With substantial scholarships, access to world-class facilities, a celebrated faculty, and private studios, MFA students at the University of Louisville in Kentucky have the resources to deepen their artistic practice within a vibrant, creative community. In the rigorous but liberal 60-credit MFA program, students may work in interdisciplinary practices or focus on one medium, such as ceramics, drawing, fiber, glass, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, design, new media, and installation. Our MFA building is a newly renovated warehouse in Portland, Louisville’s new art district. Solely dedicated to the MFA program in Studio Art and Design, it offers state-of-the-art studios, lab spaces, a seminar room, and a gallery.
The Department of Art + Design at the University of Louisville, endowed as the Hite Institute of Art + Design, offers an MFA as either a three-year or an optional two-year accelerated program. Led by a faculty of professional artists, scholars, and designers, the studio-intensive program encourages a multidisciplinary approach that challenges students to develop their technical skills in service to social and critical engagement. The program is selective, and MFA cohorts are kept small to ensure each student has the intellectual and financial resources to support their creative work, research, and national or international travel.
The Hite Institute also offers a 31-credit-hour MA program in Art History or Critical and Curatorial Studies. The MA concentration in Art History provides advanced expertise in art history, and the MA concentration in Critical and Curatorial Studies combines critical theory, contemporary art and exhibition history, and practical exhibition experience to prepare students for work in the expanding fields of contemporary exhibition development and art writing.
All graduate students benefit from the Hite Institute’s substantial resources, including six galleries, award-winning glass and additive manufacturing facilities, partnerships with local art museums and galleries, a robust alum network, and a speaker series featuring internationally recognized artists, prominent curators, and gallery directors. In addition to guaranteed scholarships, graduate students may be eligible for awards, internships, and teaching assistantships that support the program and aim to build the university’s collaboration with local and regional museums and cultural institutions.
Applications for Fall 2024 admission are due February 15, 2024.
To learn more and apply, visit louisville.edu.
