The UCLA Department of Design Media Arts (DMA) will launch three new Bachelor of Arts programs in fall 2027:

• Bachelor of Arts in Computational Art
• Bachelor of Arts in Design
• Bachelor of Arts in Games

For more than 25 years, DMA has been at the forefront of integrating art and design with established and emerging technologies. Since its founding, the department has offered a single undergraduate degree in Design Media Arts. Beginning next fall, DMA will welcome its first cohort to the three distinct programs. Applications for fall 2027 open on August 1, 2026.

These majors build on areas of longstanding faculty expertise and student interest while providing dedicated pathways for study in three of the most dynamic fields in contemporary media.

With three degrees in DMA, students can refine their course choices and devote the time and attention needed to develop more expertise in a specific discipline, from its history, theory, and criticism to its creative methods, technologies, and professional practices.

This new degree structure strengthens the department’s ability to recruit students whose interests align with each program’s focus while providing clearer pathways from enrollment through graduation. It also prepares students for careers across diverse fields by offering specialized knowledge and skills tailored to evolving creative industries.

Explore DMA’s new majors in more depth:

• Bachelor of Arts in Computational Art - Computational Art is for students who want to create work using code, systems, data, interaction, and emerging technologies. Students work across art, design, and media, with computation at the center of the major, serving not simply as a tool but as a creative material and subject for artistic exploration.

• Bachelor of Arts in Design - Rooted in both conceptual and technical rigor while responding to a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the program bridges graphic design, interface design, motion, creative coding, fabrication, publishing, animation, spatial practice, AI, and contemporary art. Students learn to understand design not simply as a form of problem-solving or commercial production, but as a cultural, social, and artistic practice.

• Bachelor of Arts in Games - Grounded in an arts-first philosophy, the Games major provides a challenging and innovative exploration of game design and development. This program offers a range of complementary artistic, technical, and conceptual methods for studying and creating games and game art across analog and digital forms, from traditional to experimental approaches.

Stay tuned for more updates and information about the three new majors and the admission process.