Undergraduate Program
Undergraduate students in Art Education build conceptual thinking and teaching practices through the core curriculum of the Art Education major combined with developing studio practices that utilize the facilities and faculty of the Fine Art department. The program develops artist-teachers who have a strong sense of artistic thinking and practice that includes explorations of contemporary art practices, synthesis of perspectives from art historical knowledge, and an engagement with the diverse cultural contexts of young people, schools, and society.
Art Education students are prepared to make connections between meaning-making through art with the diverse learning approaches of children and adolescents and the cultural and political communities of the schools in which they work.
BSEd Program Goals
- Develop knowledge of contemporary practices in art, teaching, and technology
- Develop art educators who promote social inclusivity and critical thinking
- Develop an articulate self-reflective practice as researchers, artists, and teachers
- Create collaboration and engagement with local and global learning communities
- Build professional networks to support the practice of lifelong learning
- Understand how art affects education in mediating between the artist and the world
- Develop a strong learning community among faculty and students in meaningful and supportive relationships
The curriculum structure of the Art Education program is:
48 credits in Art Studio courses
34 credits in Educational Theory, Methods, and Fieldwork
48 credits in General Studies: 21 of those credits overlap and fulfill the Art History and Educational Studies requirements for the Art Education program.
12 credits in Art History
6 credits in Educational Studies
The studio component is a critical part of the Art Education curriculum. Pre-major art education students begin the first year in the Foundation area, which includes 12 credits of Foundation studio in which computer experiences are provided in Design: Form and Design: Color in conjunction with traditional art and two- and three-dimensional design goals, employing vector, raster, and time-based software.
The Foundations year also includes experiences in the Digital Fabrication Lab. 15 credits of basic studio and 9 credits of a concentration in one studio (breadth and depth) are required toward graduation. Students may choose from all areas of the Art Department (Graphic Design, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Ceramics, Photography, Metals, Sculpture, and Wood) which expand on formal principles explored in the Foundation year. These design principles are critical to students' development of conceptual thoughtful inquiry and ideas. The Art Education program requires students to take ARE316 - Visual Digital Cultures as 3 of the 15 credits of the basic studios. The students are encouraged to find a balance of two dimensional, three dimensional, and digital media in the studio basics.
For further information, contact the Art Education program office at: 845-257-3850
