Art Studio Admission Requirements

The department does not accept applications for the summer or spring semesters. All application materials must be received by the Department, by the application deadline of January 15, for the following fall with no exceptions - this includes transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Applicants will be notified by mail of the admissions decisions in March.

A prospective student in the graduate studio program must have completed an undergraduate degree including 42 hours in studio courses and 18 hours in art history. 3-D students must also have completed a course in shop foundations, which includes the proper use of shop machinery and equipment and related safety practices. Any deficiencies in the required preparation must be removed during the first year of course work for the degree.

Application Procedure

Frequently Asked Questions About Admissions

Letter of Intent and Portfolio Guidelines

ALL application materials, including transcripts, must be submitted to the Department Graduate Office by the January 15th deadline. Incomplete or late application packets will not be processed. The GRE is not required for admission. Although the online application asks for transcripts to be sent to the Office of Admissions, please do not do this. Please send transcripts directly to the Art Department; we will ensure that Admissions receives their copy after we have processed your application.

International applicants must submit materials directly to the UNM Office of International Admissions. Additional information on international admissions is available on the following web page: http://www.unm.edu/preview/na_intlgrad.htm.

Domestic students, please submit ALL application materials directly to the Department Graduate Office at:

• Application for Admission. Applicants can either apply online or download a paper application via the OGS website. On the application form, Degree Sought = MFA, Graduate Unit/Department = Art & Art History (also print your studio concentration in this area, for instance, "MFA, Art Studio, Photography") and Major Code = ARTS. Applicants applying online should submit a printout of the Application Summary Page to the Department Graduate Office.
• Non-refundable $50.00 application fee payable to the University of New Mexico. Credit card accepted for online applications; check or money order accepted for paper applications.
• Residency Information Sheet (form available for downloading at the OGS web page) --if you are applying online, you do not need this, as it is part of the online application already.
• Two (2) sets of official transcripts from every institution attended, sent to the Department.
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation (forms available for downloading at the OGS page)
• Statement of Intent. A clearly written statement of intent describing in detail your reasons for seeking admission. This statement (no more than three pages in length) should include information about the proposed field of concentration, a self-evaluation of current work, an account of any special experiences which might indicate a background in art more extensive than most students with a B.A. or B.F.A., a statement of goals while attending and after graduate study, & reasons for choosing the University of New Mexico. You must include what area you are applying to: Photography, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, 3D or Ceramics. Both content and form will be carefully considered. A guideline for writing a letter/statement of intent can be found on the following website:
  http://www.unm.edu/~grad/eforms/intentletter.html. Please also include your contact information--phone, email, and mailing address--on the upper left corner of your Letter of Intent.

• Portfolio: 15-20 images of your best work. Portfolios can be slides, or jpgs or other image files on CD (must be compatible with both Macintosh and PC). If you choose to submit slides, slides must be sent to the department in a slide carosel. If you format your CD portfolio as a slide-show or in a specific program, you must also include a file of just the jpgs of the artwork, in case the slide-show doesn't open.
  

NOTE: Candidates for photography should submit work in a form that represents them best. This can include, but is not limited to, slides, original prints, CD, DVDs, and VHS. We take reasonable care but cannot be responsible for loss or damage. A combination of prints, slides (no more than 20), or other media is acceptable based on the uniqueness, size, or nature of your work. You may provide your work in any form that may be viewed directly on standard equipment (CD, DVD, VCR) but we take no responsibility for incompatibility or media failure. It is your responsibility to represent yourself well in this context; avoid complex presentations and excessive packaging.

• Print your name and address on the portfolio, the portfolio identification sheet and the return postage. Include ID sheet, return postage, and any special mailing instructions inside portfolio. To ensure prompt return of portfolio, include mailing label with return address. The ID sheet must include your name, the title of each image, original dimensions, media, and date. If you do not want the portfolio returned, there is no need to send return postage. However, if you do want it returned, postage or a stamped return-envelope must be included.
  
  
• A check or money order for $5.00 is required for return of portfolio. For return of photography portfolio submit a check or money order for amount of return postage plus $2.50 for handling. (For example, if it cost you $10 to mail your print portfolio to us, then you must include a check for $12.50). For return of a CD portfolio, include either a $5 check, or a self-addressed stamped CD mailer-envelope. If you fail to include your check or money order, your carousel and/or portfolio will not be returned. This check MUST be SEPARATE from your $50.00 University Admissions Fee!

We will return ALL portfolios via US Post Office first class mail. If you want your materials to be insured, or mailed other than first class, you must make additional arrangements and include a prepaid form. This means you must pay the third-party agency (UPS, FedEx, etc) first, then include the form that indicates that the shipping has already been paid for. Otherwise we WILL NOT send packages via any method other than US Mail.

In order to easily confirm that your application materials have arrived prior to our application deadline, we strongly urge you to submit these materials with delivery confirmation from the carrier.

Our application process is very competitive and your attention to detail is essential. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Our telephone number is (505) 277-6672 and our e-mail address is art255@unm.edu.

Note: The Art Studio Printmaking program and the Art History programs in Art of the Americas and Art of the Modern World (both MA and Ph.D.) are recognized by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) for inclusion in their Out-Of-State Programs at In-State Tuition. Qualified residents of the 15 participating states in the commission may enroll at reduced tuition rates in these three programs.

Special Note for Fulbright and Project 1000 applicants: if you are applying through an outside agency such as Project 1000 or Fulbright, it is your responsibility to ensure that all materials are sent to the Department of Art and Art History, not to the Admissions office. The Department is not responsible for materials that are not received before the January 15th deadline. We strongly advise sending a duplicate copy of all materials directly to the department, and not relying on the Admissions office to provide them.

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