Exploratory Studies in Fine Arts - Art

Who is this program for?

This program is perfect for creative students interested in exploring painting, sculpture, digital media, or design before selecting a specialized art major. It is ideal for aspiring artists who want to refine their skills while discovering career paths in fine arts, illustration, or commercial design.

Program Overview

Develop your artistic skills while exploring majors in painting, sculpture, digital media, and graphic design. This program helps aspiring artists refine their creativity and choose the right career path in visual arts. For students passionate about visual creativity, Exploratory Studies in Art offers the opportunity to explore various artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, digital media, and graphic design. This track allows students to develop their technical skills and creative vision while taking foundational art courses. With access to faculty mentors, studio spaces, and hands-on projects, students can discover whether their path lies in fine arts, commercial design, or interdisciplinary media before selecting a major.

Offered by the College of Fine Arts

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What You'll Learn

Not sure what to major in? That’s okay—Exploratory Studies can help.


Our Exploratory Studies programs are designed for incoming freshmen who are still deciding on a major but want to make steady progress toward graduation. As an Exploratory Studies student, you’ll receive personalized academic advising and career support while taking courses that fulfill UK Core requirements and count toward any degree. It’s a smart way to explore your interests without losing time.

Each Exploratory Studies option is tied to a broad academic area, allowing you to try out courses in fields that interest you while gaining insight into potential majors. You’ll work one-on-one with an academic advisor and connect with career counselors at the Stuckert Career Center to explore your strengths, take assessments, and develop a plan that aligns your interests with future goals. You’ll also have opportunities to attend major and career fairs, participate in internships, and explore real-world experiences that help guide your path forward.

Ultimately, these tracks help students to declare a major and achieve a timely graduation in a field that aligns with their future career aspirations. 


Degree requirements, course descriptions and academic policies for all programs are detailed in the University Catalog.

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These events are designed to answer your questions and give you a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of our program.

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Undergraduate degree-seeking students have access to a variety of financial aid options, including scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and student loans, designed to make education more affordable.

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Join the Creative Arts Living Learning Program

Live with and learn from other creative-minded students at UK! Plus, gain access to dedicated practice spaces and studios right where you live.  

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Hidden Conditionals







Things to do on this form:
Take away "Term" for Transfers - "Unknown Term"? As well as "Not in High School"
And the same for "Online"

Possibly remove the "Readmit" option.
Feel like it would be pretty easy to see if the person already exists in our system and has a program enrollment record associated with them, which would shift them from "Freshman" or "Transfer" to "Readmit"
Gatton College of Business and Economics
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