Art Education
Overview
The Art Department offers an undergraduate major, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in Art Education which provides students with a strong foundation in art studio and art history, preparing them for careers in public school art teaching from primary through 12th grade.
The Department also provides a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Art Education. The M.A. degree program leads to a Rank I or Rank II certification depending on whether the student entered with initial certification or Rank II.
Faculty are expected to produce creative and scholarly work worthy of national and international recognition. While each faculty has a philosophy that drives this scholarly work, the single dominant philosophy that governs the day-to-day operation and decision-making in the Area is the Discipline-Base Art Education concept. This concept joins the fundamentals of art education to the basic principles of the Kentucky Education Reform Act and allows the Art Education program, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, to utilize the expertise in Art History, Art Studio, Curriculum and Instruction, Education & Counseling Psychology, Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation programs to provide our students with a rounded educational experience. Students graduating from this program are highly competitive. Over ninety-percent of our graduates are hired within the first semester of graduation.
Mission
Located in the College of Fine Arts and associated with the College of Education, Art Education faculty and students identify with the arts-related mission and goals of the College of Fine Arts and the conceptual framework (the “Professional Educator as Reflective Decision Maker”) of Education. The Mission of the Art Education Area is to maintain and enhance quality instruction in the creation, understanding, and critical appreciation of the visual arts at all levels of education and within community institutions that serve the educational needs of diverse populations. The education program of the Area prepares students for teaching careers in elementary, middle, and high school, and leadership roles in community arts education. We provide in-service training, professional development, and consultation services to the schools of Fayette County and in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.