Joint Degree in Public Administration and Curatorial Studies

The Master of Public Administration/Master of Arts in Art (Creative) and Art History (Concentration in Critical and Curatorial Studies) joint degree program takes advantage of overlapping interests and synergies that can arise from mutual interests in nonprofit management and curatorial studies. Students in the Critical and Curatorial Studies track of the MA program will benefit from the broad managerial focus of the MPA program, while students in the MPA program can enhance their expertise in an important area of nonprofit endeavor.

Taken separately, the two programs require a total of 73 semester hours of work, while the joint program requires a total of 55 hours. Completion of both programs should improve the initial job prospects and opportunity for professional advancement of students with interests in arts-related nonprofit management.

Curriculum

The MPA/MA joint degree program requires a total of 55 credit hours of courses that satisfy MPA and MA core and elective requirements as shown below. The degree plan consists of 28 credit hours in core requirements for both programs, 12 credit hours in the MPA Concentration in Nonprofit Management, and 15 credit hours in the MA Concentration in Critical and Curatorial Studies.

Course NumberCourse NameCredit Hours
PADM 600Foundations of Public Administration3
PADM 601Research Methods for Public Administration3
PADM 642Human Resources Management3
ARTH 600Graduate Seminar1
Varies500- or 600-level Art History elective3
Varies500- or 600-level ARTH elective outside Fine Arts3
Varies500- or 600-level ARTH elective outside C/CS concentration3
Varies600-level Arts Management elective3
Core Courses
22
 
PADM 609Management of Nonprofit Organizations3
PADM 611Nonprofit Financial Management3
PADM 612Nonprofit Grantsmanship and Fundraising3
PADM 615Leadership and Community Engagement3
Courses in MPA Concentration in Nonprofit Administration
12
 
ARTH 541Modern Perspectives in the Visual Arts3
ART 542Approaches to Critical Inquiry3
ARTH 547/647Museum Methods I3
ARTH 548/648Museum Methods II3
ARTH 649Curatorial Internship3
Courses in MA Concentration in Critical and Curatorial Studies
15
 
Thesis Credit Hours (PADM 695 and ARTH 645/646)
6
 
Total Credit Hours
55

Thesis

Each student is required to complete a 6 credit hour thesis, consisting of 3 hours of PADM 695 and 3 hours of ARTH 645/646. The thesis is expected to bridge the fields of nonprofit administration and curatorial studies. The thesis committee will consist of three faculty members, including at least one member from the MPA faculty and one member from the Fine Arts faculty. The student also has the option to participate in a 200 hour public administration internship in place of the PADM 695 portion of the thesis requirement

Admissions

A student who wishes to pursue both degrees must submit a separate application and must be admitted to both the Master of Public Administration program and the MA in Art (Creative) and Art History: Concentration in Critical and Curatorial Studies program. Applicants should be aware that separate admissions tests may be required, and that separate admissions criteria will be applied.






Tuition/Financial Aid

Current tuition rates for University of Louisville students are here .

Tuition for Kentucky residents for academic year 2020-2021 is $7,530 per semester for full-time (9 or more credit hours) or $837 per credit hour. Tuition for out-of-state residents is $14,587 per semester for full-time or $1,621 per credit hour.

The University also offers financial support for graduate students. Interested students should check the Graduate School Financial Support website regularly for financial aid opportunities.

Contact

Aaron Rollins, Ph.D., MPA Program Director
Phone: (502) 852-7955
Email: aaron.rollins@louisville.edu

Chris Reitz, Ph.D., Program Head, Critical and Curatorial Studies
Hite Art Institute
Phone: (502) 852-0441
Email: chris.reitz@louisville.edu