Submission of Application

The application deadline is February 1 for the following Fall semester.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to be certain that the application and supporting materials are received on or before the closing date. Candidates whose files are not complete as of February 1 cannot be assured of consideration for admission in that year.

Please note: All department application forms, including the Buffalo State College Graduate School Application Form, must be submitted directly to the Art Conservation Department:

Buffalo State College
Art Conservation Department, Admissions Committee
Rockwell Hall 230
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1095 U.S.A.

Each application must include the following items:

1. Application form and Buffalo State College Graduate Application form (download both below).

2. Official transcripts of all college work including proof of completion of a baccalaureate and any advanced degrees from accredited institutions. Please also submit this information on a course summary form (download below).

3. An official transcript of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) results. These tests are given by Educational Testing Services, PO Box 6004, Princeton, NJ 08541-6004. NOTE: The college code is 2533 and the major field code is 2399.

4. At least three letters from individuals who have a personal knowledge of the applicant's work. The letters must include at least one letter from an academic instructor, attesting to the applicant's academic ability and likelihood of success in an intensive M.A. program, and at least one letter from a professional conservator with whom the applicant has worked, indicating the applicant’s level of experience and likelihood of future success in the field of conservation. Please check with referees well in advance of the application deadline to ensure your letters have been sent. (download below)

5. A 1000-word autobiographical statement explaining the applicant's interest in the field of art conservation and professional objectives.

6. A curriculum vitae.

7. 8 to 12 printed images, showing 4 to 6 works of art or craft projects recently accomplished by the applicant. This sampling should include diverse media and materials in both 2-D and 3-D work, demonstrating the applicant's fine hand skills. Sketches, drawings, paintings, and/or sculpture should show representational, rather than abstract, subjects. Examples of jewelry, fine woodworking, and bookbinding are also welcome. Examples of photographic arts (unless they include handmade frames) are not suitable as they do not attest to the hand skills of the applicant. Not all works have to be the results of a formal course. Applicants must include a self-addressed and stamped padded envelope if they would like their submitted prints returned to them. The Admissions Committee requests that applicants DO NOT put these images into any sort of binder or notebook; this hinders the review process.

8. Foreign nationals whose first language is not English must submit an official transcript from TOEFL, Educational Testing Services, PO Box 6004, Princeton, NJ 08541-6004 (see item 2 above), with a minimum score of 550.

The Admissions Committee will meet after February 1 to consider all completed application files. Selected applicants will be invited to come to Buffalo for an hour-long interview, scheduled for late March or early April. Interviewees are asked to present a portfolio of artwork and a summary of their conservation experience, usually through a power point presentation. A color perception test will also be administered. Interviewees will be hosted by the current First Year students, who will provide a tour of the department facilities. Applicants who are invited to interview will receive an informational packet about the interview process. 

Download Application Forms