Art & Design Education (BFA & MAT)
Being a strong art teacher starts with being a strong artist.
UArts can prepare you to be both.
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Major in any BFA program in the School of Art, Design or Film (except Creative Writing and Screenwriting) and minor in Art Education.
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Complete your BFA in four years.
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Complete your Art Education graduate degree in one additional year.
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Leave UArts with two degrees in five years.
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Become eligible for PreK–12 Art Education certification.
Our students expand their careers and professional skills.
Students benefit from professional development opportunities offered every semester and required teaching practica built on our vast network of practicing art educators.
Faculty Spotlight
Program faculty are passionate and celebrated educators and artists who work closely with students to foster a supportive and challenging learning environment. Small class sizes offer students personalized experience with faculty who are active practitioners in the field.
Curriculum
Duration: With careful planning, students can complete both a BFA in a major of their choice and the MAT in Visual Arts Education in just one additional year.
Note: Additional prerequisite/co-requisite coursework may need to be completed to meet certification requirements.
This program is designed to enable a student, through carefully planned coursework, to earn any BFA in the School of Art, Design or Film (except Creative Writing and Screenwriting) with a minor in Art Education in four years and a Master of Arts in Teaching Visual Arts in one additional year. The MAT is a professional degree program that incorporates preparation for the Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate, including a 14-week student teaching practicum. The program offered by the department of Art and Design Education is designed to permit a student majoring in an art or design field to use his or her undergraduate years as a key step toward certification (licensure) as a PK–12 Art or Design teacher. The university awards the degree, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education awards the teaching certificate on successful completion of Praxis exams.
Presentation Skills (1c)
Introduction to Visual Arts Education (2c)
Creative and Cognitive Development (3c)
Professional Writing Intensive (2c)
Art and Inclusionary Education (3c)
Program Design & Methods: Elementary (3c)
Aesthetics and Art Criticism (3c)
History of Ideas in Art & Museum Education (3c)
The Art of Teaching (3c)
Meeting Needs of English Language Learners (3c)
Saturday Practicum (3c)
Student Teaching: Elementary (4c)
Student Teaching: Secondary (4c)
Student Teaching Seminar: Elementary/Secondary (1c)
Research in Education: Methods and Trends (3c)
Art and Inclusionary Education (3c)
Service Learning (1c)
The Art of Teaching (3c)
One elective in subjects like Online Teaching and Learning or Interactive Media (3c)
Explore the Full Curriculum
Alumni & Careers
Alumni of the program currently teach in schools throughout the nation, at charter schools such as the William Penn Charter School and Young Scholar Frederick Douglas Charter School, at public schools such as M.H. Stanton Elementary School and Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania, and in the St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado, and have even founded their own schools. For example, Ginger Huebner MAT ’03 is the founding director at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design in Asheville, North Carolina, and is playing a key role in providing quality arts education to school-age children and adults in her community. She applied for the MAT, she says, because she “wanted to learn how to teach,” and throughout the program, Huebner was able to hone in on her ability to teach while maintaining a prolific and successful career as a professional artist.
BFA ’15, MAT ’17
BFA ’16, MAT ’17
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Art Education BFA & MAT programs.
Art education is important because it fosters creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and cultural appreciation among students. It promotes self-expression, enhances visual literacy, and contributes to overall cognitive and emotional development.
An art education degree will equip students with the skills and professional resources to pursue careers as educators in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle or high schools. You can also explore opportunities in community centers, museums, art studios or work as an art education advocate or a curriculum developer.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for art, drama and music teachers in postsecondary education is roughly $83,220, and is predicted to grow over the next 10 years by 3 percent. Pursuing an Art Education degree can be worth it if you have a passion for teaching and a desire to make a positive impact on students’ lives through the arts.
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