Master of Fine Arts in Design - Interactive Design

The MFA in Design is a two-year program that encourages an interdisciplinary approach through research and practice that align with social and environment responsibilities. We offer graduate students a unique opportunity to work with a dedicated and renowned design faculty within one of the nation's top public research universities. And we do our best to fully fund our graduate students through Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions. Students work with outstanding faculty within the Design Department and the greater university. Design faculty expertise includes design theory, exhibition, fashion, history, information, interactivity, interior architecture, immersion, lighting, product, textiles, time-base, visual communication, wearables, and more. Students are encouraged to build connections across campus by working with faculty from the arts and humanities, to social sciences and politics, from biological sciences and agriculture, to the professional schools of medicine, law and veterinary.

The MFA in Design with an emphasis in Interaction Design prepares students to integrate digital and physical media practices with academic research, experimentation and skill. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, including research and practice in the arts and humanities, computer science and data science, electrical and mechanical engineering, and social sciences, among other disciplines. The program rigorously considers technology both as a medium to expand creative possibilities for interaction and as a phenomenon that invites critical discourse about the role of technological change in culture. Students are encouraged to explore diverse subject matters, and to create interactive objects and spaces, installations, and social interventions.

Applicants to our MFA should hold an undergraduate degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, preferably in design or related field such as art, art history, or architecture. They should show excellent promise in design, as demonstrated by portfolio review, and have had suitable course preparation in foundation areas such as two- and three-dimensional composition, drawing, media, computer graphics, design history, art history, and related social sciences, as well as in the area of study they wish to pursue. Undergraduate studies should include a minimum of 20 units of university level design or topics related to the areas of design taught at UC Davis. Letters of Recommendation. Transcripts. For International Students, you must have a TOEFL score of above 90 (speaking must be 26 or above) or a minimum IELTS score of 8. Duolingo is also accepted and a minimum of 115.