Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts

Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts

Create the Future you Want

Actors on stage performing a play.

experiential learning

         

If you’re up for the challenge, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts will prepare you to make a difference in the world. Here you can get personal attention, global connections and the experience of a Big Ten university.

10:1
student to faculty ratio in the college
70%
of students receiving a scholarship
2025
State-of-the art music building opens

co-create your future

Glenn Korff School of Music

  • Music
  • Music Education
  • Dance
Undergrad Majors & Degrees
Graduate Degrees
How to Apply
A student plays cello in a field

School of Art, Art History and Design

  • Studio Art
  • Graphic Design
  • Art History
Undergrad Majors & Degrees
Graduate Degrees
How to Apply
A student paints full body portraits.

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film

  • Acting
  • Design/Technical Production
  • Creation/Management
  • Emerging Media Arts
Undergrad Majors & Degrees
Graduate Degree
How to Apply
Performers act out a play on stage.
Exterior shot of the Carson Center ofr Emergin Media Arts.

The arts are evolving, and so are the possible career paths you will have. The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts is home to the emerging media arts major, and students in majors across the Hixson-Lied College also have access to the advanced technologies, collaborative studios and interdisciplinary research that will prepare you for the ever-changing world in which artists live and work. The Carson Center will prepare you to be life-long learners, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial for careers in any field you choose, from TV and film production, to design, music production, AI, business, engineering and healthcare, among many other fields. Borne out of a groundbreaking $57 million partnership between the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, the Johnny Carson Foundation and numerous private industry partners, the Carson Center is a global leader in interdisciplinary education, research and innovation, transforming how students prepare for tomorrow’s creative landscapes.

Explore the Center

Interdisciplinary Study

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts is committed to collaborating across disciplines and equipping students to form new and surprising intersections of creative express and discovery. Find inspiration for your next project throughout our many arts spaces, equipped with the tools, technology and expertise to help you bring ideas to life.

Global Arts Academy

The Global Arts Academy at Nebraska brings together exceptional students from around the world to a unique and exciting four-year undergraduate program that immerses international and U.S. students in transformative academic, co-curricular and career-building experiences while learning about each other’s cultures. This year, we welcomed our first cohort, which includes three international students from India, Nepal and Vietnam, and four U.S. students from Colorado, Nevada and Nebraska.

Learn More
Students pose for a photo on UNL campus.

Lincoln Arts Community

Students join a dynamic arts community in downtown Lincoln, a friendly Midwestern city full of creativity and opportunity. The campus blends into the city, offering safety, affordability, and walkable access to cafés, galleries, and entertainment. With over 400 annual events and performances hosted by the college, inspiration is always close—fueling your growth as an artist.

Discover Community

Creative Work

A ceramics student builds a vessel on the pottery wheel.
A ceramics student builds a vessel on the pottery wheel.
  • A ceramics student builds a vessel on the pottery wheel.
    A ceramics student builds a vessel on the pottery wheel.
  • Dance students perform in the annual Evenings of Dance performance.
    Dance students perform in the annual Evenings of Dance performance.
  • Professor of Film Rick Endacott recently completed his short film 'Turn Over,' which centers around an antique tractor and the conflict it provokes between two brothers. 'Turn Over' was produced with the help of emerging media arts students, along with UNL faculty and local film professionals.
    Professor of Film Rick Endacott recently completed his short film 'Turn Over,' which centers around an antique tractor and the conflict it provokes between two brothers. 'Turn Over' was produced with the help of emerging media arts students, along with UNL faculty and local film professionals.
  • Students in the emerging media arts program pose in motion-capture suits that will help transform them into animated characters on the surrounding screen.
    Students in the emerging media arts program pose in motion-capture suits that will help transform them into animated characters on the surrounding screen. 
  • 'Big Fish' was a collaborative musical produced by the Nebraska Repertory Theatre and UNL Opera and featuring projections created by the emerging media arts program. Students from both the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film and Glenn Korff School of Music collaborated on the fantastical musical that revolves around the extraordinary life of Edward Bloom, a charismatic storyteller with a penchant for embellishment.
    'Big Fish' was a collaborative musical produced by the Nebraska Repertory Theatre and UNL Opera and featuring projections created by the emerging media arts program. Students from both the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film and Glenn Korff School of Music collaborated on the fantastical musical that revolves around the extraordinary life of Edward Bloom, a charismatic storyteller with a penchant for embellishment.
    A student paints in the well-lit studios of Richards Hall.
    A student paints in the well-lit studios of Richards Hall.
  • UNL Symphony Orchestra performed on tour in Norfolk, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota.
    UNL Symphony Orchestra performed on tour in Norfolk, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota.
    A student hangs up her photos in preparation for a student critique.
    A student hangs up her photos in preparation for a student critique.

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