• 1)      Meet minimum academic requirements for the University of California system. First Year requirements are here, Transfer requirements are here. UCLA admits for Fall Quarter only. This material is due at the end of November.

    2)      Submit a required supplemental application. The supplement is typically due in mid-December and consists of additional artist statements and a portfolio of visual artwork. This supplement is submitted through SlideRoom.

    If you are a currently enrolled UCLA student in another major who wishes to be a UCLA Arts major, please look up the application information for Current UCLA Students.

  • 1. Creative and Artistic Vision in Game Design: Students will demonstrate the ability to conceptualize and create innovative game experiences, incorporating aesthetic principles, narrative structures, and interactive design.

    Skills: Visual design, storytelling, character development, environment creation, and multimedia integration in game design.

    2. Technical Competence and Craftsmanship: Students will acquire the technical skills required for game development, including proficiency in game engines, physical game making, programming, interactive media tools, and new technologies such as VR/AR.

    Skills: Game engine knowledge (e.g., Unity, Unreal), coding (C#, C++, Python), 3D modeling, physical fabrication, animation, sound design, and user interface design.

    3. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Students will work collaboratively across disciplines (e.g., art, design, engineering, theater, film, literature) to produce complex and innovative game projects.

    Skills: Teamwork, communication, interdisciplinary thinking, project management, and collaboration across diverse creative fields.

    4. Critical Thinking and Theory in Game Design: Students will critically analyze the cultural, social, and philosophical implications of games, including themes of representation, ethics, and the role of games in society.

    Skills: Game theory, cultural analysis, ethics, and social impact assessment of games, with the ability to engage in academic discourse and reflection.

    5. Experimental and Conceptual Approaches to Game Design: Students will develop an experimental approach to game design, exploring unconventional game mechanics, media integration, and innovative narratives.

    Skills: Experimental game development, prototyping, use of new media (e.g., mixed reality, installation art), and conceptual approaches to game creation.

    6. Proficiency in Game Production and Workflow: Students will be able to plan, manage, and execute game projects from inception to completion, employing industry-standard practices while maintaining an artistic and innovative focus.

    Skills: Project management, scheduling, iterative design processes, playtesting, and revision techniques.

    7. Cultural Literacy and Engagement with Global Game Communities: Students will understand the global landscape of game culture, identifying diverse gaming traditions, players, and developers, and how games reflect cultural narratives and histories.

    Skills: Global game industry knowledge, cultural analysis of gaming, engagement with diverse gaming communities, and awareness of the economic and political contexts of game production and distribution.

    8. Communication and Presentation Skills: Students will be able to effectively present and communicate their game concepts, design decisions, and outcomes to a variety of audiences, including both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

    Skills: Public speaking, pitching game concepts, writing clear and persuasive documentation, and creating compelling visual and multimedia presentations.

    9. Professional Development and Industry Awareness: Students will gain insights into career paths within the game industry and be prepared for professional practice, whether in design, development, or academia.

    Skills: Networking, career development, portfolio creation, and understanding of industry trends and practices.

    10. Adaptability and Lifelong Learning: Students will be equipped to adapt to emerging technologies and trends in the game industry, continuing their professional and creative growth post-graduation.

    Skills: Self-directed learning, research, adaptability to new tools and technologies, and a commitment to ongoing skill development.

    By achieving these outcomes, students will be prepared to pursue careers as game designers, developers, researchers, or educators, contributing to the evolving landscape of games and interactive media from an artistic, cultural, and technical perspective.

  • The target enrollment for Games, across all four years, is 60 undergraduates.

  • We do not, we only have the major.

  • The Games major is NOT a formal or recognized pathway to the Architectural Studies major, which only admits Transfer students. All of our majors have distinct faculty, facilities, and curriculum; we do not swap applicants between majors at the point of admission review.

    If you are interested in architecture but cannot apply to that major because you are not a Transfer applicant, please read this FAQ.

  • This depends on how you define your relationship with technology and digital media. As a public institution, the department understands that even though technology seems ubiquitous, not everyone has meaningful access to specific programs.

    Do you need to know certain software for admission? No. Visual artwork that has been generated by/involves technology is not a requirement for admission into the program. We are looking for your sensibility around design thinking, which can be expressed in many different ways.

  • For both First Year and Transfer applicants, the evaluation considers the following:

    • Portfolio of creative work (submitted in SlideRoom)

    • UC PIQs (from UC application)

    • Academic History (from UC application)

    • Extracurriculars/Honors/Awards (from UC application)

  • While we do not have portfolio samples, or offer portfolio reviews (more info about this here), here is some guidance from the faculty, on how to prepare supplemental materials:

    "This is a program meant for the development of conceptual and aesthetic critical thinking. Take the time to learn as much as you can from the website, and look at examples of our past student's work."

    "This is a research university, where students get access to humanities, to sciences, to different ways of thinking. It's a different context from an art school."

    "We work with a lot of different media, so it's helpful in your portfolio to see work with different kinds of media. Digital media is a real focus for us, so tailoring your portfolio as much as possible to the focus of our program will give us the best sense of whether it’s the right fit. If you haven’t worked with digital media before, it’s helpful to use your written answers to explain how you envision your practice transitioning to include new types of media."

    "It's important to see your technical skill set, but your work does not need to be heavily technical. We’re more interested in the conceptual focus behind your work."

    "We want students who are curious, experimental, and open, with a rich inner artistic voice."

    "For any written responses, we encourage you to be as specific as possible and tell us what excites you. Written responses can be particularly illuminating and connecting if your portfolio is not explicitly design/digital media.”

    "Be cautious about including very standardized assignments from a class if they're not showing your unique vision or creativity."

    "We like to see some cohesiveness across pieces. Each part of your application is one piece of the larger picture, be mindful of those relationships between your application elements as you edit and organize your story."

    *

    Here is more information about how to format your portfolio.

  • In concert with the portfolio, take care with preparing your UC PIQs. The evaluators are interested to read your UC PIQs to get a sense of how you engage with ideas of community and scholarship. All of the UC campuses are research-based, as is the UCLA Department of Design|Media Arts. What does it mean to put your talents to work in design at a research university where you have a wide variety of opportunities to engage with the world as an artist citizen?

  • Yes! We have a comprehensive Transfer Guide just for you:

    https://www.uclaarts-admission.com/dma-transfer-guide