<p>I tried searching and read many UCI vs UCSD threads on the forums, but i still can't decide.
It's being a headache to me, so please help!
I'm a transfer student, and don't know which school to attend.</p>
<p>I'm accepted to UCSD as a Visual arts (media) Major, (Alternate choice was communication)
and UCI as film & media studies major.</p>
<p>However, I'm still quiet "undecided" about my major.
I put those majors on my application because it was time to apply
and I still didn't know what to major in. Those seemed interesting.
Meaning I think I could change my major in the future.
I think I'll really enjoy the vis art major in San Diego, but maybe the harsh realities will make me change my major to a more practical one.</p>
<p>Housing is another problem. I could save money by living with my family here in Irvine, but I wonder if the housing (off-campus) will be too much in San Diego.</p>
<p>San Diego to me, seems like a school that offers good education in generally all majors.
But since I like to save money especially when I don't have a solid major, Irvine seems like a good choice, too.</p>
<p>With these things being said, which school would you recommend to me?</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that the Visual Arts (Media) major at UCSD is an “artistic production” program, while the Film & Media Studies major at UCI is primarily an “artistic criticism” program (it’s in the School of Humanities, not the School of Arts).</p>
<p>Don’t know that one is more “practical” than the other, but it seems to me that they’d appeal to different interests… have you checked out the coursework associated with the two majors to see which is better aligned with yours? (I understand that you’re not “married” to either major.)</p>
<p>MaMoose makes a good point. At UCI, the Film & Media Studies major is in the School of the Humanities, while the media production courses are in the School of the Arts, mostly in Studio Art, and limited to Art majors. </p>
<p>My understanding is that the Vis Arts (Media) program at UCSD is quite structured and has had a focus on gaming in recent years. (I was told this by a graduate of the program and separately by a faculty member, but I don’t know for sure.) </p>
<p>You might be interested in the Humanities and Arts Program at UCI. New students are not admitted directly to the Humanities and Arts major, but they may apply to change their major to Humanities and Arts no earlier than the fall quarter of their sophomore year. This major’s focus is on the connection between practice and analysis which distinguishes it from the broader and more diverse scope of more general interdisciplinary programs. The scholarly work of many UCI faculty in the Humanities and Arts lies at an intersection between the two academic units, and the major translates this intellectual and creative activity into a coherent curriculum.</p>
<p>Humanities and Arts students are given the opportunity to work closely with faculty to design a highly individualized course of study and have the opportunity of completing a senior project thesis with one of the Humanities and Arts affiliate faculty. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for a “practical” major that would also give you a lot of scope, this might be a perfect fit for you. As you may know, UCI is outstanding in critical theory (USNWR currently ranks the graduate program in Literary Criticism and Theory #1 in the country). Most of the faculty in this program are members of the Critical Theory Institute, with about half of them having a “home” department in the School of the Arts and half in the School of the Humanities. Several are senior faculty–full professors, deans, department chairs. It’s a special program.</p>