Art Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Arts with a concentration in art education

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About the Program

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Arts with a concentration in art education combines an immersion in art with teaching experiences in K–12 classrooms. Once you graduate, you’ll be eligible for teacher licensure in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, and you can apply for teaching positions in schools, communities and museums across the country. Rather that focusing on one studio area, you’ll take a variety of arts and design electives, including painting, sculpture, ceramics and photography. You also have the option to double-major or pursue a minor. This breadth of experience will prepare you to teach multiple mediums in the classroom. 

For teacher preparation, you’ll have two semesters of practicum courses where you visit local schools for teaching and observation. Then, a semester-long clinical internship with both an elementary and a secondary school art teacher will give you a full-time teaching experience while you prepare a teaching portfolio and a final exhibition—and start your job search.

Some classes you might take in this major:

  • Foundations of Art Education
  • Computer Technology in Art Education
  • Human Development and Learning
  • Photography in Art Education
  • Three-Dimensional Art Experiences

Our alumni are:

  • Elementary, middle and high school teachers
  • Art consultants
  • Arts administrators
  • Museum personnel

The Art Education Program is an approved teacher preparation program that complies with state and national professional standards. The curriculum is further guided by the professional standards of the National Art Education Association.

art foundation

The Art Foundation program (AFO) is the required first year for all undergraduate programs in the visual art and design departments. It provides you with an intellectually rigorous, studio-based experience in the fundamental issues of art and design. AFO is designed to help you foster an enthusiasm for your work and the means to reflect analytically and critically. Completion of the Art Foundation Program is a prerequisite for entry into all visual arts and design departments: Art Education, Communication Arts, Craft/Material Studies, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media.

More about AFO