About

About

As the premiere public arts school in the nation, the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts) plays a vital role in the cultural and artistic life of the campus and the broader community. Guiding our mission is the belief that the arts are not only an essential part of the cognitive, critical, inquisitive life of a public research university, but the practice and presence of the arts are a cornerstone of the creative, innovative thinking and collaborative approaches that the 21st century demands.

One of 12 prestigious professional schools at the University, the School of the Arts and Architecture offers leading programs in four degree-granting departments: Architecture and Urban Design, Art, Design | Media Arts, and World Arts and Cultures/Dance. Our commitment to innovative education, pioneering research, dynamic public service, and community engagement is fueled by our unwavering belief in the fundamental value of creativity and the artist’s unique ability to change the world and shape the future.

Our students have unparalleled opportunities to learn from and interact with distinguished faculty who rank among the most accomplished artists, designers, architects, performers, ethnographers, and scholars of our time. Grounded in an understanding of the profound interdependence between creativity and academic research, our innovative and rigorous programs combine studio-based practice with critical studies and liberal arts scholarship—all within the context of a leading research university. In advancing this holistic approach to arts education, the school strives to motivate and empower its students to serve as cultural leaders of the 21st century.

Our programs encourage interdisciplinary inquiry and creative production while upholding the highest standards of excellence and innovation within each discipline. Deep thematic through lines that are shared between departments and across disciplines create a fertile platform for collective inquiry, dialogue and creative production. Our eight research centers foster groundbreaking connections between the arts and other disciplines, bringing together creativity and research to address issues such as global health, climate change, urbanism and other critical challenges of the 21st century.

Our Visual and Performing Arts Education Program (VAPAE) offers students the opportunity to develop into informed teaching artists while delivering hands-on arts programming to K–12 students in underserved communities. A dynamic public events program and special projects extend VAPAE’s engagement with the community and position the School at the forefront of the local and national debate about the importance of K-12 arts education.

Our internationally acclaimed museums—the Fowler and the Hammer—and groundbreaking performing arts program—UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance—offer students, faculty and the broader community rich access to leading anthropological, historical and contemporary visual arts exhibitions and collections, performances, lectures and workshops by established and emerging artists from Los Angeles and around the world. This unique, rich array of research centers, museums and performing arts programs broaden and enhance the experiences of our students and faculty.

Located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, the School offers a cosmopolitan arena for study and experimentation that reflects the diversity of our students and faculty. Los Angeles, a city on the leading edge of the 21st century, continues to attract pioneers in the arts and sciences who embrace the forward-looking spirit, dynamism, freedom, and possibilities for innovation that characterize this city.

While the heart of the school remains on the Westwood campus, its soul extends beyond the campus borders to the greater Los Angeles community with a wide variety of outreach programs designed by students, faculty, staff and alumni that include workshops, concerts, exhibitions, symposia, and dance productions; often presented in collaboration with groups throughout Los Angeles.

More information and extended content related to An Imaginative Offer

UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture

Office of the Dean
Broad Art Center, Room 8260
240 Charles E. Young Dr. North
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1427

Lionel Popkin
Dean

Michael Chung
Associate Dean, Administration

Steve Anderson
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Anya Booker
Associate Dean and Executive Director, Inclusive Excellence

Anne Marie Burke
Assistant Dean, Strategic Communications

Quick Facts

UCLA Arts is currently ranked No. 1 in nation among graduate fine art programs (U.S. News and World Report).

The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s (UCLA Arts) academic departments include:

• Architecture and Urban Design
• Art
• Design | Media Arts
• World Arts and Cultures/Dance

UCLA Arts Degree Program Offerings:

Department of Architecture and Urban Design

• Bachelor of Arts, Architectural Studies
• Master of Architecture
• Master of Science, Architecture and Urban Design
• Master of Arts, Architecture
• Doctor of Philosophy, Architecture

Department of Art

• Bachelor of Arts, Art
• Master of Fine Arts, Art

Department of Design | Media Arts

• Bachelor of Arts, Computational Art
• Bachelor of Arts, Design
• Bachelor of Arts, Games
• Master of Fine Arts, Media Arts

Visual and Performing Arts Education

• Minor, Visual and Performing Arts Education

Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance

• Bachelor of Arts, Dance
• Bachelor of Arts, World Arts and Cultures
• Master of Fine Arts, Choreographic Inquiry
• Doctor of Philosophy, Culture and Performance

UCLA Arts’ research centers include:

• Art and Global Health Center
• Art|Sci Center
• cityLAB
• Conditional Studio
• Counterforce Lab
• Grunwald Center Collection for the Graphic Arts
• Social Software
• UCLA Game Lab
• xLAB

UCLA Arts houses two acclaimed museums and one groundbreaking performing arts program:

• The Hammer Museum at UCLA
• The Fowler Museum at UCLA
• UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance

UCLA Arts offers nearly 500 public events per year.

Approximately 650 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students are enrolled at UCLA Arts.

Currently, UCLA Arts comprises 55 tenured faculty members.

Our distinguished faculty rank among the most accomplished artists, architects, and scholars of our time; earning accolades including MacArthur Fellowships, Guggenheim Fellowships, National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, Emmy Awards, and more.

The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s interim dean is Lionel Popkin, choreographer, performer, art-maker, and teacher.

Directory

UCLA Arts Timeline