The breadth and depth of our academic offerings mean that at the University of Kentucky you can craft an educational experience tailored to your interests and passions.
Inspire Your Path Forward
UK senior and Astronaut Scholar revels in ‘most impactful award’ he’s ever received
Asa O’Neal, a University of Kentucky senior mechanical engineering and physics major, was named to the 2024 Astronaut Scholars class by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The West Liberty, Kentucky, native is one of 71 Astronaut Scholars and was recently honored at the ASF Innovators Symposium and Gala in Houston, Texas.
Education Abroad
Education Abroad can be most simply defined as earning academic credit in an international setting. So what does this really mean for you? Education Abroad provides you with the opportunity to explore the world on your terms: You choose the courses you want to take abroad; you choose the type of experience you want; you choose your program; you choose your destination; most importantly, you choose what you get out of your education abroad experience.
UK Education Abroad and Exchanges offers different types of experiences and programs throughout the world. Program length, destination and cost vary based on the specific program you choose but know that we have options for everyone.
Education Abroad and Exchanges offers more than 300 programs in more than 70 countries.
Education Abroad and Exchanges has more than 40 international exchange programs available to UK students. For students interested in an exchange program closer to home, National Student Exchange (NSE) offers almost 200 exchange institution locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and more.
UK Junior to study at Oxford on English-Speaking Union Scholarship
Olivia Walton, a junior from Bardstown, Ky., has received an English-Speaking Union Scholarship. The English-Speaking Union of the United States is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, educational service organization whose mission is to promote scholarship and the advancement of knowledge through the effective use of English in an expanding global community. The Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union awards scholarships for juniors to take summer courses offered at three institutions in the United Kingdom: Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh universities.
Undergraduate Research
The Office of Undergraduate Research is dedicated to providing coordination, leadership, and support for research endeavors at the undergraduate level. Through a wide variety of customized programs and activities, staff and faculty mentors encourage, engage, and support students through the basics of research across all disciplines, which serves to enrich the overall academic experience and foster student success.
Chellgren Center
The Chellgren Center contributes to that goal by raising aspirations of UK students; assisting students in realizing their highest academic potential; inspiring progressive reform and innovation in teaching, learning, and curriculum development; and fostering creative and productive collaborations across the many programs and departments engaged in the undergraduate mission.
Gaines Center for the Humanities
Founded in 1984 by a generous gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on the University of Kentucky's campus. Devoted to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in its students and faculty, the Center embraces varied paths of knowledge and particularly strives to integrate creative work with traditional academic learning.
UK Arts and Sciences student mixes medicine and music
On certain afternoons, Alani Moore, a University of Kentucky sophomore neuroscience major from Atlanta, can be seen playing the grand piano in the atrium at the UK HealthCare Pavilion A through the Arts in HealthCare program. Moore once was a music performance minor. Despite dropping the minor, she is still passionate about music, and through Arts in HealthCare, she gets to combine her interests in music and science by playing the piano for patients and visitors.
Internships
An internship is a supervised career-related work experience that allows you to apply classroom learning to real-world situations. Internships offer you an opportunity to set learning goals, obtain valuable professional-level experience and reflect on what you have learned from the experience. You will obtain relevant professional experience in your field, gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses, values, likes and dislikes. An internship gives you the opportunity to develop communication skills, professional and technical skills, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You will gain more confidence in your abilities and valuable contacts for potential career opportunities.
From Lexington to NYC: UK student earns Victoria’s Secret internship
Sydney Brice, a merchandising, apparel and textiles senior at Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), spent the summer in New York City completing a raw materials internship with Victoria’s Secret. Thanks to her experience in the UK Textile Testing Lab and a well-maintained LinkedIn profile, Brice came to Victoria’s Secret’s attention, and a company representative reached out to her about the summer internship.
Students explore opportunities in Washington through WilDCats at the Capitol
Since its inception in 2016, the WilDCats at the Capitol internship program at the University of Kentucky has been paving the way for students to embark on transformative experiences in Washington, D.C. Developed through a partnership between the Office of Federal Relations, the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Student Government Association, the program has become a cornerstone of experiential learning for UK students.
Stuckert Career Center
The Stuckert Career Center prepares students for a lifetime of career possibilities through an educational journey that fosters engagement, reflection, and holistic development while connecting passion to purpose. From major and career exploration to resume and interview preparation, let the Career Center assist you at every step.
During the 2022-23 academic year, the Stuckert Career Center hosted 21 career fairs and networking events attended by more than 4,400 students and 600 employers.
UK students have access to more than 90,000 employer events through the Stuckert Career Center's UK Handshake career services network.
The Stuckert Career Center hosted more than 437 career readiness programs, like workshops, mock interviews or invited speakers, for students,
Fortune 500 companies and government agencies/nonprofit organizations who visited campus to recruit UK students included: ALDI, Amazon, Boeing, Cintas, Coca-Cola, Dell, Deloitte, Enterprise Holdings, ExxonMobil Corporation, Ernst & Young, GE, Humana, KPMG, Kroger, Lockheed Martin, Target, Toyota, UPS, Valvoline, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, CIA, FBI, Tennessee Valley Authority, US Department of Agriculture, US Department of State, US Social Security Administration, Peace Corps, Teach For America, the Council of State Governments and many others.
UK Theatre and Dance alum living the ‘Life of Pi’
Taha Mandviwala has immersed himself in professional theater since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2016. His latest role is Pi Patel, the title character in the three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway play “Life of Pi.” In the Broadway production, Mandviwala played supporting roles, but he was cast as Pi for the play’s North American tour.
Upper Level Honors Admission
Although the University has a limited number of spaces in the Lewis Honors College for first-time freshmen, the door to Honors is not closed. Students entering their second or third year at the University of Kentucky may apply to the Lewis Honors College through upper-level admission.
Upper-level students admitted to the Lewis Honors College have the same enhanced opportunities to deeply explore their chosen field of study as a first-time freshman. Students have access to expanded course offerings, faculty mentorship, Honors advising as well as counseling and career support through the Center for Personal Development.
