MFA in Visual Arts
at UC San Diego, San Diego

2.8 /5

(4 Reviews)

Shiksha popularity ranking

#20 in MFA in USA

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Public University
Department of Arts and Humanities

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MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Overview

International students can pursue MFA in Visual Arts at PG level at University of California - San Diego Campus. The duration of the course at the university is 3 years. The course is among the top-ranked courses in the International students must meet the entry requirements such as complete academic qualification, a valid test score in exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo to be eligible for the course. The University of California - San Diego Campus tuition fee for international students for MFA in Visual Arts is around USD 29,737 (INR 2,854,455) for first-year. Students must manage additional costs such as:

Rent
Hostel fees
Food, books
supplies
Utilities, etc.

The average University of California - San Diego Campus cost of living is USD 9,716 (INR 932,639).

Duration	3 years
Tuition & Fees	₹28.47 Lakh Get Fees details
International Students Admission Website	Go to Website
Course Level	PG Degree
Mode of Course	Full Time

MFA in Visual Arts

Table of contents

Overview
Fees
Entry Requirements
Rankings
Placements
Highlights
Scholarships

MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Fees

To get admission in MFA in Visual Arts at University of California - San Diego Campus students need to cover tuition fees and living costs. The fee structure varies based on whether the student is domestic or international. For international students the tuition fee for the first year is USD 29,737 (INR 2,854,455). In addition to these students should budget for

Other living expenses
including
housing
food
transportation
books and personal expenses

These costs can differ based on lifestyle and personal choices. According to the data available the average University of California - San Diego Campus cost of living for international students is USD 9,716 (INR 932,639). Students can plan their stay accordingly. Since the cost of living varies from student to student it’s important to plan accordingly. For a breakdown of the University of California - San Diego Campus MFA in Visual Arts fees refer to the table mentioned below.

1st year tuition fees

Fees components	Amount (for 1 year)
Tuition & fees	INR 28,47,328
Application Fee	INR 14,841

Other expenses in 1st Year

Fees components	Amount (for 1 year)
Hostel & Meals	INR 9,30,310
Insurance	INR 4,22,259

Calculated at the exchange rate of 1 USD = INR 95.75036 | Tuition & expenses were last updated on 6ᵗʰ February 2024

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MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Entry Requirements

Requirements for 12th grade Lock Icon

No specific cutoff mentioned

Graduation Lock Icon

CGPA - 3/4
A Bachelors degree is required to apply to the graduate programs. Applicants do not need a BA/MA in Art History but most of the students have a strong background in Art History or adjacent disciplines or Applicants do not need a BFA in Art Practice to apply for the MFA program, but most of the students have a strong background in art-making with humanities and social science research interests
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GPA

Percentage

CGPA

TOEFL

No specific cutoff mentioned

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Convert your CGPA to GPA

Calculate your score and check your eligibility at over 2000+ universities.

GPA

Percentage

CGPA

PTE

No specific cutoff mentioned

IELTS

Marks - 7/9

Duolingo

No specific cutoff mentioned

Conditional Offer Lock Icon

Not mentioned

Which exams out of the above do I need to give?

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MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Rankings

Course Ranking

University Ranking

Rank	Rank Publisher
#51	Performing Arts QS, 2026

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MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Placements

Particulars	Statistics (2021)
Internship Available	Yes

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University of California - San Diego Campus
Students Ratings & Reviews

2.8/5

2 Verified Reviews Info Icon

Student Views (Based on Reviews)

0% students never faced discrimination in this university

Vibe of Campus

Stressful

Multi-dimensional

Academically oriented

Internships2.5

Part time work2

Post study jobs2

Quality of faculty3

Student Life2

Value for money2

Public transportation4

Safety5

Indian Food4

Permanent Immigration1.5

Shrivaths Shyam

M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Batch of 2024

4.9

Friendly faculty and staffs.

Tips: I have become more independent and have learnt to survive but the cultural shift was easy to manage for me because of the friends I made here. I got a research assistantship in a lab and was able to pay for my expenses throughout my second year of master's. I am very satisfied with the university, course and country.

Likes (Quality of faculty): Professors are friendly and they have a variety of materials with which they teach. They are easily approachable either via email or even during their office hours and sometimes in person as well. Professors are from different countries and the diversity is big here.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): The chance to settle in this country is a little less given the different rules and regulations, but once an employer sponsors an H-1B visa and does your permanent residency processing you can continue to live as long as you have a job. If given the chance I would like to permanently immigrate to this country.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1000

Prepping time for classes40 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 100000

Reviewed on 31 Dec 2025Read more

Deepak Sridhar

MS in Signal and Image Processing - Batch of 2027

4.2

Good courses, faculty, research and career options make UCSD a top choice

Tips: Students should look at the cost of living and financial aid options before joining the campus as it is generally expensive to live around San Diego area. Students should clearly be prepared in choosing their track either industry or academic research and start preparing for it from day one. The courses require prior requisites and so students have to carefully look at the track they choose relevant to their interests and put in efforts to achieve their goals. Teaching assistantships are very competitive but might be available during the second year of your program. You'll have to do well on the courses and maintain good contact with the professor if you are looking to get one. Some students get TAs outside their department which is an option to consider. Courses are rigorous and the quarter system is fast-paced. So one has to adapt to this structure.

Likes (Safety): The college administration considers safety to be of utmost importance with annual safety reviews happening every year. Any safety is immediately published to make you aware of the incidents. The campus has security officers to report to even at night times. The area around campus is filled with student population, so there is no concern for safety.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): Due to the H1B immigration system, permanent immigration system is convoluted although it might take longer than expected. There are no specifics to the university, this is general for all US universities. Given a chance I would immigrate to this country especially considering the state-the-art work done at many companies

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1400

Prepping time for classes25 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 150000

Reviewed on 11 Feb 2024Read more

Anonymous

B.S. in Economics - Batch of 2027

2.6

San Diego is one of the safest cities in the US.

Tips: I would recommend coming abroad for Masters. I became more independent living abroad and I did not unnecessarily face any cultural shock since I came from an international school. People here definitely like to do a lot of the stuff by themselves. I like more of a sense of community.

Likes (Safety): San Diego is one of the safest cities in the US. There is campus security, but the dorms do not have security guards. There's a helpline number that can be contacted at any point of the day and the San Diego police are usually quick with the way they approach things. I have never had to use any of the services personally.

Dislikes (Post study jobs): The job market is not doing well right now and it's hard to build a network. There are career fair but no one really guides you through the process and you need to figure it out for urself. If you avail all of the university help, then it could be worthwhile but you really need to put yourself out there.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 350

Prepping time for classes3 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 80025

Reviewed on 2 Feb 2026Read more

Anonymous

Master of Science in Computer Engineering - Batch of 2027

3.0

The college has its pros and cons.

Tips: The college is academically oriented and the social life here is very less. The quarter system moves very fast and it is hard to learn something new given the very little time we get. Students barely get time to study or do things that will make them learn and implement something new, unless you hyper specialize in a particular area.

Likes (Safety): The area around the campus is pretty much safe with very few homeless people. There's public transport like shuttle buses from student housing and campus, but the frequency of that reduces after 6 and stops after 9 or 10 PM. It's safe to walk back to the graduate student housing in the night, although I haven't heard many bad experiences doing so, it's still advisable not to walk back alone in the night and have at least another person with you.

Dislikes (Student Life): The college is not very socially active and there are barely any student gatherings or meet-ups, so it's socially dead and it's not like other colleges in the East Coast, where students get time to party and chill. This is a pretty rigorous and fast paced college, so student life takes a hit.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1500

Prepping time for classes23 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD

Reviewed on 25 Nov 2025Read more

View All 4 Reviews

MFA in Visual Arts
at
UC San Diego
Highlights

MFA in Visual Arts is offered by Department of Arts and Humanities under University of California - San Diego Campus, USA.
This a Masters level program of a course duration of 3 Years.
Download the brochure to read more details of this course.