RSVP for the Virtual MFA Open House at 11am (PST) on Monday, December 8, 2025.
Supported by a $14 million endowment from Maria Manetti Shrem, the critically engaged Art Studio Program at UC Davis offers generous funding for incoming graduate students. With exceptional opportunities for fellowships, awards, and summer stipends, the recently renamed Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA provides students with spacious private studios so they can thrive in a vibrant, creative community as they work closely with internationally renowned faculty and visiting artists.Â
Because UC Davis is a research university, MFA students have the opportunity to engage in intensive artistic work and interdisciplinary research while interacting with artists and scholars across campus. The program is committed to delivering an innovative educational curriculum to prepare graduates for professional public engagement in the arts, including arts education, exhibition and curatorial practices, and community-based work. The culmination of two years of study is presented in a thesis exhibition at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art.Â
Three visiting artist programs offer students first-hand exposure to artists, critics, and curators of note: The California Studio, Betty Jean and Wayne Thiebaud Lecture, and Visiting Artist Lectures Series. A select list of recent speakers includes Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Cecilia Alemani, Xu Bing, Helen Molesworth, Wangechi Mutu, Tania Candiani, Raúl De Nieves, Latoya Ruby Frazier, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Kota Ezawa, Sky Hopinka, Amelia Jones, and Hito Steyerl, among other innovative artists.
The Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio MFA Program provides substantial financial support through paid teaching assistant positions, awards, and fellowships. UC Davis partners with prestigious professional programs, including the Headlands Center for the Arts, the Dedalus Foundation, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and Tropical Lab residency in Singapore.Â
The deadline to apply is January 5, 2026. Apply here.
For more information, visit arts.ucdavis.edu.
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