Admissions

Admissions

The Department of Fine Arts is a selective admissions department, which means that acceptance is limited and competitive. All students must apply to be admitted to the Department before taking classes. Submission of an application does not guarantee admission. Acceptance depends on satisfactory academic performance, as well as artistic, educational, and career goals which meet Departmental standard.

The Department has Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graduate and Doctoral programs in both Studio Art and Art History.

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Undergraduate Admissions

Admission to Bachelors of Arts (BA) Programs

All Undergraduate students wishing to take studio art classes in the Department must first submit an Application for Admission for a Major in Fine Arts. BFA applications are accepted only from students currently in the BA program. 

The Department of Fine Arts offers the BA in Art History and Studio Art. Admission to these programs is selective and competitive. All students wishing to major in fine arts specializing in art history or in studio art must complete and submit an Application for Admission for a Major in Fine Arts to the Department of Fine Arts. (Applications are available from the Department or as a downloadable pdf file).

Acceptance as a major is determined by an evaluation of an applicant’s artistic and academic potential for success in the Fine Arts program. To ascertain this, factors such as previous academic performance, a written statement of artistic, educational, and career goals, and a submitted portfolio or art history essay are considered. Applicants who do not meet the minimum overall grade point standards for the College of Arts & Sciences and are not in ‘good standing’ will not be considered. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance. In addition, a grade of "D" in any department course 300 level or above may not be used to fulfill a departmental requirement.

Applicants for studio art should submit a portfolio which shows potential as an artist and demonstrates an aptitude for perceptual and conceptual development (sometimes students may possess these capabilities, however, their portfolios do not reflect it. In this instance students should complete ART 101–Fundamentals of Drawing and Design in order to acquire more experience and build their portfolio toward application). Art history applicants must submit an essay which demonstrates sufficient grammar and writing skills and the ability to succeed in the art history coursework. 

Application for Admission for a Major in Fine Art (BA Program) [pdf]

Applying to the University of Louisville

Admission to the Bachelor in Fine Arts Program

The BFA degree is primarily intended for professionally oriented students and those planning to pursue graduate work in the studio arts. Admission is competitive and highly selective. Enrollments are limited. Accepted majors for the B.A. in Studio Art may apply to the B.F.A. program after they have completed the Foundations Program in studio art, or its equivalent, plus have completed or are currently enrolled in the 300 level course in the Program track area for which they intend to apply (e.g. ART 361 for Interior Architecture, ART 371 for Communication Arts & Design), have a GPA in departmental courses above a 3.01, and a minimum overall GPA of 2.25. (Applications are available from the Department or as a downloadable pdf file below). 

Application for Admission to the BFA Program [pdf]

Guaranteed Early Admission for Communication Art & Design BFA Track

The BFA Program in Communication Art & Design  currently admits approximately 15 students per academic year into the program. Due to the high number of students interested in pursuing a BFA in Communication Art & Design, we have a “Guaranteed Early Admission” option with a supplemental application. This is available to incoming freshman who have a GPA of at least 3.2 and an ACT score of 27 or higher. If you meet this criteria you have the option to submit this supplemental application. This is not mandatory. You may still enter our program in the traditional route – applying to a BFA track as outlined above. However, the Guaranteed Early Admission program gives you an assurance that if you continue to meet the program standards, you will be admitted to the BFA track for Communication Art & Design. More information is available in the following two documents:

Program information and admission options for Communication Art & Design [pdf]

Supplemental Application for Guaranteed Early Admission to Communication Art & Design [pdf]

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Graduate Admissions

Graduate Programs in Fine Arts

The Department of Fine Arts offers a comprehensive graduate curriculum leading to a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Fine Arts, with concentrations in Studio Art, Art History, and Critical & Curatorial Studies. Click here to download the graduate handbook, a guide supplementing the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS) catalog. For the complete catalog, please check the SIGS website at graduate.louisville.edu.

General Admission Information

Admission application deadlines:

• January 15 for fall semester
• October 15 for spring semester

Application Requirements

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for admission to the program. The Art History M.A. Program specifically requires a minimum score of 550 on the verbal portion of the GRE.
• All M.A. programs in the Department of Fine Arts require a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
• International students must meet all criteria, including the TOEFL examination, set forth in the University’s Graduate Catalog.

Supplemental Application Materials

In addition to the credentials required by SIGS, the department requires students applying to the Art History and Critical & Curatorial Studies Programs to provide a statement of purpose (approximately 500 typed words), and a writing sample (normally an advanced-level Art History paper).

Students applying to the Studio Art Program must submit:

• samples of a coherent body of work (in slide or CD format),
• 500-word typed artist’s statement relevant to the submitted artwork, and
• a typed statement detailing the applicant’s educational and professional goals.

Applicants to all programs must provide two current, substantive letters of recommendation specific to the program (appended to the SIGS recommendation forms) in which the applicant’s academic and/or artistic achievements and promise are discussed. Candidates normally enter the Master’s Program with the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in Studio Art, Art History, or a related field.

M.A. Studio Art Track

Admission Requirements and Procedures
1. Applicants to this program must fulfill the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. To meet the Graduate School requirements a student must:

❑ Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

❑ Have, in most cases, completed an undergraduate major or equivalent in the intended field of study.

❑ Submit a formal application, application fee, at least two letters of recommendation specific to the program, official transcripts of all college work, and official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to the Graduate School.

2. Applicants to the Master of Arts with a concentration in Studio Art must meet the following additional requirements: A bachelor's degree with a grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Submit the following materials as part of the application:

❑ A completed Master of Arts Application form (available from the Department or as a downloadable pdf file here: Master of Arts Application form [pdf] 

❑ Samples of a coherent body of work represented in 15 - 20 35mm slides in a slide sheet, or images on CD, accompanied by a typed slide list with artist's name, title of work, size, medium and year

❑ An artist’s statement relevant to the submitted artwork of no more than 500 typed words.

❑ A statement of no more than 500 typed words detailing the applicant's educational and professional goals in the field of Fine Arts.

3. All application materials required by the Department for the Studio Art Track must be submitted to the Studio Art Graduate Program Secretary, no later than October 15 for spring semester admission and January 15 for fall semester admission. All requests for scholarship aid must be submitted by January 15.

M.A. Art History Track

Admission Requirements and Procedures

1. Applicants to this program must fulfill the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. To meet the Graduate School requirements a student must:

❑ Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

❑ Have, in most cases, completed an undergraduate major or equivalent in the intended field of study.

❑ Submit a formal application, application fee, at least two letters of recommendation specific to the program, official transcripts of all college work, and official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to the Graduate School.

2. Applicants to the Master of Arts with a concentration in Art History must meet the following additional requirements: A bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Submit the following materials as part of the application:

❑ A completed Master of Arts Application form (available from the Department or as a downloadable pdf file here: Master of Arts Application form [pdf]

❑ A statement of about 500 typed words detailing the applicant’s educational and professional goals in Art History.

❑ A writing sample (normally an advanced-level Art History paper).

3. All application materials required by the Department for the Art History Track must be submitted to the Art History Graduate Program Secretary, no later than October 15 for spring semester admission and January 15 for fall semester admission. All requests for scholarship aid must be submitted by January 15.

 M.A. Critical & Curatorial Studies Track

Admission Requirements & Procedures

1. Applicants to this program must fulfill the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. To meet the Graduate School requirements a student must:

❑ Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

❑ Have, in most cases, completed an undergraduate major or equivalent in the intended field of study.

❑ Submit a formal application, application fee, at least two letters of recommendation specific to the program, official transcripts of all college work, and official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to the Graduate School.

2. Applicants to the Master of Arts with a concentration in Critical & Curatorial Studies must meet the following additional requirements: A bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Submit the following materials as part of the application:

❑ A completed Master of Arts Application form (available from the Department or as a downloadable pdf file here: Master of Arts Application form [pdf]

❑ A statement of about 500 typed words detailing the applicant’s educational and professional goals in the field of Fine Arts.

❑ A writing sample (normally an advanced-level Art History paper)

3. All application materials required by the Department for the Critical & Curatorial Studies Track must be submitted to the Critical & Curatorial Studies Graduate Program Secretary, no later than October 15 for spring semester admission and January 15 for fall semester admission. All requests for scholarship aid must be submitted by January 15.

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Doctoral Admissions

The Ph.D. Program in Art History provides specialist training which culminates in conferral of the terminal degree in the field. This guide to the program is supplementary to the University of Louisville Graduate Catalog and pertains only to the doctoral program in Art History.

Admission

Application Deadlines:

• January 15 for fall semester
• October 15 for spring semester

[Note: Applications for all departmental based funding for the following academic year are due by January 15. Students entering in the spring semester are generally not eligible for departmental funding until the next academic year. See the Graduate Funding brochure for further information.]

Students may apply to the Ph.D. Program upon or near completion of the Master’s in Art History at the University of Louisville or another institution. Applications must be completed according to SIGS procedures. In addition to credentials required by SIGS, applicants must submit:

• A statement of purpose (approximately one thousand words in length) that details academic interests, reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree in Art History, and intended field of study
• Three current, substantive letters of recommendation, appended to the recommendation forms
• A writing sample that can stand as evidence of the applicant’s intellectual,investigative, and expository skills.

The writing sample may consist of two graduate research papers, published articles, catalog entries, reviews, an M.A. thesis, chapters of a thesis in progress, or any other recent samples of relevant scholarly or critical writing.

• Normally the applicant holds an M.A. in Art History. Exceptions are considered only when the applicant’s record shows substantial graduate coursework in Art History, in addition to an M.A. in a related field. The record of an applicant must demonstrate both the ability to undertake independent research and the promise of completing a dissertation of academic merit that represents an original contribution to scholarship.
• A minimum 3.5 grade point average in coursework at the Master’s level in Art History and/or related fields is required for acceptance to the program.
• A minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal score of 600 is required by the Art History Program for admission
• International students must meet all criteria, including the TOEFL examination, set forth in the SIGS catalog

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