Application Procedure for Exchange Students

Application Procedure for Exchange Students

Applications and all supporting document must be submitted on the following dates. PLEASE SEND THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS ONLY AFTER THE APPLICATION PERIOD IS STARTED! :

  • Fall Semester (Duration: August-December): March 1 - 31

  • Spring Semester (Duration: January-May): September 1 - 30

 

STEP ONE: NOMINATION FROM YOUR HOME INSTITUTION

The exchange advisor at your home university must nominate you to attend UNM before you submit an application. Please contact an exchange advisor/international office at your home university for details of how to obtain a nomination.

STEP TWO: REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS (ALL DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE TYPED, HAND-WRITTEN DOCUMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.)

The following documents will be required as part of our online application form. Please gather the documents prior to starting your application. 

NOTE: If you have a document that is not originally in English, and you need to submit it as the application document, anyone (not applicant) who is fluent both in English and that language can translate the documents. Please provide the original translation along with the typed name, date of translation, address, and the signature of translator and a sentence to prove that the document is correct and accurately translated.

  1. Copy of the Biographical Page of Your Passport: Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the last day you plan to be in the country. If your passport expires before that date, it must be renewed BEFORE application.

  2. Academic records: Originals or certified copies of official documents plus English translation. Your official transcript must demonstrate strong academic preparation, generally indicated by a U.S. equivalent grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and at least two semesters of full-time study completed at the time of application. If you plan to enroll in graduate-level courses at UNM, you must submit either a copy of your Bachelor's Degree certificate or a letter from your exchange advisor stating that you qualify for graduate-level study.

  3. Proof of financial capability: All applicants for the exchange program are required to submit documentation verifying adequate funding to meet study and living expenses while in the United States. The amount of money* you will be required to demonstrate is:

    - For either fall or spring semester: $6,625
    - For one academic year (August to May): $13,250
    - For one calendar year (January to December): $15,750
    - For summer session: $4,150

*Any amounts denominated in a foreign currency will be evaluated at the prevailing market rate on the date the application is received.
*If you are a Guest (fee-paying) student, you will be required to have the sufficient amount as a regular international student. Please refer to the minimum Cost of Attendance including Non-resident UNM tuition, Room and Board, Textbooks, etc. here; https://geo.unm.edu/admission/undergraduate/tuition_fees.html.
*If you apply for a Bridge Program(Part-time Intensive English Courses and Part-time UNM Academic Courses) student, please contact your home institution or UNM Exchange Program Assistant about the program fees.
*Guest students are not eligible to apply for Amigo Scholarship. If you are not sure if you are nominated as an exchange student or guest students, please contact your home institution.
*Please review the following table to determine acceptable documents for proving adequate funding or financial capability. You can combine one or more Source of Funds Required Verification if necessary.

Source of Funds Required Verification:

Personal and Family Savings

Official Bank statement or letter from a bank verifying liquid assets/cash. Your bank statement should include: 1) Name of the account holder (student or student's parents or sponsor), 2) Name of bank, 3) Type(s) of account, 4) The balance at the time bank statement is issued, and 5) Date of bank statement issuance. 

Please note that an unofficial picture/screen shot of the bank account, investment portfolios, credit card monthly reports, mortgage appraisals, and similar statements are not acceptable.

In addition, please note that if the funding is not from an account in your name, you will need a brief statement in English from the account holder stating that they will be supporting you for your exchange program. A sample letter is available here or on our online application website.

Scholarship

Official scholarship award letter from the institution awarding the scholarship. The letter must contain (1) Name of the applicant, (2) Amount of money available for each semester or academic year of study and, (3) Duration of the award.

Government

Official letter indicating amount of support and containing the same information as described above for scholarship.

Loans

Official letter from a credit institution indicating approval of the loan and the amount approved

  1. Evidence of English Language Proficiency*:  If English is not your first language, you must submit official results from an English test you have taken within the past two years from your application submission date.

For exchange application, official test results must be submitted in PDF format by applicants through the UNM exchange application website (obtain the website from your home institution). Test scores CANNOT be directly sent from the test center to the University of New Mexico.

The tests we accept, and the minimum scores we require on each, are:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – Undergraduate: 68 on the Internet-Based Test (iBT) or 520 on the Paper-Based Test (PBT). Graduate: 79 on the iBT or 550 on the PBT. *Unofficial (ITP) scores are not accepted. 

    • Updates (9/16/20): TOEFL iBT MyBest Scores and TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition are now accepted after Spring 2021 application.

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Undergraduate: 6.0, Graduate: 6.5

  • Cambridge English Qualifications (CPE or CAE) – accepted with a satisfactory score of Undergraduate: 169, Graduate: 176.

  • Pearson Test of English (PTE: Academic) - Undergraduate: 47, Graduate: 53

  • Duolingo English Test - Undergraduate: 95, Graduate: 105

  • UNM Law School (Graduate):  TOEFL100 on the iBT or 600 on the PBT.   *Unofficial (ITP) scores are not accepted.

​NOTE: You are exempt from submitting English test scores if you meet one or both of the following conditions
1) You received a high school diploma from an accredited, English-speaking institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand.
2) You have attended a university where English is the medium of instruction for at least one year of full-time study at the time of your application.

  1. List of Courses: Please indicate Your name, University, Semester you enroll at UNM, Course titles (i.e. "ENGL XXX: Intro to English"), Course Number of each courses, and the Number of Credits. You can submit document in PDF or MS Word document. Though the course schedule is not guaranteed and might not yet confirmed for the academic year 2019-2020 during the application period, you must access to the current year's UNM Course Schedule and find your courses at least U.S. 12 credit hours per semester.

    Courses Restricted: PHARMACY, MEDICAL SCIENCE, AND NURSING are NOT allowed to take. LAW, NUTRITION, and ARCHITECTURE are restricted     (See restrictions on "Course Registration" and "FAQ: Course Registration Errors" tab).

  2. Fees: Please refer to the website HERE to understand payment information before submitting your application.

STEP THREE: APPLY NOW! 

Once you have been nominated and gathered all your documents, your education abroad advisor at your home institution will send you the link to our online application where you will submit all the required documentation.