How to Apply

***We are not currently accepting applications for the M.F.A. Design program for Fall 2024 admission. We recruit students for the program in alternating years.***

To apply to the M.F.A. program in Design, a completed application and application fee ($135 for U.S. Citizens and lawful U.S. Permanent Residents, and $155 for all other applicants) is required. The application fee must be submitted online (checks will not be accepted). All graduate applications are submitted electronically and must be supported by appropriate academic transcripts from each college/university attended and three letters of recommendation. Unofficial transcripts must be submitted online with the graduate application. Official transcripts must be provided only after a candidate has been accepted by the program and formally admitted to the university. All letters of recommendation must be submitted online. Design portfolios should be uploaded to the electronic application; if the portfolio is available online, a link to the specific website should be uploaded.

Submission of the Statement of Purpose is mandatory. Submission of the Personal History Statement is optional. The Department of Drama has no word/character minimum or maximum length requirements for these statements.

Please be sure to specify on the online application your "Specific Area of Interest" as either Scene, Costume, Lighting, or Sound Design.

The application deadline for those wishing to interview at the Irvine campus is March 1, but in order to be eligible for scholarships and other financial offers, we encourage you to apply by February 1.

For Design applicants, the GRE exam is not required. After we have received and processed your M.F.A. application, application fee, and portfolio, our design faculty will contact you, if you meet their initial criteria, regarding your interview time and location. If you move after you submit your application, it is important that you notify our office with your new address and phone number. The deadline for submission of letters of recommendations is March 10th. Only persons who have submitted applications, application fees, and portfolios can be assigned an interview.

UCI participates in the U/RTA review process. Applicants to UCI do not have to participate in U/RTA, but if they do, faculty representatives will be interviewing U/RTA applicants on the following dates in 2023:

  • Scene Design
  • Online: Saturday, February 4, 2023
  • Chicago (in-person): Wednesday, January 25, Thursday, January 26, Friday, January 27, 2023
  • Costume Design
  • Online: Saturday, February 4, 2023
  • Chicago (in-person): Wednesday, January 25, Thursday, January 26, Friday, January 27, 2023
  • Lighting Design
  • Online: Saturday, February 4, 2023
  • Chicago (in-person): Wednesday, January 25, Thursday, January 26, Friday, January 27, 2023
  • Sound Design
  • Online: Saturday, February 4, 2023

Design portfolio reviews and interviews for U/RTA applicants may be scheduled via the web at http://www.urta.com, by email at Info@urta.com, or by phone at 212-221-1130.

For those international applicants that are required to successfully complete an English langauge proficiency exam (TOEFL or IELTS) to be considered for admission, please know that:

The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

  • Please select institution code 4859 to have your official score sent to UCI. No department code is needed.
  • We only accept scores submitted electronically by ETS.
  • Test results that are two years old or older are not acceptable.
  • We do not accept MyBest scores; you must submit all individual test scores.
  • Results of institutional (non-ETS) administrations of the TOEFL are not acceptable.
  • We will accept the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test.  The same minimum score applies.
  • We do NOT accept the TOEFL ITP Plus test for China or the TOEFL Essentials test.
  • For more information, please visit their website at www.ets.org/toefl

TOEFL Score Requirements for Admission Consideration:
An overall minimum score of 80.

As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

  • We only accept scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted.
  • Test results that are two years old or older are not acceptable.
  • We will accept the IELTS Indicator test.  The same minimum score applies.
  • An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution. 
  • For more information, please visit their website at www.ielts.org.

IELTS Score Requirements for Admission Consideration:
An overall minimum score of 7 for admission, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module.

Find out more:

          :: Apply Electronically
          :: Graduate Division website
          :: Graduate Housing
          :: Financial Aid
          :: Information for International Applicants
          :: Application Fee Waivers