About Master’s Program,
The Department of Art Practice at UC Berkeley offers a two-year Masters of Fine Arts Degree headed by our faculty of internationally-recognized artists, and enriched by a roster of affiliate faculty from multiple departments across campus. We offer professional art training in the context of a rich and distinguished liberal arts and sciences university.
UC Berkeley’s Art Practice MFA program is committed to artistic innovation and intellectual rigor. The program aims to broaden the productive, conceptual, and critical faculties of students in their pursuit of careers as professional artists. Our cohort of graduate students is intentionally intimate: we graduate 6 students per year, and our program is multi-disciplinary. Our low faculty-student ratio facilitates regular one-on-one instruction. Group critique and peer review are integral components of the program. We encourage students to explore a wide range of media, and to pursue electives taken departments outside Art Practice, as well as within our own studio and critical theory courses. Distinguished visiting artists provide a supplementary lecture and studio visit curriculum to MFA students.
The UC Berkeley Art Practice MFA culminates in an MFA thesis show at the internationally recognized Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA).
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The minimum graduate admissions requirements are:
Expect to or hold a bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution.
A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and
Enough undergraduate training and/or professional experience to do graduate work in your chosen field.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
California residents (in-state students): 100% of enrolled MFA students receive financial support equivalent to both years of their MFA studies’ in-state tuition from Art Practice.
UCB offers additional kinds of financial assistance for graduate students. All students also receive moderate materials grants for their studio practices. Merit-based support is available in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and modest departmental awards. Financial awards are offered to the most outstanding eligible new and continuing students in the MFA program. Award recommendations are made by faculty. Factors considered include creative work, potential, and, in some cases, financial need. For Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions, special abilities and prior experience with teaching are factored into the decision, but are not required to receive an assistantship.
The UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office administers financial support for eligible US citizens and permanent residents based upon need. For graduate students, need-based financial aid is awarded in the form of loans and work-study.
Extramural fellowships also are made available by many off-campus agencies and foundations. Applicants should contact the funding organizations directly for information regarding extramural fellowship opportunities.
Facilities Access
All art facilities including the Ceramics Studio, Printmaking Studios, Sculpture Studios, and Digital Media Labs are freely accessible to MFA students normally. During COVID-19, access is extremely limited and regulated on a case-by-case basis.
Application Requirement,
Academic Records
Evidence of English Language Proficiency
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Other Test Scores
Letters of Recommendation
Statements
Application Fee
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2025
Application Fee,
U.S. citizen or current permanent resident, the non-refundable application fee is $135; for all others, the fee is $155.
