The program is headed by Professor?Chris Reitz, the Hite Art Institute?s Gallery Director, and begins with a yearlong methodologies seminar that introduces students to the theoretical and critical stakes of contemporary art and curatorial practice. The first year of the program culminates with a class-curated exhibition in the Hite Art Institute?s campus galleries. In addition to the methodologies course and the Fine Arts graduate seminar, students in the CCS program take elective courses in Art History and outside of the Department of Fine Arts with the aim of developing general and specialized knowledge in their respective fields.

Students in the program benefit from the Hite Art Institute?s substantial resources, which include multiple galleries on campus and in downtown Louisville, partnerships with local art museums and galleries, as well as an active speaker and colloquia schedule featuring internationally prominent curators, gallery directors, and artists. Although funding is not guaranteed for every student, there are numerous scholarships and fellowships available to assist CCS graduate students.