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Graduate Programs

Design your own path through human knowledge. Our MA and PhD programs are built for scholars who think across disciplines — and who want their research to matter in the world.

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Explore academic programs

Choose your path, fuel your growth. Find the programs, research and support to reach your goals.
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Explore Our Graduate Programs

Explore Our Graduate Programs

Choose your path: research or practice. Our MA prepares you for scholarly and institutional careers. Our PhD supports creative dissertations and public scholarship at the highest level.
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Graduate School Resources

Graduate School Resources

From funding opportunities and career development to student life support, the UofL Graduate School offers a full network of resources to help you thrive throughout your program.

Why Our Graduate Program

Both the MA and PhD in Humanities are built around a simple premise: the most interesting questions don't stay in one discipline. Students design individualized courses of study in collaboration with faculty from the Department of Interdisciplinary & Public Humanities and affiliated faculty across Philosophy, Linguistics, History, Modern Languages, Art History, Theatre Arts and more.

Learning Across Disciplines

You won't be confined to a single department or a single methodology. Our programs are designed to let you follow your research wherever it leads — combining historical and theoretical approaches, creative and critical work, and local and global perspectives.

Intern & Community Partnerships

Our programs connect scholarship to the real world. Students can pursue internships for course credit with Louisville's rich network of cultural and public institutions — including Oxmoor Farm, the Filson Historical Society, the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, the American Printing House for the Blind, Locust Grove Historic Home and more. The Jewish Studies program also offers an annual service learning internship.

Alumni Outcomes

Graduate Alumni Spotlight
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Treva Hodges

"The most accurate way to summarize how my degree helped me: I learned HOW to LEARN. I walked away with the confidence to take on any subject and be the leader my community needs."

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Kelly Hill

"The internship at the Filson Historical Society provided the spark for my novel, but it was my Humanities classes that pushed me to think deeply about the issues I wanted to address."

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Nathan Gower

"The framework of the creative dissertation was perfect for me. Each time I begin a creative project, I ask myself what critical conversation it engages — a habit that affects my career choices today."

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

Connect with our Director of Graduate Studies to learn more about the programs, discuss your research interests or ask about funding.

Apply Now
Contact the Director of Graduate Studies