Program Overview
MFA Program Overview
The Visual Art MFA program at UC Riverside offers an intensive environment of advanced art research and practice for highly motivated students. The program is set in the striking landscape of the San Bernardino Mountains and in close proximity to Los Angeles' international art scene. The theoretically driven curriculum prioritizes studio production, and an explorative and open approach to both traditional and interdisciplinary media encourages students to experiment and pursue their aesthetic ideas in the media that most benefits their practice.
Program Structure
The MFA program is designed to be completed in 3 years (9 quarters) of full-time work (at least 12 units per quarter). Students will receive a degree in Visual Art. The course of study is not characterized by medium. Students that are accepted into the MFA program are given opportunities to participate in exhibitions, including a first and second year exhibition at the Riverside Art Museum, solo and group exhibitions in the Phyllis Gill Gallery on campus, and their thesis exhibition at UCR ARTS.
Facilities and Resources
MFA students receive beautiful, generously-sized studio spaces (350+sq' with 12' walls) and have access to excellent state-of-the-art facilities, including photography, video, and digital labs, and a fully equipped sculpture shop with 3D printing and CNC equipment. Each student is given their own studio to create work during the program.
Faculty and Visiting Artists
The intimate scale of the program boasts an unusual student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 8, allowing for deeply engaging interactions with the nationally and internationally exhibiting faculty members. The core of the program is independent creative work done in consultation with faculty. The dynamic visiting artist lecture series provides students with the opportunity to engage with eighteen internationally recognized artists, curators, and critics through lectures and studio visits each year, broadening and intensifying the discourse.
Degree Requirements
The MFA is a Plan I (Thesis) Master's degree program, requiring 72 units in graduate or approved upper-division undergraduate courses that must be completed with at least a letter grade of "B" or "Satisfactory." Required courses include:
- Three courses of ART 285, Graduate Critique
- ART 230, Contemporary Critical Issues
- ART 240, Critical Theory
- ART 299, Research for Thesis
- ART History Graduate Seminar
- 20 units of ART 293, Directed Individual Studio Production
Professional Development Requirement
To meet the Professional Development requirement, students will enroll in ART 400: Art Practice Seminar, offered one time per year in the spring quarter. Students must complete the course a minimum of two times.
Funding and Teaching Opportunities
Successful applicants receive generous financial support through teaching assistantships, fee remission while employed as a TA, health insurance coverage, and a salary for each quarter of their TA appointment. Competitive fellowships, including the Gluck Fellow program, help reduce the cost of tuition and fees.
Admission
Acceptance into the Visual Art MFA program is predicated on acceptance by the UCR Graduate Division. All materials must be received by the January 8, 2026 deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Application Instructions
The application process for the UC Riverside Visual Art MFA program is divided into two parts:
- UCR Graduate Division Application
- Slideroom Digital Portfolio
The UCR Graduate Division Application requires:
- Graduate Statement of Purpose (Maximum 2,000 words)
- At least three Letters of Recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended
- Graduate Division Supplemental Fellowship Information Form
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
The Slideroom Digital Portfolio requires:
- Artist Statement (up to 3000 characters)
- Up to 20 image, video, and/or audio files
- Caption each file with title, date, dimensions, and medium
International Applicants
International applicants are required to submit official TOEFL scores as part of their application. International students are eligible to receive teaching assistantships, Gluck fellowships, and other departmental awards. The UCR Graduate Division subsidizes the Nonresident Supplemental Tuition Fee (NRST) for all international students who complete their MFA degree within the normative time of 3 years (9 quarters).