Visual Art: Master of Fine Arts (MFA) - UBCV at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada is a master's degree in Visual Arts programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 10,082 per year (CAD 5,739 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Visual Arts
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,739 / year
International tuition: CAD 10,082 / year
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The MFA in Visual Art at UBC Vancouver is a full-time studio degree concerned with both the making and the theorising of art, set within the intellectual life of a large research university and the local and international art communities. Students may work in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and installation, photography, digital art, intermedia, video, performance, sound or any interdisciplinary combination. Each candidate is given a private studio of roughly 250 square feet and access to the department's photo/digital lab, printmaking unit and workshop, and takes part in a weekly studio seminar that doubles as a forum on contemporary art, visual culture and cultural theory. Additional academic coursework supports each student's focus, and the program culminates in a major paper and artwork presented at a final oral presentation and at a critique held during the graduation exhibition. The MFA is the standard qualification for teaching visual arts at the post-secondary level, and most students gain teaching experience as teaching assistants.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:76.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Applicants normally hold a BFA, BA, or BEd with a major in studio arts. UBC's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requires a minimum overall academic average in the B+ range (76 per cent at UBC); the program may set a higher standard. Applicants who completed their prior degree at an institution where English was not the language of instruction must submit an English proficiency test taken within the last 24 months: TOEFL iBT 100 overall (or 4.5 on the newer six-point scale), IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, or Duolingo English Test 125 overall. A complete application includes a statement of interest, three letters of reference, transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended, and a portfolio of studio work; the GRE is not required. For the September intake the application deadline is 8 January, for both Canadian and international applicants.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic and international undergraduate applicants both apply through EducationPlannerBC for Winter Session 2027/28 (September 2027 entry) and Summer 2027: applications open in early October 2026 and the equal-consideration deadline is 15 January 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST, the same date for both groups; a few programs keep reviewing late applications on a space-available basis afterwards. Earlier dates apply only to entrance-award consideration -- 15 November 2026 for the International Scholars Program and 1 December 2026 for Presidential/Centennial/Beyond Tomorrow scholars. Several limited-entry programmes -- Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing (advanced entry), Occupational/Physical Therapy, Social Work and Teacher Education -- set their own earlier deadlines from October 2026 through February 2027. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
