MA Design Admissions Print

PLEASE NOTE: The Master of Arts in Design program is not currently accepting applications for admission.

The Master of Arts in Design program is small and admission is highly selective. Only a few candidates are admitted each cycle. Students applying should have sufficient studio experience to undertake advanced projects independently.

The successful applicant is someone who has a strong sense of what s/he wants to accomplish and demonstrates the background and potential to reach his/her goals. A student admitted to the Master of Arts in Design program is expected to be independent and self-directed, while making use of the abundant resources available within the College of Environmental Design and the campus as a whole.

The Design program is intended for students who wish to pursue an original creative/research project. This is not the program for students who seek applied professional training in graphic design, illustration, etc.

Application Components

1.  University Application and Fee. The University application and fee ($80 for U.S. citizens or current permanent residents, $100 for all others) must be submitted online by the application deadline. The department will not accept paper applications.

2.  Results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or evidence of English proficiency: either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For reporting purposes, the school code is 4833. The GRE must have been taken after June 2008. The TOEFL or IELTS exam must have been taken after June 2011.

3.  Statement of Purpose and Biographical Summary.

4.  Three letters of recommendation.

5.  Two sets of official college transcripts.

6.  Portfolio in the form of slides or photographs.

In the statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, and portfolio, the applicant needs to present the following:

  • A clearly designed project area. (What is the focus of the proposed inquiry?)
  • Expertise in a particular medium (drawing, painting, photography, multimedia, etc.).
  • Indication of which College of Environmental Design faculty (or faculty from related university departments) with whom you would work.
     

All application materials must be postmarked by the application deadline and mailed to:

MA in Design Admissions c/o Lois Koch
Architecture Graduate Office
370 Wurster Hall #1800
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1800

Review of Applications

The Graduate Division will send you a confirmation email after your online application is submitted, so please be sure that the email address you indicate on Form A is one you check regularly. Important: To work around bulk email or SPAM guards, the Architecture Graduate Office requests that applicants set up a filter in their email accounts to direct email from the following address to their "In" folders: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please note: We request that you do not call or email inquiring about your application status. If we are missing any of your application materials, we will email you.

Notification of Acceptance

Unofficial application decisions are emailed to applicants by the end of March. Applicants who have been recommended for admission are notified by the Graduate Division by mid-April. Only the written notice of the Dean of the Graduate Division constitutes approval of admission. Correspondence with the department or with individual faculty members, no matter what the content, does not commit the University to an approval of admission.

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Department of Architecture
University of California, Berkeley
232 Wurster Hall #1800
Berkeley, CA 94720-1800
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