art studio admission requirements

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.

MFA students must apply to one of our six content areas: Painting/Drawing, Photography, Sculpture/Ceramics, Electronic Arts, Printmaking, or Arts & Ecology. Once in the program, you will have the opportunity to create artwork in any media, but you must choose an area to apply to. Your application will be reviewed by the faculty of that area.

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:

          

Department of Art & Art History
          Graduate Office
          MSC04 2560
          1 University of New Mexico
          Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

 

  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • Two (2) sets of official transcripts from every institution attended, sent to the Department.

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  • Three (3) Letters of Recommendation (forms available for downloading at the OGS page, this form should accompany, but not replace, the actual letter of reccomendation)

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  • 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's program. You must include what area you are applying to: Photography, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, 3D/Ceramics, or Electronic Arts. Both content and form will be carefully considered. A good guideline for writing a statement of intent can be found here.

    • Please also include your contact information--phone, email, and mailing address--on the upper left corner of your Letter of Intent. If you fail to include your address, we will be unable to notify you of our admission decision. If you fail to include your email address, we will be unable to notify you if your file is incomplete. You MUST include this information.

  • Portfolio and printed image ID sheet: 15-20 images of your best work. Portfolios should be jpgs, pngs or other image files on CD (must be compatible with both Macintosh and PC). 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. We are not responsible for media incompatibility or disc failure.

Digital Specifications : Digital applications should be in the following formats (20 examples of work):

Stills: High quality jpegs not exceeding 1200 pixels in any dimension. Files should be submitted in a folder (LastNameFirstName) and each should be named with the following format: 01_Title_of_Work.

Videos: 2 minute Quicktime movies using the H.264 codec.

  • 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. NO folders, binders, sheet protectors, etc. Your paperwork will be removed from this excess packaging. If you want to make your application stand out, write a very good letter, and print it on nice paper. DO NOT use sheet protectors, binders, folders, etc.

    • Print your name, address AND EMAIL on the portfolio, and the portfolio identification sheet. Include the ID sheet inside portfolio. The ID sheet must include your name, the title of each image, original dimensions, media, and date. If you want the portfolio returned, then you must include return postage or a stamped return-envelope. All returns will be via USPS. We will not use UPS or Fed Ex. We will not return portfolios that do not include return postage.
    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 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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    For more information about undergraduate programs contact the College of Fine Arts at finearts@unm.edu.
    For graduate information click on Graduate Programs above or e-mail art255@unm.edu.
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