The violin making program at the University of New Mexico, located in Masley Hall, is the only university program of its kind in the country<br>Students learn to handcraft a violin from raw pieces of wood, using the traditional methods and tools of lutherie that have been in place for over 400 years.<br><br>Students in the program make one instrument while enrolled – a process which takes a few hundred hours, as work is done mostly with hand tools such as gouges, chisels, knives, planes, and scrapers. Meeting two evenings a week, the average student completes their instrument in five semesters. The program is not meant to prepare students for a career in violin making, but simply to offer them a unique and intensely rewarding experience.<br><br>Students from all disciplines, as well as community members, are invited to apply to the program. Prior woodworking experience is not required, but potential students are required to meet with the instructor prior to acceptance, where they will be asked to demonstrate some aptitude for the skills required.