Digital Arts & New Media MFA

The Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) program offers a Master of Fine Arts degree.

Important: Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation are required of all applicants.

Read the Application Instructions page for full details.

Below are specific requirements also needed for this program:

Résumé

A Statement of Purpose is required:

This should be a concise (500-1000 words maximum), well-written essay about your background and your reasons for pursuing graduate study in the field of Digital Arts and New Media. Our selection committee places particular importance on the statement of purpose. It should exhibit your ability to present ideas in clear, coherent language.

MFA candidates applying to a terminal degree program must be prepared to pursue advanced, interdisciplinary work in the field of Digital Media Arts.

Your statement should indicate: how knowledgeable you are in relation to Digital Arts and New Media; how your undergraduate studies and other recent experiences (work, community involvement, and so forth) serve as a foundation for graduate study in the field; how and why you intend to build on this foundation of knowledge and apply your graduate training to social and/or theoretical problems.

Your statement should: discuss your reason for applying to our program in particular; articulate your relation to/interest in at least one of the collaborative research project groups; describe a project you would like to pursue while in the program; articulate the relation between your present and/or proposed work and the larger discourse (or ongoing critical conversation) into which you feel it is situated.

A Personal History Statement is also required:

This statement will be used in conjunction with your application for graduate admission and financial support. Note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.

UC Santa Cruz is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.

An online portfolio:

Submit your most exciting and relevant work. Student projects are of interest only if they illustrate points made in your Statement of Purpose.

Physical portfolios are accepted in addition to the online portfolio if there is sufficient reason, i.e. the applicant is submitting a published book, a tactile interface, etc.

Physical material should be sent to the following address: UC Santa Cruz Digital Arts & New Media Program, Digital Arts Research Center, Rm. 302 , 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

The portfolio may include one or more of the following: 10-15 still images maximum; 10 minutes of video maximum; 2-3 links to interactive pieces maximum.