Teaching and Research
At UC San Diego, art, science and technology collide. Our stages, studios and galleries are experimental laboratories where artists tap into their unique visions and push the boundaries of their mediums.
And it’s unlike anything you’ve seen or heard before — from video installations directed by artificial intelligence to three-dimensional sound holograms that immerse theatre audiences and speculative fiction that bring to life the “what-ifs” of our future.
Students, staff, faculty, community members and visitors who’d like to study, create or experience the arts at UC San Diego are invited to explore the university’s vibrant arts ecosystem.
Academics
Undergraduate and Graduate Studies
The School of Arts and Humanities is home to creative thinkers who tell unforgettable stories, inspire new ways of seeing, influence social change and invent new worlds. Our students unleash their bold imaginations through 26 undergraduate majors and minors and 13 graduate programs in the arts — including dance, music, visual arts, theatre, museum studies and literary arts. Ranked 12th in the nation among public schools that offer arts and humanities programs by U.S. News and World Report, our students develop foundational knowledge, transferable skills and an enduring understanding of the human experience.
Courses are led by faculty who connect the dots between teaching and research. They are Grammy Award-winning musicians and Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, artists who are included in prestigious collections like the Museum of Modern Art and the Getty, Tony Award-winning theatre professionals and composers who have been inducted into the Opera Hall of Fame.
Enroll in a course, choose a minor or declare a major. Explore diverse programs in the School of Arts and Humanities:
Extended Studies
Interested in learning how to write and illustrate children’s books? Perhaps you’d like to pursue your passion for photography or fine art. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to play guitar or learn to sing. UC San Diego’s Division of Extended Studies offers nine robust certificate programs and over 75 courses encompassing digital media, creative writing, music, illustration and more. Courses are designed to spark your artistic expression and prepare you for the creative career you’ve always wanted.
Courses are offered at Extended Studies locations, including the newly opened headquarters, a state-of-the-art building across from the university that features adaptable classroom spaces and advanced technology, as well as through virtual options. Extended Studies also hosts exciting art, music and cultural programs at Park & Market, the mixed-use building in downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood that is home to events, conferences and arts and culture programs.
Learn more about Extended Studies’ courses and certificate programs, open to all prospective and current UC San Diego students as well as community members:
Creative Programs
Art is for everyone at UC San Diego. Whether you are a seasoned artist or a weekend hobbyist, there are countless opportunities to get creative.
For those who like to work with their hands, explore classes and workshops at the Craft Center to learn skills such as shaping surfboards, designing jewelry and soldering stained glass. If you’re seeking inspiration, attend an art talk by guest musicians, dancers and choreographers with ArtPower or attend a Q&A event with film industry professionals at the Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts. If you’re an aspiring author, consider applying to the Clarion Writer’s Workshop and train alongside highly acclaimed science fiction writers.
All are invited to become part of UC San Diego’s vibrant art community. Learn more about our creative programs:
Research
School of Arts and Humanities
Research interests are multidimensional at the School of Arts and Humanities. For instance, choreographers are exploring systems of oppression, using dance as a mechanism for social change; music scholars are studying how ideas of gender get attached to different types of sound; and visual artists are testing the possibilities of creativity using artificial intelligence.
Qualcomm Institute
Creativity meets engineering at the Qualcomm Institute. Artists, engineers and technologists unite to shape audio into controllable beams of sound, study and preserve historic monuments through multispectral imaging, compose music interspersed with never-before-heard sounds in the Arctic Ocean and more.
Design Lab
The UC San Diego Design Lab works on major societal issues, such as large-scale education, automation, health care, visualization of complex phenomena and data, social interactions, citizen science and the ethical issues that are of ever-increasing importance. Projects range from health and autonomous vehicles to online education and civic engagement.
Art Research Collections
The UC San Diego Library holds diverse collections of rare books, artworks, films, music materials and more for researchers and students seeking sources for their projects.