DA Information Portal --> Grad Programs


Graduate Programs

	Applications
	Admissions
	Assistantships
	Int'l Admissions
	Exams
	Dissertation
	Flowchart

Office of Graduate Studies
Humanities Building, Room 107
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: (505) 277-2711
Web site: http://www.unm.edu/~ogshmpg/

Applications

UNM uses a self-managed application process for graduate admission. This application includes the application form, registration information form, application fee ($50.00), two official transcripts from each academic institution attended, letter of intent, and letters of recommendations. Applicants can apply online at www.unm.edu/~ogshmpg/admissions/ogs_admissions.html. Students should refer to the department to which they are applying for additional application requirements. OGS application deadlines are: Fall semester - July 30th; Spring semester - November 30th; and Summer semester - April 30th.

International students may not currently use the above online application. All application materials need to be sent directly to the International Admissions Office. Its web site is http://www.unm.edu/preview/na_intl.htm. There are earlier deadlines for international applicants and additional paperwork required that is obtainable through the International Admissions Office.

Admissions

Students admitted to graduate school may accept admission only to one graduate program. Offers of admission are made only for the semester for which a student applied. A student must complete a Deferral Request Form and submit it to both the graduate unit and the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the Friday of the third week of classes of the semester of admission. A deferral is limited to one calendar year. After the one-year deferral, a student must reapply. The Dean of Graduate Studies makes the final approval for the requested deferral.

Assistantships

Financial awards in the form of assistantships can be awarded to students accepted into graduate school. There are several types of assistantships available including Teaching Assistant, Graduate Assistant, Teaching Associate, Research Assistant, and Project Assistant. Definitions of these can be found at the OGS Assistantship Administration web page.

To be eligible for an assistantship a student must be formally admitted to graduate school, be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours (although some department have a higher standard), maintain a 3.0 GPA, and must not be on academic probation.

During the academic year, domestic students can be hired for a maximum of 30 hours per week (.75 FTE) and international students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week (.50 FTE). Students on assistantships are eligible for resident tuition rates and a tuition waiver in conjunction with the contract. In addition, the student is also eligible for health insurance coverage provided by the university.

Forms and additional information are available on the OGS web site and information is available in the UNM Catalog. Edwina Salazar is the financial coordinator at OGS (277-7344 or edwinac@unm.edu).

International Admissions

International students must hold an equivalent US Bachelors degree to be admitted into graduate school. International applicants are required to submit TOFEL scores, a certification of financial responsibility form, and all supporting credentials including transcripts in both their native language and a translated version into English. No files will be reviewed until all application materials have been received. Information for international students can be obtained from the International Programs website at http://www.unm.edu/~oips/.

Exams

All candidates for the Master's degree must pass a Master's exam, whether written, oral, or both, depending on requirements of the graduate unit. This exam may be taken only after the Program of Studies has been approved by OGS. The Announcement of Exam form must be submitted to OGS at least two weeks prior to the exam and results of the exam must be submitted to OGS by the following deadlines:

November 15 - Fall Graduation
April 15 - Spring Graduation
July 15 - Summer Graduation

Students who fail the exam may take a second exam within one calendar year from the date of the first exam. A student may only take the Master's exam twice. A second failure will result in the student's termination from the program. For Master's students who are getting ready to graduate with a manuscript to submit, this information sheet will be useful: Master's Thesis/Graduation Checklist.

Doctoral students must pass a comprehensive exam in their major field of study. This exam may be written, oral, or both. The students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of the exam. As with the master's exam, an announcement of exam form must be submitted to OGS at least two weeks prior to the exam. Students are encouraged to submit an Application for Candidacy form prior to the exam. Students that fail the exam may take a second exam within one calendar year from the date of the first exam. A student may only take the exam twice. A second failure will result in the student's termination from the program. Upon passing the comprehensive exam, a student is Advanced to Candidacy and their "clock" for completion begins at that point. Students have five calendar years to complete their program following the semester in which the comprehensive exam is passed.

Dissertation

Each student must have a dissertation committee to supervise dissertation activities. Once the student has selected a committee, an Appointment of Dissertation Committee form must be sent to OGS for approval. This form should be filed no later than the first semester a student is enrolled in 699 (course number for dissertation hours). For the dissertation committee to be valid, the following must hold true:

____Committee consists of at least four members
____All members are approved for graduate instruction
____At least three members are tenured or tenure-track faculty members
____Of the above three, at least two are UNM faculty (one should be the committee chair)
____One faculty member is from the student's graduate unit
____One faculty member is from a different graduate unit at UNM for from a different University

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation after passing the comprehensive exam. Once a student has passed the comprehensive exam and enrolled in 699, continuous enrollment is expected until the dissertation is accepted. If this does not occur, a student will need to petition for reinstatement and pay tuition and fees for each semester missed. See the Doctoral Graduation/Dissertation Checklist prepared by OGS for students getting ready to complete their dissertation.

For the dissertation defense, an Announcement of Exam form must be submitted to OGS no later than two weeks prior to defense. Upon completion of the defense, the committee will approve it or require that it be rewritten or revised before approval. Final manuscripts must be turned in to OGS within 90 days of the final examination/defense date. OGS has prepared a sheet of common manuscript problems that will be help to your students: Common Manuscript Problems. Also, the Thesis/Dissertation Manuscript Guidelines are found on the OGS website. Please make sure students are aware that there are formatting guidelines for their manuscripts so that they can be preparing for that ahead of time. Upon request, the Office of Graduate Studies will send someone to your department to give a short (approximately 1/2 hour) workshop on manuscript guidelines and graduation paperwork.

Degree Program Plans