In addition to meeting university requirements for graduate admission status (found in the ''Graduate Education'' section of the UCSB online catalog), each applicant to the graduate program in art must have earned an undergraduate bachelor degree with an overall 3.0 grade-point average or better. A research emphasis in visual art is recommended, however, applicants with degrees outside the visual arts or non–traditional backgrounds may be eligible, if their application shows promise and relevance to the current research environment. In all cases, the applicants must demonstrate outstanding accomplishment by submitting digital files of their work.

Applicants to this program are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Applicants whose native language is not English, are required to take either the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Exemptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. The minimum TOEFL score for consideration is 550 when taking the paper-based test (PBT) and 80 when taking the internet-based test (IBT). The minimum IELTS score for consideration is an Overall Band Score of 7 or higher. TOEFL or IELTS scores must not be more than two years old at the time of application to UCSB.