Welcome!

Founded in 1987, the University of Kentucky's Department of Arts Administration offers one of the most comprehensive curriculums in the country. The degree programs prepare students for the challenges they will meet as professionals in the arts. The demand for arts administrators remains strong. What was once a small niche has transformed into an industry of professionals trained to manage theatres, symphony halls, galleries, museums, community art councils, orchestras, art centers, and many other types of institutions. In fact, the nonprofit arts industry employs approximately 1.3 million individuals annually.

As chair of the University of Kentucky's Department of Arts Administration, I'm always excited to tell people about our many accomplishments. There's no better way to do that than by pointing out how, even in tough economic times, our graduates continue to find employment in their field. They can be found working locally at the University of Kentucky, statewide at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts and the Kentucky Historical Society, and nationally in New York on Broadway, in Washington DC at the National Gallery, in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, in Chicago at Millennium Park, and in Seattle at the Seattle Opera.

One reason for this success is that the faculty is constantly updating the curriculum in order to expose our students to the latest in arts management practices in areas such as education, fundraising, international activities, law, leadership, marketing, programming, and strategic planning. Additionally, our students take courses devoted to learning current technologies used by arts administrators, as well as learning new technologies poised for integration in the arts.

Even with this emphasis on technology, however, the faculty never loses sight of the fact that the most successful form of education takes place when two people communicate directly with one another, be it face-to-face or online. In that regard, I'm always gratified to hear from our students about how supported they felt while in the department and, once they graduated, how happy they were to have found a profession and a home.

I hope that, as you look through our website, you will come away with the same feeling and will want to make the University of Kentucky's Department of Arts Administration your home, too.

Dr. Rachel Shane, Chair
Department of Arts Administration

Department of Arts Administration Mission

Dynamic and innovative, the University of Kentucky Department of Arts Administration leads national and international initiatives in teaching, research, professional and community service to educate and inspire responsible arts leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs.

Department of Arts Administration Vision 

The University of Kentucky’s Department of Arts Administration will be recognized as a leader in arts administration education and be a reference for its innovation in pedagogical models and the development of new learning frameworks. It will also play an active role in furthering the advancement of research in arts administration and its related disciplines. In partnership with the other units in the College, the Department of Arts Administration will actively support the teaching, research, and service initiatives of the College of Fine Arts in order to address the academic, cultural, and humanistic needs of the University communities.