The MFA program at UNC-Chapel Hill is highly selective.An average of 6 to 8 openings are available
each year. Successful applicants
demonstrate an ability to carry out mature creative work, as well as a present
a strong educational background and maturity of life experience to chart new
directions and possibilities for art making.
Eligibility
A bachelor's degree, which may be in any field, is
required.Students who do not have a
bachelor's degree in art should have at least one basic level and one
intermediate level course in art history in preparation for the graduate-level
course work in art history required of MFA students.
Applicants to the M.F.A. program are not required to take the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed
to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against
applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin,
religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
Potential applicants who wish to meet with the Director of
Graduate Studies in advance of application should send 5-10 jpeg images or
other digital documentation, along with contact information, to the Director of
Graduate Studies for Studio Art (contact information is included in Administrative Staff
& Contacts). The DGS will then
contact those applicants whose work qualifies them for further consideration.
Deadlines
January 1 is the deadline for all applications. Due to the tremendous volume of mail received
just before this deadline, we encourage early submission of application
materials to expedite and facilitate processing.
All applicants will be considered for assistance in the form
of merit
or other fellowships. Students are
encouraged to file a FAFSA at FAFSA on the
Web as soon after January 1 as possible.
Note: The Department of Art reviews
applications once a year for fall admission. There are no spring admissions. The department will consider only complete
applications as outlined below. Portfolios
of those admitted become the property of the Department of Art and are retained
in the student's file. The department
will return portfolios of applicants who are not admitted only if a
self-addressed, stamped envelope is included with the application materials.
Required Application Materials
A complete application consists of the following materials:
Send to the Department of Art, Hanes Art Center, CB#3405,
Chapel Hill, NC27599:
1.Visual
Materials for Creative Review (see specifications below)
Applicants may submit creative work for review via CD, DVD,
or photographic slides.Applicants whose
work requires color fidelity are encouraged to submit photographic slides.
Requirements for all submissions:
·Make sure your name is on everything, CD,
slides, slide sheet and all paper supplements. Improperly labeled materials will not be
reviewed.
·Submit work in no more than 2 media formats (i.e.,
35mm slides and DVD or CD and DVD)
·DO NOT submit images of static forms in video
format or as web-based URL.
·Please do not duplicate submissions.For instance, do not send digital versions of
work submitted on 35mm slides.
·Computer-based work will be viewed on Mac OS X systems.Please test
your files for compatibility before submitting.
·Include a numbered List of Images (on paper),
with thumbnails, that corresponds to the order of the work submitted (Order
static images before time-based media). Identify
each image or time-based piece with the corresponding filename or slide number,
title, date, medium, size and any other important identifying information.You may include a brief 2- sentence (40
words, max) description of the work.
·Provide a self-addressed mailer and sufficient
postage for return of all materials. Materials
submitted without postage will not be returned.
Requirements for digital submissions
·Submit a maximum of 12 images.
·Format images as jpeg (.jpg) files, in RGB (not
CMYK).
·Save images at approximately 1024 pixels wide x
768 pixels (approx 7 x 5 inches at 150 ppi). Individual image file sizes will be between
300 kilobytes (KB) and 3 megabytes (MB) if these pixel size requirements are
used. Files larger than 3 MB will not be
opened.
·Place all image files into a SINGLE FOLDER
labeled with your name (Do not disperse images into multiple folders).Name the image files alphabetically or numerically
to establish the order of viewing. The
image files will be reviewed in their alpha-numeric order as they appear in the
folder. This should correspond to your
slide script.
·Save images on a regular CD-ROM (not CD-RW, VCD,
mixed media, Audio CD, DVD, DVD-RW, or mini-disk).Be sure the CD itself has your name written on
it.
Requirements for time-based or web-based work
·Video, sound, and animation may be submitted on
CD or DVD.Submit animation work as a
QuickTime, Flash, or Shockwave files.
·Provide a URL for Web-based work.
·CD and DVD recorded pieces must be Mac OS X
compatible.
·Provide concise printed instructions for
viewing/listening to time-based or Web-based work. These instructions are especially important
for reviewing Web-based material where the reviewers will otherwise browse
randomly.Specify any non-standard
plug-ins that will be needed to view web-based work, so they can be downloaded
in advance.
·Limit time-based or Web-based work to a total of
10 minutes. Submit excerpts or queued
segments from longer pieces timed up to 3 minutes to total no more than 10
minutes of material for review.Full
length versions can be submitted as a supplement.
Requirements for photographic slides
·Submit a maximum of 12 images.Do not submit originals.
·Label all slides legibly with permanent ink (do
not use labels.) Include your name and slide number.Number slides in preferred order of
viewing.Refer to How
to Label Your Slides.
·Submit slides in a slide sheet only.Do not send carousels.
Other documents
Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose should succinctly outline your
creative motivations, interests and intentions as reflected in the work that
you submit for review.You may include
any particular reasons that have led you to UNC-Chapel Hill as a place for
graduate study.This document should be
approximately 1 page or 500 words.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation should be secured from individuals
who can speak to the quality of your artwork as well as to the impact that
graduate study would have on your artistic and professional development.Their assessment should include any character
evaluation that would shed any light on your assets and ability to be a
contributing member to the MFA community in Chapel Hill.
) "David Huyck, MFA Candidate")