploma or GED. Course materials TBD.
Intro to Drawing
Intro to Drawing
DR 100, May Term, 2020
Instructor: Jim Flahaven
Meetings: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 5–8pm
Dates: May 12–June 11, 2020
This course introduces drawing from perception, including techniques for measurement, contour, massing, volume, and rendering illumination through value. Compositional skills such as placement and figure/ground interaction are stressed. Drawing materials include vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, stamp, and india ink. Subject matter includes still life, interior, landscape, and the figure. 3 credits/semester; 9 hours/week.
Required: No course prerequisite, though students enrolling in this course must minimally possess a high school diploma or GED. Course materials and textbook TBD.
