Explore Your Future

Explore graduate study in art and design and launch your career with advanced studio practice, critical inquiry and a deeper voice as an artist.
Artist works on her paintings in her studio
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art + Design
A three-year, 60-credit studio program with guaranteed funding. Work across nine media areas with dedicated studio space, close faculty mentorship and a thesis exhibition in our professional galleries.
Close-up of moveable type blocks in the printmaking studio
Master of Arts (MA) in Art History and Curatorial Studies
Develop expertise in art historical research or critical theory and curatorial practice. Our MA prepares you for careers in museums, galleries, academia and cultural institutions.

Why Our Graduate Program 

You won't just make work. You'll build a sustainable practice alongside artists, curators, and scholars who are actively shaping the field. Every MFA student receives full funding. Studio space is guaranteed. And your work will be exhibited.

Faculty Mentorship

Your mentors aren't just teaching — they're working. Our faculty exhibit nationally, publish scholarship and maintain active studios. They're looking for students who bring intellectual rigor, technical commitment and the courage to take risks. If you're serious about your practice, so are they.

Thesis & Exhibition

You graduate with a show, not just a degree. MFA candidates exhibit in professional gallery spaces — building their CV, testing their practice in public, and walking away with portfolio pieces. MA students produce publishable scholarship.

Explore past exhibitions

Alumni Outcomes

Our alumni work across the art world and beyond — as independent artists, curators and educators, but also as designers, creative directors and consultants for brands and institutions. They shape culture from inside studios, galleries and creative industries.

Joyce Chen, Hite Institute of Art + Design Alumna
Alumni Spotlight
From UofL to global brands. Joyce Chen '19 runs her own 3D design studio, partnering with Apple, Estée Lauder and Microsoft — and co-created the iconic Windows 11 wallpapers with Six N. Five.