LanguagesSchool of the Arts
and Architecture
Transfer Admission
The School of the Arts and Architecture offers the following majors:
- Architectural Studies
- Art
- Design | Media Arts
- Ethnomusicology
Jazz Studies, World Music - Music
- World Arts
and Cultures
Dance, World Arts and Cultures
Applicants are considered on the basis of academic achievement as well as departmental screening requirements. California community college students are strongly encouraged to complete IGETC; all other transfer students are encouraged to make progress toward completion of the school's general education requirements.
In addition to the UC Application, applicants are required to submit supplemental application material (e.g., questionnaire, portfolio, or audition information). Specific requirements, deadlines, and procedures for submission must be obtained from each department's Web site (see links above). Applicants should begin working on the department's supplemental application shortly after submitting the UC Application, as deadlines are strictly enforced.
Please refer to Transfer Admission for additional information on transfer admission requirements.
Architectural Studies
The focus of the architectural studies major is on the built environment. The curriculum conceives of architecture as a cultural, creative, and technical practice and a discipline with direct social impact. Within the context of a liberal arts education, a finely balanced set of architecture and urban design courses ranging from the history and theory of design to contemporary building technologies, will provide students with a diverse foundation of knowledge in the field of architecture and prepare them for graduate school and/or careers in a wide range of fields.
Preparation for the major*
- two courses in the history of architecture (Pre-history - Mannerism and 1600 - Present)
- one introduction to architectural studies course
*Most transfer applicants will be required to complete these three preparatory courses at UCLA.
Portfolio and supplemental requirements
Applicants must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, submit a statement of interest, and three 8x10 images of creative work.
Art
The department is committed to professional art training and encourages new fields of investigation. The department offers courses in painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, art theory, and new genres (including performance art, video, installation, and non-studio work).
Preparation for the Major
One course in each of the following:
- drawing
- sculpture
- painting
- photography
- ceramics
- new genres (performance art, video art, installation, and non-studio work)
- four courses in art history (including one covering each of the following art historical periods: 1850s - 1920s, 1920s - 1960s, and 1960s - present)
Exemptions to lower division requirements will be determined by the department after admission.
Portfolio and Supplemental Requirements
In addition to the general UC application, applicants must complete a supplemental application, which includes the portfolio and a statement of interest and goals. The portfolio consists of eight to ten digital still images of original artwork completed in any media, and must be presented in JPEG format.
After submitting the UC application, applicants will be emailed instructions regarding supplemental requirements. Additional processing fees may apply.
Design | Media Arts
The program emphasizes visual, audio, analytical, theoretical, and technology mediated work in design and media arts. It fully integrates computers and other digital technology into the curriculum. This uniquely challenging program invites students to balance their aesthetic sensibility with logical reasoning, formal theories with practical application, and contemporary thought with historical perspective.
Preparation for the Major
- One course in each of the following:
- drawing
- color theory
- two- and three-dimensional form
- digital media/computer design
- letterforms and typography
- design history
- design culture
- interactivity and media art
- Two additional courses in design history
Exemptions to lower division requirements will be determined by the department after admission.
Portfolio and Supplemental Requirements
A two-part portfolio of five to ten examples of a student’s original recent work and a self-portrait in any medium must be submitted in digital format on one CD-Rom. Work should focus on design/media arts; interactive, video, web, photography, motion graphics, print media, games, animation, or other creative expressions. Applicants with work on video may submit excerpts on the CD-Rom as .avi or .mov files with the total length of the entire compilation totaling no more than two minutes. Still images must be in either JPEG or TIFF formats and be 1024 x 768 pixels at 72 dpi in RGB format. Applicants must complete a supplemental application and submit a statement of purpose. For specific portfolio guidelines and the supplemental application, please visit www.dma.ucla.edu/education.
Ethnomusicology
Jazz Studies, World Music
The major combines hands-on musical experience with academic study to explore the rich variety of musical expressions throughout the world.
Preparation for the Major
All preparatory courses should be taken at UCLA.
Audition/Interview and Supplemental Requirements
Following the application for admission, applicants are asked to submit two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a completed questionnaire in addition to completing an audition and interview with faculty.
Music
With a strong focus on the musical transitions of Europe as well as international and American musical styles of the last century, the major offers concentrations in performance, musical education, composition, and jazz studies.
Preparation for the Major
- a one year comprehensive music theory course sequence, covering musicianship and theory, as well as keyboard skills if needed
- two years of applied private instruction on a primary instrument or in voice
- two years of participation in a large performance group such as orchestra, choir, or wind ensemble
- one year of music history and analysis.
Additionally, for music education majors:
- one course in cultural or world music
Exemptions from lower division requirements will be determined by the department.
Audition and Supplemental Requirements
Applicants who live within 200 miles of campus must audition in person; others may submit a recording. Those planning to audition on certain instruments must first submit a prescreening recording. All applicants must complete a questionnaire and a personal statement.
World Arts and Cultures (WAC)
Dance, World Arts and Cultures
The department is at the forefront of innovative, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural studies of the arts, offering a curriculum in which students can explore the vital relationship of the arts and performance to cultural theory and criticism. The dance concentration, with the distinctly WAC approach to dance, shifting standard models for teaching of this art form at a university, brings together the possibilities of cross-cultural and contextual studies, civic engagement, and choreography studies. The world arts and cultures concentration brings together arts activism, community engagement, and the study of Los Angeles as a laboratory for the study of the world.
Preparation for the Major
All preparatory courses should be taken at UCLA. Exemptions/substitutions to lower division requirements will be determined by the department after admission.
Audition and Supplemental Requirements
Successful applicants must have strong academic preparation and show evidence of involvement in the arts and community that demonstrates interests in varied cultures. All applicants will be asked to submit a written research paper, transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and two personal essays. Applicants to the dance concentration will be asked to audition. Submission of additional creative material is optional.
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