Apply to become a Miller Arts Scholar!
Rising second or third-year students actively engaged in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia are eligible to apply to be a J. Sanford Miller Family Arts Scholar. Each year, the faculty advisory committee admits up to four scholars in each of the five disciplines: dance, drama, music, studio art, and creative writing. Artists who do not strictly belong to one discipline have also been welcomed into the program. Rising second-year applicants are strongly encouraged to major (or minor in the case of dance) in the arts. Rising third-year applicants should be planning to declare a major in the arts (or minor in dance) or present evidence of major equivalent engagement in the arts to be eligible. This program is only for College of Arts and Sciences students.
Applicants should display involvement in the arts and excellence in courses specific to their disciplines, with a recommended GPA of 3.400 or higher in all arts courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.200 or higher. In rare cases, exemptions to GPA requirements may be made to students who show exceptional talent and potential in the arts as certified by a letter from a faculty member. Additionally, Arts Scholars are required to enroll in a minimum of four, credit-bearing art courses within their respective nominating department between their second and fourth year of study. In Studio Art and Drama, one of these courses should be at 3000 level or above. In Dance, two of these courses should be at the 3000 level or above selected from two distinct areas: Movement Practice, Creative Process, Critical or Somatic Studies. In Music, two of these courses should be at the 3000 level or above, including at least one MUSI course.
Application forms and materials must be submitted to [email protected] no later than February 12 at 5PM. Applicants will be notified by the first week in March.
Requirements
- Complete Application Form (.docx, 492KB, click to download) or (.pdf, 451KB, click to download)
- The form includes a personal statement outlining interest in becoming an Arts Scholar and how this relates to larger goals. Include a description of how your participation will contribute to the Miller Arts Scholars Program.
- List courses already taken or currently enrolled within the discipline for which you are applying as an Arts Scholar.
- List any additional UVA arts related courses taken, performances participated in, or other experiences in the arts at the university.
- Provide a faculty recommendation.
- Include current resume.
- Include UVA transcript (unofficial transcript is fine)
- Include examples with descriptions (date, location, title, medium, objective) of your work. Visual artists may submit a PDF portfolio containing up to five high-resolution images labeled with title, dimension, materials, date, etc. Performing artists may send a video or audio recordings totaling no longer than ten minutes in length. All attached files should should be named using this format: “lastnamefirstname_musicexample1.mp3” or “lastnamefirstname_portfolio.pdf.” Do not send full length videos or audio recordings.
Contact
Michael Rasbury
Director, J. Sanford Miller Family Arts Scholars
Associate Professor, Sound Design for Theatre
Department of Drama, Room 208B
University of Virginia
