Applications for the MFA Program in Media Arts at UCLA are now open. Our newly expanded three-year program offers intensive support for experimental, interdisciplinary practice, with a variety of scholarships and paid teaching or research positions.

This rigorous program supports the sustained exploration of contemporary arts practice in the context of media and technology. Through technical and critical seminars, group critiques, and individual tutorials with faculty, each student is challenged to question conventional ideas about art, technology, and new media while developing a critical awareness about their own work.

Located within UCLA’s prestigious School of the Arts and Architecture, students in the Department of Design Media Arts work closely with the department’s faculty, which includes Jenna Caravello, Erkki Huhtamo, Peter Lunenfeld, Lauren Lee McCarthy, Chandler McWilliams, Rebeca Méndez, Romi Ron Morrison, Sahej Rahal, Casey Reas, Mindy Seu, Eddo Stern, Victoria Vesna, Steve Anderson, Johanna Drucker, Ramesh Srinivasan, and Danny Snelson. Students also have the opportunity to take full advantage of the resources UCLA provides as a leading research university.

Students are offered financial aid packages, the opportunity to apply for paid teaching and research assistantships, and access to numerous grants and fellowships. Other resources include 24-hour access to a state-of-the-art shop and digital fabrication lab, and individual studio spaces.

The application deadline is January 4, 2026. We are especially interested in candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or fields of study that may challenge the conception of “media artist.” To learn more or register for a virtual info session, please visit mfa.dma.ucla.edu.

*Featured Image: DMA MFA Alumni Aurora Mititelu’s thesis installation Abel & I *