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Graduate: Overview

MSEd Graduate Program

Mission Statement

The graduate program in visual arts education is committed to providing students with an understanding of art practice as an important source of knowing and engaging with the world and to fostering an approach to teaching art that views the studio as a site of inquiry, artmaking as a culturally and socially situated discovery process, and making and responding to art as inextricable from reflection.

Program Goals

  • Expand knowledge of contemporary practices in art, teaching, and technology
  • Develop and articulate self-reflective practices 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

The Master of Science in Art Education (MSEd) degree encourages active participation in professional art education organizations, regional, state and national conferences and workshops. The Art Education program fosters and develops a community of practitioners who maintain interaction with the program as invited speakers in classes and as supervising teachers for our undergraduate fieldwork in the schools.

The M.S.Ed in Art education program does not lead to Initial teaching certification for people with undergraduate degrees in art studio, art history, or other areas. Prospective students who have earned a bachelor's degree in these areas and who wish to become art teachers may apply as second-degree students to the undergraduate art education program.

The MSEd program is an online program that provides flexibility to students who are currently working or otherwise unable to pursue full-time graduate studies. As a prerequisite for admission, applicants must possess certification for Visual Art PreK - 12 from the respective state. Within the New York State, completion of the degree qualifies students for Professional teaching certification in Visual Art PreK - 12 for those students currently working under Initial art teacher certification. The program also serves students who wish to obtain a master's degree in preparation for doctoral study.

For further information about scholarships or the application process, please contact the Graduate School at gradadmissions@newpaltz.edu.

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