Prospective Graduate Student FAQ

Historically, the department has structured the funding packages for all MFAs in the program such that they receive full funding through tuition/fee remission (including health insurance) along with a stipend, as well as a salary through TA employment, in order to fund their entire time in the MFA program. This is accomplished through either the awarding of one of our prestigious central fellowships (which provide full tuition remission and a substantial stipend without the requirement to TA in the first year) or through a combination of TA employment and department stipend awards. Teaching Assistant appointments vary from 25% time (approx 10 work hours per week during the quarter) to 50% time (20 hours per week). Employment as a TA at 25% time or greater provides the mentioned full in-state tuition remission, as well as remission of most fees (including health insurance.) Additionally, TAs also receive a monthly salary (approximately ~$1964  per month of appointment during the quarter at 25% time, or $3928 per month at 50% time.) Note that the monthly salary is in addition to the tuition and fee remission received from employment (ie, students receive that money to pay towards rent, supplies, or any other living costs.) More info on student academic employment is available here from the Graduate Division.

A full breakdown of all tuition costs and fees for graduate students can be found on the Graduate Division website here, including housing (although, please note that as a graduate student in Art on fellowship and/or TA employment, you would not be liable for a vast majority of fees and tuition listed.)  After the first year, out-of-state students can establish California residency if they are a U.S. citizen. For out-of-state students in their first year, the department pays for their out-of-state tuition (through either fellowship remission or department funds) with the expectation that they will establish CA residency for their second year.

The best time to visit is when the department holds its annual MFA Open Studios event in mid-November each year (the department instagram page, @artdept_ucsb, will always have advertising leading up to the event.) This event also functions as our yearly “info session” for prospective MFA applicants, as it allows you to meet current MFA students, faculty, and staff, and to see a showcase of current work from our wonderful graduate students in their studios (we also hold a department facility tour beforehand for any prospective applicants who reach out.) Please also note that in general, campus visits are only possible when classes are in session and faculty and staff are present (so please note that during the holiday season in the months of November and December, there are several departmental closures that occur due to holiday breaks and many faculty/staff are out of office for vacations/leaves.) Please contact the Staff Graduate Advisor to arrange a tour. We also have created a virtual tour that you can view to get a great summary of our facilities and studios (although, note that this video does not include our newest screenprint studio lab, which replaced the papermaking area shown in the virtual tour.)

You are welcome to contact the Staff Graduate Advisor for assistance in connecting with current graduate students.

The total number of students in the two year program is about 12-16. Out of 90-100 complete applications, we accept 5-9 students per year.

No, it is not required, but applicants should have an undergraduate degree with some emphasis in visual studies, although this is not necessary. We feel artists can come from a broad spectrum of interests.

A limited number of fee waivers are available for qualified US citizens and permanent residents who demonstrate financial need. McNair Scholars and Project 1000 applicants are among those eligible. Fee waivers are not available to international applicants. Within your application click on the Payment Information tab and scroll-down to the fee waiver information. Submit your request online by selecting the option relevant to you and uploading your supporting documentation. You must submit your fee waiver request at least two weeks before the application deadline.

We require LORs to be submitted to both your UCSB application and to your Slideroom application. Please submit your applications prior to the deadline. Your recommenders can still submit their letters afterwards, but they must be received by the end of the week of the application deadline at the absolute latest, in order to be reviewed by the admissions committee.

You may receive an email or phone call if you are being considered for admission as early as the middle of January, or as late as the end of April. Official offers of admission or denials will be available to the applicant on their UCSB application. An email will be sent to the applicant when the decision can be viewed. If you need information about your status before you have heard anything from either the department or the University, please email the Staff Graduate Advisor.

We are told every year when prospective students visit that they had no idea we had such fantastic facilities to make work and that our studios are larger than most. All students have access to large, private studio spaces which are located on campus at Harder Stadium. Studios range in size from 250sqft to 450sqft, and there is substantial shared common space available for events and additional storage.

In addition to 24/7 access to the graduate studios, the following labs are open to graduate students: woodshop, digital print studio, printmaking, sculpture yard, foundry (metal and mold making), computer/digital arts lab, and a 3D fabrication lab. See the Facilities tab above for more information.

Historically, we have offered TA positions at 25% time (approximately 10 hours per week) or higher to our graduate students. These positions come with partial fee remission for California resident tuition and fees, and a salary of approximately $5,667 per quarter (assuming a 25% TA appointment.) Historically, the department has been able to provide all of our MFAs who aren’t already receiving tuition/fee remission through central campus fellowships with employment as Teaching Assistants for all registered quarters in the program. For more details, see “what is the total cost of the program” tab below.  For more information on campus fees and tuition breakdowns, please refer to the Graduate Division website (although, please note that as a graduate student in Art on fellowship and/or TA employment, you would not be liable for a vast majority of fees and tuition listed.)

Applicants can fill out the FAFSA form online at https://fafsa.ed.gov by March 2. The school code for UCSB is 1320. See Financial Aid for more details.

As an applicant to the MFA program you might be considered for a Central Recruitment Fellowship if the Art Department identifies you as a truly outstanding candidate. The department will nominate you, you do not apply for this.

Typically, the Central Fellowship will provide fee remission (CA resident fees and possibly out of state fees) and a stipend in the range of $22,000 to $24,000 for your first year. Some fellowships come with a $5000 stipend for the summer.

If you have taken the GRE (not required for admission) and have excellent scores, you might choose to submit them as part of your application.

Other fellowships that are typically awarded to incoming students may include money from the Department of Art that could be applied to out of state tuition, or given as a stipend. Again, as an applicant, you do not apply for these.

UC Santa Barbara offers a variety of housing options for graduate students. For information on how to apply for housing, please visit Housing and Residential Services. The deadline to apply for housing at San Clemente Villages is typically May 15th each year (be sure to check the housing website for details.) As long as you have filled out a UCSB Graduate Division online application form, you can apply for Family Student Housing, if planning on attending with a partner and/or children, even before you are admitted. This is recommended as Family Housing has a rolling placement process based on availability, and wait times for placement can be 6-12 months depending on availability and priority (families with children receive priority for placement.) You are also welcome to seek housing in the community (in which case, you do not need to submit an application for university-owned housing; see the Community Housing Office for help getting started).

Seventy-two quarter units are required: 36 in Graduate Studio courses (Art Studio 244, 261 and 591), 12 units in Theory and Criticism (Art Studio 245 or 594, or approved graduate level theory from related departments), 12 units of M.F.A. Thesis Preparatory (Art Studio 593); and 12 units of electives (related courses selected from various disciplines). Please see the General Catalog more information on specific courses (click on “Course Listings”; all courses numbered 200 or higher are graduate-level courses).

During Spring quarter of the first year of residency, graduate students are reviewed by the full faculty through open studio visits, group exhibition and/or presentations (which are augmented by written statements) and a vote is taken regarding advancement to the second year of study.

Following their first year of study, graduate students are required to formulate their graduate thesis committee, comprised of 3 members from the Department of Art and university faculty. This committee oversees the completion of the final graduate thesis project as well as the written thesis (25 pages), which is a required document for each student as part of his or her fulfillment of an MFA degree.

For more details on the requirements and structure of the program, see the Graduate Handbook.

There are many opportunities for graduate students to exhibit on campus, in the local arts community and in Los Angeles, through established department connections with arts professionals and a variety of affiliated venues. In fact, many of our recent graduate students have exhibited or are represented by highly respected galleries in California and nationally, further providing an expanding network of future possibilities. Faculty has also been instrumental in bringing our graduates to the attention of curators, in addition to providing a variety of professional opportunities both during candidacy and after graduation. Our job placement in related fields and university programs (including tenure track positions) has been rising steadily over the past five years.

Most of our alumni have a professional art career or teach in higher education. From a survey of our alumni taken in 2011, when asked to select all the occupations/positions within the arts in which they have worked since completing their UCSB MFA, 57% indicated they worked as an Educator in Higher Education, 28% indicated Museum or Gallery positions, 26% were Arts Administrators/Managers, and 83% indicate their current occupation/position is in the arts.