LOS ANGELES — The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has officially opened the application cycle for its prestigious Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Media Arts program. Designed for artists who are critically and experimentally engaging with the intersection of media, technology, and contemporary culture, the rigorous three-year graduate program invites a new cohort of creative practitioners to challenge established boundaries within the arts.
The application deadline for prospective students wishing to join the upcoming cohort has been set for January 4, 2027.
Situated within the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in the heart of Los Angeles, the program offers a unique institutional environment. It carefully balances the intimate, close-knit community of a small graduate cohort with the vast intellectual and technical resources of a premier world-class research university. Through an immersive curriculum comprising intensive studio practice, technical and theoretical seminars, rigorous group critiques, and individualized tutorials with distinguished faculty, students are encouraged to develop ambitious, large-scale bodies of work. At the same time, the program challenges them to interrogate deeply ingrained ideas about art, technology, and the evolving role of the media artist in the twenty-first century.
The faculty driving the department’s interdisciplinary approach feature a diverse roster of leading artists, theorists, and researchers whose practices span a multitude of dynamic fields. The instructional team includes Steve Anderson, Jenna Caravello, Erkki Huhtamo, Peter Lunenfeld, Lauren McCarthy, Chandler McWilliams, Rebeca Méndez, Romi Morrison, Sahej Rahal, Casey Reas, Mindy Seu, Danny Snelson, Ramesh Srinivasan, and Eddo Stern. Their collective expertise covers computational and generative art, moving image practices, performance, games, sound design, critical media studies, artificial intelligence, networked culture, and experimental forms of research and publishing.
Beyond the direct mentorship of the faculty, graduate students benefit immensely from a rich ecosystem of specialized research centers, creative laboratories, and collaborative communities housed across the campus. These include the UCLA Game Lab, UCLA Social Software, the Art|Sci Center, the CounterForce Lab, and the UCLA Arts Conditional Studio. Furthermore, the university encourages media arts students to look beyond the immediate boundaries of the department, inviting them to draw upon courses, ongoing research initiatives, and intellectual communities throughout the broader UCLA campus to enrich their interdisciplinary trajectories.
Students accepted into the program gain access to comprehensive financial support, which includes financial aid, paid teaching and research assistantships, various departmental grants, and competitive fellowships. Additionally, MFA candidates are granted round-the-clock access to the department’s dedicated shop and state-of-the-art digital fabrication facilities, providing the physical and technical infrastructure necessary to realize complex creative visions.
The program actively seeks to admit applicants from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, artistic disciplines, and diverse forms of practice. Admissions selectors are particularly interested in candidates whose creative output actively expands traditional definitions of what media art can be and how it interacts with society.
Prospective applicants interested in learning more about the curriculum, funding opportunities, or the upcoming virtual information sessions are encouraged to visit the official program website at mfa.dma.ucla.edu.
