MFA in Design

Virtual open house UC Davis Graduate Program in Design: December 12, 12–1pm (PST). Email contact below for Zoom link.

Please join us for a virtual open house to learn more about the UC Davis Graduate Program in Design. The UC Davis MFA in Design is a two-year program that encourages an interdisciplinary research based approach that allows students to take advantage of the many resources available at a top tier public university. We offer graduate students a unique chance to work with dedicated and renowned faculty (across a broad spectrum of design related disciplines) as well as with faculty, staff, researchers, and students across the entire university. 

Our two-year program guides students to develop their research and creative practices based on key understandings of design issues in history, theory, and practice. Through a series of carefully designed core courses, students progress alongside their cohort members while simultaneously advancing their individual thesis work. The MFA program culminates in a widely publicized thesis exhibition hosted at the Manetti Shrem Museum as well as with a written thesis, which is included in a thesis archive. During their time in the program, students are exposed to thought leaders in design through events such as the Alberini Family Lecture Series, the Research in Design Lecture Series, and other events. Graduate students are also supported in their efforts to present their developing or completed thesis work at internationally recognized conferences and exhibitions 

The Design MFA offers a generous number of Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions for 10-20 hr. per week that covers tuition and health insurance (for candidates applying by the January 15, 2024 priority deadline). Some highlights of the program include state-of-the-art makerspace, shops, labs, critique and studio spaces; travel and production stipends and fellowships; interdisciplinary learning across the university; deeply engaged and highly active faculty; Associate Instructor teaching opportunities; lecture series featuring renowned speakers; collaborative exchange opportunities; yearly exhibition opportunities.

UC Davis is ranked first in the nation for campus sustainability by UI Green Metric (2022), it is ranked first in the nation for diversity, inclusiveness, and internationalization by QS University Rankings (2021), and it is ranked sixth among the nation’s top public universities by US News and World Reports (2024).

We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This commitment is reflected in our efforts to recruit faculty of color and the diverse makeup of the student body, as well as in our varied research interests contributing to conversations in social justice, sustainability, public interest, and public-engaged scholarship.

The expansive scope of our program—that encompasses many subfields within design—is evident in the wide array of career paths our graduates pursue after completing their studies. These paths encompass roles both within and outside the design industry. Several recent graduates have secured tenure-track positions at universities worldwide while others have embarked on careers at top tier museums, or in technology related fields, as well as at leading research and design related organizations.

To register for the open house(or ask any questions), please email: ragundes [​at​] ucdavis.edu. Rachelle Agundes, Graduate Program Coordinator, T +1 530 752 8710.