The Department of Art accepts applications only for the fall quarter.

Admission to the department is based on acceptance by the UCLA Division of Graduate Education and a faculty review of complete applications.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. For the M.F.A. degree, applicants are evaluated on their creative work. Please refer to the Department's Portfolio Guidelines for detailed instructions. The portfolio should represent both the artistic medium the applicant is planning to emphasize and their potential for advanced specialized study.

Program Information for Prospective M.F.A. Students

Prospective M.F.A. Student Information Sessions:

Information sessions for prospective Fall 2026 M.F.A. applicants are being offered remotely via Zoom. During these sessions we will share information about the program and application process, and take any questions you may have. Please register in advance:

• Tuesday, October 21, 3:00pm
• Thursday, December 4, 9:30am

Past Faculty and Student Panel Discussions:

Faculty and Student Panel 2023

Earlier Panels: Faculty and Student Panel 2021

Areas of Study: Faculty Interviews

View faculty discuss the M.F.A. Art areas of study.

• New Genres Area: Vishal Jugdeo and Gelare Khoshgozaran
• Interdisciplinary Studio Area: Andrea Fraser and Cauleen Smith

For Prospective M.F.A. Students Interested in Visiting the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios:

Please visit the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios page for information on how to schedule a visit.

Student Fees and Financial Support

General Information

Please refer to the following website for information about estimated Annual fees: https://sa.ucla.edu/RO/Fees/Public/public-fees

UCLA offers several kinds of financial assistance for graduate students. M.F.A. applicants are encouraged to complete the fellowship section of the UCLA Graduate Application for campus-wide award opportunities. Admitted candidates are given the opportunity to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions which offer a quarterly salary and a partial fee remission during the term(s) of employment.

The UCLA Financial Aid Office administers financial support for eligible US citizens and permanent residents based upon need. For graduate students, need-based financial aid is awarded primarily in the form of loans and work-study. Please visit the UCLA Financial Aid Office Website for detailed information.

Extramural fellowships also are made available by many off-campus agencies and foundations. Applicants should contact the funding organizations directly for information regarding extramural fellowship opportunities.

More detailed information on financial support is available in the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission and at the UCLA Division of Graduate Education Web site.

Graduate Funding

Our Graduate funding breaks down into three main categories:

• Departmental Scholarship Support: Combination of donor gifts and other direct award support determined annually by the faculty and distributed relatively consistently across the program for all new and continuing MFA students.
• Employment: Admitted candidates are given the opportunity to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions within and outside the Department of Art. Teaching Assistantship positions offer a quarterly salary and a partial fee remission during the term(s) of employment.
• Competitive Awards: Applications for competitive awards through the School of the Arts and Architecture are made available and reviewed during the winter quarter for disbursement during the following academic year. Information about campus-wide competitive awards can be found on the UCLA Graduate Education Website.