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Office of Admissions

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Graduate Bulletin

Office of Admissions

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Programs of Study

The UNCSA graduate division is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Master of Fine Arts and Master of Music degrees and a Professional Artist Certificate. UNCSA is one of the 17 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina.

The School of Design and Production and the School of Filmmaking offer a Master of Fine Arts degree, and the School of Music offers a Master of Music degree and a Professional Artist Certificate. Applicants must audition and/or interview or, where appropriate, present a portfolio of visual arts/design works for admission consideration. Applicants for the graduate division of the School of Design and Production or the School of Filmmaking must show completion of an undergraduate degree from an accredited conservatory, college or university. Applicants for the graduate division in the School of Music must show completion of a Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited conservatory, college or university (or the equivalent if the institution is located outside of the United States). Applicants to the Professional Artist Certificate program must show completion of a Master of Music or Master of Arts from an accredited conservatory, college or university (or the equivalent if the institution is located outside of the United States).

Degrees

The Master of Fine Arts program in Design and Production is a three-year graduate program offering specialization in costume design, costume technology, scene design, scenic art, sound design, stage properties, stage automation, technical direction, or wig and makeup design. For specific course information, please refer to the Design and Production graduate section of this Bulletin.

The Master of Fine Arts program in Filmmaking is a two-year graduate program in the School of Filmmaking.

The Master of Music program is a two-year graduate program offering specialization in music performance in bassoon, violoncello, clarinet, collaborative piano, composition, conducting, double bass, flute, guitar, horn, oboe, organ, percussion, piano, saxophone, trombone, orchestral conducting, organ, trumpet, tuba and euphonium, viola, violin, and voice.

The Professional Artist Certificate and the Fletcher Institute Professional Artist Certification program offer specialization in brass, composition, guitar, strings and woodwinds (including saxophone).

International Students

International applicants should plan on applying no later than March 1 of the year they intend to enroll in the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

  • Applicants must submit the application and application fee along with the documentation outlined by each department.
  • Applicants must audition and/or interview.
  • Transcripts must be received from each post-secondary school attended and bear a seal of validation or signature by a school official. Each original transcript must be translated into English by a certified translator and the translation notarized.
  • Courses in which the applicant is enrolled at the time of application must accompany the application.
  • College applicants for whom English is not the primary language must submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test score.
  • Applicants must fill out the Financial Statement Form found on the UNCSA website and supply a bank statement or a certificate of finance proving sufficient funds to cover all educational and personal expenses while studying at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The statement must be translated into English and detail the amount of U.S. dollars on account. A bank official must notarize the certificate
  • The Office of Admissions completes the I-20 paperwork only after an applicant has been accepted and paid his or her advanced tuition and housing deposit. I-20 paperwork will show the anticipated length of study of the applicant’s chosen program of study.
  • Applicants who are transferring from a college or university in the United States must supply a copy of his or her current I-20 and visa to the Office of Admissions at the time of application.
  • All international applicants must obtain a visa prior to enrollment.
  • International applicants are not eligible for state or federal financial aid.
  • A special health insurance policy is required of every international student except applicants from Canada. This policy is obtained through the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the premium will be billed on the student’s tuition bill. The coverage is required even if the student carries health insurance in his or her home country.

Application and Admission Procedures

Guidelines for applying to the graduate program vary. Applicants should follow the guidelines provided with the application. Applicants must submit the following:

  • A fully completed application signed by the applicant, along with the nonrefundable application fee.
  • Two letters of recommendation, preferably one from an arts instructor and one from an academic instructor.
  • Official transcript(s) or previous college work. The documents must bear the school seal or signature of a school official.
  • A resumé.
  • Mandatory information.
  • Artistic statement.

Auditions/Interviews

Admission to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts is based on demonstrated talent, achievement and career potential. Faculty members of the school to which the applicant is applying assess these areas at the audition and/or interview. The dean and faculty of each school set performance standards and levels of achievement for their professional training program.

Specific audition/interview dates, instructions and information are provided with the Application for Admission and are available from the Office of Admissions. Auditions and interviews are scheduled on the University of North Carolina School of the Arts campus in Winston-Salem and at selected locations throughout the United States.

Acceptance Procedure

Applicants who pass the audition and have been accepted by the Admissions Review Committee into the graduate program will be notified by letter of their acceptance.