Candidates admitted to the graduate program in Art Education at University of Kentucky are expected to have completed course work equivalent to an undergraduate major in Art Education (in no case less than 18 hours in Art Education and Education, 12 hours in Art History, and 18 hours in Art Studio).

Prospective candidates who do not meet these requirements should seek the counsel of the Program Faculty Committee to make up deficits prior to acceptance into the program. In addition, candidates must submit for review by the Program Faculty Committee, a portfolio of recent artworks and professional writing and other evidence of professional attainment (or a 300-500 word statement of interest in advance studies in Art Education).

Faculty are expected to produce creative and scholarly work worthy of national and international recognition. While each faculty member has a philosophy that drives this scholarly work, the single dominant philosophy that governs the day-to-day operation and decision-making in the Area is the Discipline-Based Art Education concept.

This concept joins the fundamentals of art education to the basic principles of the Kentucky Education Reform Act and allows the Art Education program, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, to utilize the expertise in Art History, Art Studio, Curriculum & Instruction, Education & Counseling Psychology, and Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation programs to provide our students with a rounded educational experience. Students graduating from this program are highly competitive. Over ninety percent of our graduates are hired within the first semester of graduation.