Art History Admission Requirements

The department does not accept applications for the summer or spring semesters. All application materials must be received by the application deadline of January 15, for the following fall with no exceptions - this includes transcripts and letters of recommendation. Applicants for admission the MA program should preferably have an undergraduate major in the history of art with a minimum of 24 semester hours (or the equivalent as approved by the admitting faculty) as well as advanced courses in history, literature, and philosophy. Any deficiencies in this required preparation must be removed during the first year of coursework for the degree. Graduate credit will not be given for courses taken to remove a deficiency, but graduate study courses may be taken concurrently. Candidates for the MA degree will be required to demonstrate a general knowledge of the history of art.

In making application for admission to the doctoral program, the potential candidate is urged to state aims clearly and to specify the field of art history to be investigated. A candidate will not be accepted unless these aims can be realized. Fieldwork and travel will inevitably be necessary in support of research at the doctoral level.

Applicants for admission to the Ph.D. program should have an MA in art history or, exceptional circumstances as approved by the admitting faculty, in such cognate disciplines as history, anthropology, archeology, or American Studies. Those admitted to the Ph.D. program without the MA in art history may be required to take additional graduate courses beyond the minimum Ph.D. requirement of 48 hours of course work; in all cases they must take and pass the MA comprehensive examination. Any deficiencies in the required preparation must be removed during the first year of coursework for the degree.

Application Procedure

ALL application materials 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.

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

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) and Major Code = 010. 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)
• Two sets of official transcripts from every institution attended
• Three Letters of Recommendation (forms available for downloading at the OGS web page)
• Statement of Intent. A clearly written statement of intent describing in detail reasons for wishing 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. 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

• A recent example of writing and research ability in the form of an academic paper or article must be submitted for evaluation. This material will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped self-addressed return envelope.

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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