Can you believe your eyes?
Visual perception is essential to success in many careers. The ability to accurately observe the visual world and articulate its meaning are valuable skills in a broad range of fields including law, medicine, information technology, education, and museum work. Art History & Visual Studies (AVHS) majors are trained to develop astute observational tools that help them better analyze our image-rich world.
"My AHVS professors encouraged my intellectual and professional growth. They challenged me to reach for opportunities that helped me toward an informed and conscientious understanding of arts organizations, big and small, in both Kentucky and New York."
-Emma Friedman-Buchanan, BA in Art History '18, Gallery Director, Institute 193, New York City
Opportunities
- Gallery & Museum Internships
- Travel Abroad
- National & International Conferences
- Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- Publication Opportunities
- Community Arts
Beyond the Classroom
Field trips to museums and festivals enliven our classes. Most of our students have been interns at the University of Kentucky Art Museum and local arts organizations. They also study abroad. In addition to the opportunities provided by our own faculty to study in France, Germany, Ireland and Italy, our students have received course credit for programs in Australia, Africa, and Asia.
Students admitted to the University Scholars Program may apply up to 12 credit hours of coursework for the BA degree in AH&VS toward the MA degree – and may be able to complete an MA in Art History & Visual Studies in one year rather than two.
Admission Requirements
- 3.5 GPA in Art History and Visual Studies major and 3.2 GPA overall
- Completed 90 hours of coursework
- Completed all Core Curriculum requirements
Application Process
- Identify a faculty sponsor in Art History and Visual Studies
- Complete University Scholars application form in consultation with the faculty sponsor.
- Submit with letter of intent addressed to Art History and Visual Studies graduate advisor
This form should be returned along with the standard Graduate School application form.
Tuition
Tuition and financial aid during the first year of the program (the University Scholar's fourth year at UK) is still covered by previously awarded undergraduate funding, at the cost of undergraduate credit hours. University Scholars are eligible to apply for assistantships their second and final year in the program.
Deadlines
Spring Admission - November 15
Summer II Admission - April 15
Fall Admission - April 15
Art History & Visual Studies BA
The ability to accurately observe the visual world and articulate its meaning are valuable skills in a broad range of fields including law, medicine, information technology, education, and museum work.
Art History & Visual Studies MA
The curriculum is structured to provide breadth and depth of inquiry through a variety of approaches to art history and, more broadly, visual studies.
Art History Minor
Art History is a particularly good minor for students majoring in other fields in the the humanities or the arts.
Students from any college may choose to minor in Art History.
Visual Studies Minor
Workplaces today are visually saturated environments, our dominant pastimes are visual media (films, television, video, the Internet, etc.); and information is commonly communicated visually.