Registration for Summer 2025 is currently open for Virtual and In-Person programming. Due to recent changes in university policy, the In-Person program is now available in two versions: Commuter (ages 15+) and Residential (ages 17+). For more information, please visit the enrollment page.

The Department of Design Media Arts (DMA) at UCLA is one of the nation’s top design departments, offering a comprehensive, multidisciplinary education in media creation. Our programs foster individual exploration and innovative thinking, preparing students to excel across a diverse range of creative fields and disciplines.

Geared specifically for high school students, the DMA Summer Institute is a two-week program with morning and afternoon classes focused on four key design practices: 2D Image, Net, 3D Worlds, and Motion. Each course is taught by experienced and professionally-trained instructors using industry-standard software and technology.

The program culminates in a final exhibition and the creation of a portfolio-ready body of work that students may include in their college applications in related fields. It also provides students with a rare opportunity to experience college life in a cutting-edge design department, while earning four units of pass/no pass UC credit.

The DMA Summer Institute curriculum is based on materials covered in the department’s undergraduate curriculum. Each class is taught by one instructor and one program assistant. Class size is limited to a maximum of 20 students.
Instructors are graduate students and alumnx of the department’s prestigious MFA Program. Please visit UCLA Department of Design Media Arts for more information about our undergraduate and graduate programs.

2D Image
Students explore the enduring power of the image through a series of fun and fast-paced exercises for print and digital media. Students develop their own workflow and visual vocabulary while honing their skills in graphic design and typography. Each project integrates foundational principles of design such as form, data, composition, hierarchy, and creative intent.

Net
This course explores online networks as a medium for creative expression and artistic intervention. Through hands-on tutorials, students study the web in the traditions of interactive art, activism, and creative coding. Using techniques like collage and appropriation to reimagine the browser window, students critically engage the aesthetic and social potential of digital connectivity.

3D Worlds
Game engines originally developed for mass entertainment offer an exciting mode of interactive storytelling. Virtual spaces can immerse us in striking imagery and evoke complex emotions. In this course, students learn the basics of Unity and 3D modelling, while practicing "worldbuilding" as a form of visual narrative, playfulness, and participatory experience.

Motion
From cinema and television to music videos and animation, motion is an essential property of time-based media. Students explore technical and experimental approaches to cinematography, animation, editing, and sound, gaining an understanding of video-making and motion graphics as powerful tools for storytelling and communication.

Session A.1: In-Person (Residential)
July 6, 2025 – July 19, 2025

Session A.1 Schedule
Session A.2: In-Person (Commuter)

July 7, 2025 – July 18, 2025
Session A.2 Schedule
Session B: Virtual

July 21, 2025 – August 1, 2025
Session B Schedule

*All participants must be at least 15 years of age (or 17 for residential sessions) by the first day of Summer Sessions 2025 on June 23rd, no exceptions allowed.

Portfolio Night

This is a great opportunity for Summer Institute students to engage in conversations about creating a portfolio-ready body of work to include in college applications. Portfolio Night will be held on Thursday, July 11 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided. Students may bring their own portfolios and are encouraged to ask for feedback from program assistants.

Extended Lab Night

One extended lab night is required for students on Thursday, July 18, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to complete their projects. Dinner will be provided.

Final Exhibition and closing reception

The two-week program culminates in a final exhibition of students’ works and a closing reception. This event is held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the last day of the program, Friday, July 19 in Broad Art Center room 1250. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.

Evening and weekend activities

Participants may attend optional evening or weekend activities offered by the residential supervision team at no additional cost.

Grades and transcripts

DMA Summer Institute students earn four quarter units of UC credit on a pass/no pass grading basis. Transcripts can be ordered online through MyUCLA; they are not automatically sent to students.

Due to the rigorous and intense nature of the program, the residential plan, which includes a meal plan, is mandatory for all participants. For a virtual tour of the UCLA residential halls, click here. Participants will be housed in one of the UCLA residence halls, comfortably furnished and conveniently located within easy walking distance of classrooms, libraries, and recreational facilities. Since the provision of housing is subject to availability, UCLA Summer Sessions cannot guarantee an assignment to a specific residential hall or room type. Details of the residential hall assignment will be provided prior to the check-in date.

Participants will have breakfast and dinner each day in the UCLA dining halls, recognized nationally for their excellent cuisine. For lunch, which is not included in the residential plan, participants may consider any of the UCLA eating establishments on campus. Lunches usually range from $10 to $20.

ROOMMATES

Participants will be assigned roommates based on age and gender and will be notified of the roommate assignment during residential check-in. In order to better foster a learning community that exposes students to peers from all over the world, participants may not request a specific roommate.

Check-in

Check-in will take place on July 7, at 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. outside of Sproul Hall. Students may be dropped off at Sproul Turn-Around or for longer unloading, you may use the Sunset Village Parking Structure for up to 30 minutes.

Check-out

Students may check out of Sproul Landing as early as 1pm, Friday, July 19, after the final exhibition at Broad Art Center. Students may stay in Sproul Landing until Saturday morning, July 20nd—but any later check-out should be noted in advance.

supervision

DMA Summer Institute includes the curricular component, hereinafter referred to as “required activities,” which allows participants to experience the academic rigor of UCLA, and the mandatory residential plan, which provides participants with an opportunity to experience college residential life. Required activities are listed in the schedule section and include class time, portfolio night, extended lab night, and the final exhibition. Participants may plan their time and travel on- or off-campus independently or choose to participate in evening or weekend programming activities offered by the residential supervision team when there are no required activities, so long as they abide by the terms of the Participant Agreement.

Precollege Summer Institutes are intended for highly motivated, mature high school students. Participants are considered to be maturing adults, capable of making their own decisions, as well as accepting the consequences for those decisions. As such, only limited supervision will be provided. While optional evening and weekend activities offered by the Office of Residential Life may be available at residential halls and curfews will be enforced, the whereabouts of each participant outside of the program’s required activities will not be monitored.

residential supervision

A skilled team of UCLA undergraduate students and full time staff will be assigned to residential participants and will reside locally in the residence halls. All staff have undergone an extensive background check and training.

Their duties include:

• Respond to incidents and emergencies.
• Enforcing evening curfews and performing morning roll calls.
• Coordinating and facilitating optional evening and weekend activities.
• Responding to incidents and emergencies in a timely manner.

Important resources

To see more information about rules and regulations, medical responsibility and insurance, student conduct, and sexual violence prevention and response, please visit the UCLA summer session website.

Students interested in the DMA Summer Institute may consider applying for the following two scholarship opportunities. The Summers Scholars Support is a need- and merit-based scholarship offered by the UCLA Summer Sessions Office. The Design Media Arts Scholarship is a need-based scholarship offered by the Department of Design Media Arts at UCLA. To be considered for both scholarships, students must submit materials to each program. For more information, click here.

Fees

Please visit the Summer Sessions website to find details about program fees and payment: DMA summer institute fees.

For questions about the program, please contact UCLA Summer Sessions, at dmasummer@arts.ucla.edu.