Transfer Students

Applicants who have completed 24 or more transferable college credits at any accredited institution.

Admissions Process

Transfer applications are reviewed and decisions returned as quickly as possible once your application is complete and includes an application, an application fee (unless waived), and official transcripts for all colleges, two letter of recommendations, personal statement and a portfolio in the intended program of study.

A complete application will be sent to the Admission Review Committee to determine acceptance. The review process can take 1-2 weeks.

Application Form

Please submit either an online application or a hardcopy application form by the priority consideration deadline for the term to which you want to attend. We recommend the online application for faster response.

Priority Deadlines

• Fall Term—July 27
• Spring Term—January 4

Transfer Admissions Requirements

Portfolio Requirements

The portfolio requirements vary among the majors and have specific requirements. Please submit a portfolio in the intended area of study. IAIA is not responsible for lost or misdirected items. Portfolios will not be returned.

The portfolio requirements vary among the majors and have specific requirements. Please submit a portfolio in the intended area of study.

Major Program: Creative Writing Portfolio Requirement

• 15 to 20 pages of original work (poetry, fiction, playwriting, or nonfiction)

Major Program: Indigenous Liberal Studies Portfolio Requirements

1,000 word essay including:

• What you expect to gain through participation in the Indigenous Liberal Studies Program/Native American Studies program.
• What experience you have had as a member of or working for an Indigenous or local community.
• What issues facing Indigenous or local communities seem most important to you.

Major Program: Museum Studies Portfolio Requirements

700-word statement of interest in the Museum Studies program. The statement should include:

• Goals and any special training or previous relevant employment or other experience.
• Current knowledge of the museum/cultural center field.
• The kinds of experiences he/she hopes will be a part of his/her college education.
• Reasons for choosing the Museum Studies degree program.

Major Program: Cinematic Arts & Technology Portfolio Requirements

• Up to five individual films (narrative, documentary, animation or experimental in nature), with a total running time of no more than 20 minutes. Applicants are encouraged to submit work on DVD media when possible, which should be able to be played on a standard DVD player. Applicants must check their work to meet this requirement. Do not send .flv, .swf or Windows Media files. If an applicant’s work is posted on the web, he/she should send the URL(s)as part of the portfolio as well.
• A short film demonstrating foundational skills and promise toward the program.

Major: Performing Arts Portfolio Requirements

500 word essay, MLA format, that describes:

• Your experience in theater or performing arts
• Why you want to continue your experience in the Performing Arts program at IAIA

Or, the following:

• A 4–7 minute video compilation of your previous work in a designated area of theater and/or dance, music, and
• 250–300 word essay, MLA format, that explains why you want to pursue a performing arts degree at IAIA (theater only)

Major Program: Studio Arts Portfolio Requirements

A minimum of 10 art pieces (photographs only) related to the applicant’s intended major and created within the past two years.

• Applicants may email their files as a Power Point or Word document to the Office of Admissions at admissions@iaia.edu.

Please do not submit:

• Original paintings or artwork.
• Original three-dimensional pieces, such as jewelry, pottery, or sculpture.

Certificate and Online

Applicants who would like to earn a certificate in Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, or Native American Art History either in-person or online. For students with no college credit or less than 24 transferable college credits must apply as a Freshman. Visit the Online Certificate Programs page for more information.

Priority Deadlines

• Fall Term—July 27
• Spring Term—January 4

Certificate Admissions Requirements

Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing

IAIA offers one graduate degree—a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree—as a Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing program with two intensive residency periods per year (summer and winter). It is designed as a two-year program and requires the completion of 48 credit hours.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing with the following areas of emphasis—Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Screenwriting.

Deadlines

• Fall Term—December 15 (Priority Deadline)
• Fall Term—April 15 (Final Deadline)

Applications are accepted until April 15, but please apply by December 15 for priority consideration for scholarships.

Low Residency MFA Admissions Requirements

Admissions Information for Low Residency MFA

The graduate application for the MFA in Creative Writing is available at IAIA Online Application. Please note that although the Low Residency MFA Program begins with an on-campus residency in July, the July residency is considered part of the Fall semester. Please choose “Fall” not “Summer” on the application. If you find you need to submit additional materials, please e-mail those documents to admissions@iaia.edu or mail them to the Admissions Office at the address below.

Your application will not be considered for admission until it is complete.

Materials must be received by 5 pm on April 15 for full consideration. Applications completed after 5 pm on April 15 will be considered for any remaining openings, wait-listed, or considered for the following year. At this time, we are only accepting students into the program in the fall semesters.

Admission will be competitive; we will be accepting only thirty students into the program each year. There is no separate application for the Institute of American Indian Arts’s MFA Scholarships; students who apply before December 15 will be given priority consideration for all IAIA MFA scholarships.

A bachelor’s degree is required, but it need not have been with an English or writing major. Students who have completed a significant number of undergraduate hours may request an exception to the bachelor’s degree requirement; however, given the competitive nature of the admissions process, such an exception will be granted rarely. Contact the MFA Director at mfa@iaia.edu to get information on the bachelor waiver criteria.

For questions about the application process, please contact admissions at admissions@iaia.edu.

Creative Manuscript

Please submit examples of your work in one of these areas:

• poetry: a maximum of 10 pages (single-spaced, not more than one poem to a page)
• fiction: a maximum of 20 pages (double-spaced)
• creative nonfiction: a maximum of 20 pages (double-spaced)
• screenwriting: a maximum of 30 pages (industry-standard formatting)

You may apply in two genres, but a complete manuscript must be submitted for both genres in which you choose to apply. Each manuscript should be typewritten, single-sided, numbered in the lower-right hand corner, and set in 12 point Times Roman (or Courier for a screenplay). Please do not staple. Manuscripts will not be returned. Any pages beyond the maximum will not be read.

Personal Essay

Please submit an essay (2–3 typed, double-spaced pages) in which you address the following questions:

• How long have you been writing seriously?
• What previous study have you done in writing and literature?
• Is there any additional experience that seems particularly relevant to your application?
• Are you prepared to hear direct criticism of your work and apply that criticism to revision?
• What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of your writing?
• Do you foresee anything that might prevent you from devoting 25 hours per week to your study or from corresponding consistently with your faculty advisor?

More than transcripts or letters of recommendation, the essay gives us some understanding of your experience with writing and criticism, your goals for work in the program, your readiness to work in the low-residency format, and the appropriateness of your admission.

Craft Essay

Please submit a writing sample (3–4 pages, double-spaced) that demonstrates your abilities as a reader and critical thinker. This sample may be something formal that you have written previously for a class, or you may write a short essay on a literary work you’ve recently read. The essay should in some way engage questions dealing with the writer’s craft and/or ways in which the writer’s work has served as a model for your own literary ambitions.

To applicants who are reapplying: If you are reapplying to the IAIA MFA in Creative Writing Program within one year of your previous application, submit the following: 1) a new or revised creative manuscript, 2) a new or revised personal essay, 3) a new or revised craft essay, 4) a new application form, and the $25 application fee. Updated references and transcripts are optional.

MFA in Creative Writing Residency-Only Option

Writers wishing to deepen and refine their work and expand their writing community are invited to apply the MFA Residency week as non-degree students. Join us for seven full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, conferences, and readings featuring some of our finest contemporary writers. The twice-annual residencies are rare opportunities to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for writing.

Admissions Requirements

The Residency-Only Option is ideal for:

• individuals who already have an MFA or MA in Creative Writing
• teachers seeking continuing education credits (the residency awards 3 graduate credits)
• individuals who are exploring the idea of enrolling in a creative writing graduate program
• individuals who seek new directions or inspiration for their work

Upcoming Residency Dates

• January 5–13, 2019
• July 20–28, 2019
• January 4–12, 2020

Location

The residencies take place on the beautiful campus of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, just 10 miles south of the Santa Fe Plaza. Surrounded by mountains, the IAIA campus features green belts and open spaces for hiking or biking, and opens onto some of the most gorgeous sunsets imaginable.

Schedule

Each day is filled with presentations and readings designed to provide skills and inspiration for the art of writing. In the mornings, students attend workshops. After lunch they attend craft talks and panels. Each evening features readings by the MFA faculty and visiting writers. In addition to the scheduled events, the residency includes time for contemplation, writing, and informal gatherings with other students, faculty, and visiting writers.

Workshop

Residency-Only participants, together with the full-time MFA students, are assigned to a workshop specific to their genre (fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, or poetry). Workshops meet for six sessions and include up to 10 students. Each student receives at least one close critique of his or her manuscript, then spends the remaining workshop hours offering reviews to the other students.

Faculty Mentors

The writers who serve as faculty mentors are outstanding for both their level of literary achievements and for their teaching records and abilities. These accomplished authors bring careful attention and diverse writing styles and voices to the mix. For more information, visit the MFA Faculty page.

Meals & Lodging

Because a strong and supportive community is an integral part of the residency, students are encouraged to reside together for the nine days. In the July-August residency, students stay in the IAIA dorms. In January, students stay in private rooms at the nearby Inn at Santa Fe. Meals are provided by Bon Appetit in the IAIA cafeteria. Students who live in the Santa Fe area are welcome to commute, but should plan their schedules to take full advantage of the 9 am to 7:30 pm immersive experience. Attendance is required at all residency events to receive credit.

Admissions

Students who have demonstrated talent, are committed to developing their writing, are able to look objectively at their work, and are willing to use criticism in a discriminating manner are encouraged to apply. Admission is based primarily on the quality and promise exhibited in the application manuscript. An undergraduate degree is not required for admission to the Residency-Only option.

Apply

To apply, please submit the following:

• Completed application (Important Note: In the online application, please select “Non-Degree Seeking” status and select “MFA in Creative Writing” as the program/major.)
• $25, non-refundable application fee
• Sample of your creative work
• Personal essay: two double-spaced pages addressing the following questions:
  • How long have you been writing seriously?
  • What previous study have you done in writing and literature? (Please discuss other workshop experience.)
  • Why IAIA? Please discuss your interest in the IAIA MFA Residency and what you hope to gain from the experience if admitted.

Please submit examples of your work:

• Poetry: maximum of 10 pages (single-spaced, not more than one poem to a page)
• Fiction: maximum of 15 pages (double-spaced)
• Creative nonfiction: maximum of 15 pages (double-spaced)
• Screenwriting: maximum of 20 pages (industry-standard formatting)

Each manuscript should be typewritten, single-sided, numbered in the lower-right hand corner, and set in 12-point, Times Roman (Courier for a screenplay) font. Please do not staple. Manuscripts will not be returned. We encourage you to send a smaller sample of your best work. Any pages beyond the maximum will not be read. You may also e-mail the creative manuscript in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachment to admissions@iaia.edu. Application should be submitted electronically or mailed with a $25 application fee (payable to The Institute of American Indian Arts) to:

Admissions Office The Institute of American Indian Arts 83 Avan Nu Po Road Santa Fe, NM 87508

Deadlines

For priority consideration, submit all application materials by June 15th for the July residency or November 15th for the January residency. Applications will be considered up until two weeks before the residency as space allows.

International

Applicants who are or will be in the US with a valid visa status i.e., F1, J1. Applicants that are Canadian First Nations, must FIRST complete an International application until the Jay Treaty verification is provided, where they will then be changed to domestic applicant.

• International students must apply for admission at least six months prior to the date of expected enrollment.
• International applicants must have graduated from a school equivalent to the twelfth grade in the United States.
• International students are not eligible for federal financial assistance.
• All international students in F-1 status must take at least 12 semester hours in their degree plan each semester while attending IAIA.
• An I-20 A-B will not be issued from the Institute until the applicant has completed the admissions file and has been accepted.
• All documents submitted with the application must be official or original.

Admissions Process

International students must apply for admission at least six months prior to the date of expected enrollment. Complete applications will be sent to the review committee for admissions and can take 1–2 weeks. After your application is reviewed, the process will begin to establish I-20 paperwork to get your F-1 Visa and can take 1–2 weeks. Student transferring from another US institution, must also adhere to the transfer application requirements.

Priority Deadlines

• Fall Term—February 4
• Spring Term—July 4

International Admissions Requirements

Non-Degree

Non-degree and audit students are full-time or part-time students who wish to take a course or courses during the semester without earning credit toward a degree. If non-degree and audit students later wish to apply to a degree program, students must submit all of the required items for admission to that degree program before the respected application deadline.

• Pay regular tuition and fees and are subject to IAIA’s rules and regulations
• Must live off-campus
• Register for classes after degree-seeking students have registered–this registration is through the admissions office on a space available basis and with the permissions of the Instructor and the Academic Dean
• May not request credit status for a class after the last day to add a course according to the Academic Calendar
• Are not eligible for Financial Aid from IAIA

Priority Deadlines

• Fall Term—August 4
• Spring Term—January 4

Non-Degree Admissions Requirements

Readmission

Students who wish to return to IAIA who have previously attended IAIA and have been away for more than two consecutive semesters must complete the Readmissions Application. Students need to have left in good academic standing and not have a financial hold on their student account.

Priority Deadlines

• Fall Term—August 4
• Spring Term—January 4

Readmissions Requirements

Past Admissions Happenings

List of Events

IAIA Portfolio Day

Sat, May 11, 2019, 10:00 am–2:00 pm

Portfolio Day has been cancelled for Saturday, May 11. Portfolios will still accepted for faculty critique and review for potential scholarships.

IAIA Spring Transfer Day

Fri, April 12, 2019, 10:00 am–2:00 pm

We invite prospective undergraduate transfer students interested in continuing their degree in art-related programs to visit the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and learn about the opportunities IAIA provides in the areas of art, film, creative writing, performing arts, museum studies, and Indigenous studies.

What is Indigenous Liberal Studies?

Wed, March 27, 2019, 1:30 pm–2:15 pm

Please join us for this exciting webinar presented by IAIA Assistant Professor and ILS Department Chair Dr. Porter Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) that will explore the guiding principles of the IAIA Indigenous Liberal Studies (ILS) program.

IAIA Spring Visit Day

Fri, March 1, 2019, 10:00 am–2:00 pm

We invite New Mexico high school students interested in pursuing art-related programs to visit the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and learn about the opportunities IAIA provides in the areas of art, film, creative writing, performing arts, museum studies, and Indigenous studies.

IAIA Shadow Program

Sun, February 17, 2019–Mon, February 18, 2019

High School seniors who are interested in art-related college majors will be able to shadow a current IAIA student for a two-day overnight program. Selected participants will be matched with an IAIA student.

IAIA Admitted Student Webinar

Wed, December 19, 2018, 5:00 pm–5:30 pm

Admitted students for Fall 2019 are invited to participate in our brief webinar—it’s not too early to prepare. This webinar will provide you with information on the next steps to prepare for your transition to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) this coming fall. Please join us so you can make the transition to IAIA a smooth process.

IAIA Annual Open House and Building Dedication Ceremony

Mon, November 6, 2017, 2:00 pm–6:00 pm

You are invited to explore the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus and programs during our annual open house. Learn more about our exciting opportunities, meet students, faculty, and staff. A highlight of the event will be the dedication of the new Performing Arts and Fitness Center.

IAIA 2017 Summer Bridge Program

Mon, July 10, 2017–Fri, August 4, 2017

The 2017 Summer Bridge Program is for new freshmen admitted to IAIA for the Fall 2017 semester. Incoming freshmen are highly encouraged to participate. During the four week, on-campus program, students will: earn college credit, explore art-related fields, and gain skills for college readiness.

IAIA Student Transfer Day

Fri, April 14, 2017, 10:00 am–2:00 pm

IAIA is hosting a Student Transfer Day on April 14, 2017, from 10 am-2 pm, in the Center for Lifelong Education (CLE) Commons. The day’s events will feature a presentation about the degree programs offered by IAIA and transfer opportunities and requirements for students, plus lunch will be provided to all attendees.