The School of Art offers Master of Arts in Art Education, this is the first graduate-level art education program offered in the state of Arkansas. This two-year program is designed for students seeking to expand and deepen their knowledge of theory and practice in art education.
Overview
Our Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program in Art Education is an accredited, two-year residency program. As a research-oriented program, it emphasizes theoretical studies and research inquiries in art education and fosters students’ personal development as art educators, researchers, and critical, reflexive, and imaginative thinkers. Designed for students seeking to expand and deepen their knowledge of theory and practice in Art Education, our program prepares culturally responsive art educators who are dedicated to developing interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching and research approaches and practices that address current and future issues and needs in the field of art education.
Students will study and learn about how art education is conceptualized and practiced across a range of different educational sites—schools, communities, and museums—and develop conceptual, inquiry, and analytical approaches for the conduct of research. They are encouraged to pursue artistic and educational research in areas and topics that interest them to contribute new understandings and knowledge to the field of art education and to their own practice as art educators.
Thanks to the transformational gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, all graduate students accepted into the program will receive funding support during the two-years of study. We are able to provide a range of graduate assistantships to all of our students, which includes a full-tuition waiver. An annual research stipend as well as a research fellowship are also available. Also, there are many opportunities for students to learn from visiting scholars and artists, pursue research work, and travel to conduct and disseminate research.
Visit Campus
Graduate students are encouraged to visit the school firsthand or to speak with the faculty about their interest in the program before applying. Graduate students can also schedule tours through the office of admissions.
To learn more about the M.A. program and/or set up a tour of the School of Art, please contact Kathy J. Brown, kjb038@uark.edu Director of Graduate Studies in Art Education and Endowed Assistant Professor of Art Education.
How to Apply
The School of Art application is free and submitted through Slideroom, a web-based portfolio and document submission system.
The program will accept applications for the 2026-27 academic year in the fall.
Please note that the GRE is not required for applicants to the Master of Arts program in Art Education at the School of Art at the University of Arkansas.
NOTE: Applicants who have been granted admission by the School of Art will be asked to submit a secondary application to the Graduate School before they can be fully admitted to the university (a link to the application will be provided with the School of Art's offer letter). The Graduate School application fee is $60. For more information about the circumstances in which the application fee can be waived, please review:
Please list all colleges and universities attended:
Please upload (in PDF format) unofficial transcripts from all previous colleges and universities attended, with evidence of an achieved cumulative grade-point average of 3.0, in previously completed undergraduate (and graduate work if applicable).
If English is not your native language, or your baccalaureate (or for applications with a graduate degree) was not completed at an institution where the language of instruction is English, please provide English proficiency test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE). For more information on requirements, please visit https://internationaladmissions.uark.edu/graduate-studies/english-proficiency.php
Please provide a brief statement describing why you are interested in the Master of Arts degree in Art Education (300 words maximum).
Please provide a short statement outlining your education, art teaching experiences, studio practice (if you a maker) achievements, and goals for graduate study in art education at the University of Arkansas (500 words maximum).
Please upload a copy of your Resume/Curriculum Vitae in PDF format.
If you wish to provide a writing sample, which could include a curriculum sample designed for K-12 classrooms, museum settings, or community learning sites (10 pages maximum, double spaced), please upload a copy in PDF format.
If you maintain a studio practice and wish to share some samples of your work, please upload a portfolio of 10-20 images (up to 5 of which may be close-up images of details of specific works, especially of large scale 2 or 3- dimensional artworks) with the title, medium(s), dimensions, and date. If you are submitting video, provide a website link to sources such as vimeo or youtube (Size limit 5 MB).
Please provide 3 names and contact information for references who will be submitting letters of recommendation. At least two letters should be from higher education faculty or professionals who are able to write about the applicant’s academic and research ability and potential at the graduate level.
The references will receive an email link, prompting them to upload a recommendation letter and complete a short questionnaire. Please include the following information for each reference: Name, Title, Institution, Relationship to you, email address, and phone number.
All recommendations must be received no later than January 15 for full consideration.
More Information About the M.A. Program
Our M.A. degree program in Art Education attracts artist-educators, teaching artists, and museum educators working in schools, museums, community sites. Because of its commitment to theories and practices of art learning and teaching across a range of educational sites, the program provides educational opportunities for both experienced art educators and those who are interested in the study and practice of art education but may not yet have established an extensive and lengthy teaching record.
Through coursework, research practice, mentorship, and the completion of a research thesis, students:
- Develop familiarity with philosophical and historical foundations of art education and contemporary orientations and issues in the field.
- Expand understandings of the cultural, political, and social contexts in which art education occurs in and across different sites of learning from traditional learning environments to less-traditional ones.
- Grow capacities to develop curriculum and innovative pedagogical approaches for learners of different ages and in different learning contexts—schools, museums, community centers, and beyond.
- Cultivate critical understandings of research (including research methodologies) in the field of art education.
- Conceptualize and conduct research on art teaching and learning in one or more sites of learning and teaching.
- Communicate and pursue ideas and research in formats that are oral, written, and visual.
- Extend understandings of art education as a creative, educative, and scholarly discipline and practice.
- Avail of opportunities to learn in other disciplinary areas across the School of Art and the University of Arkansas to enrich understandings of art as an educative force in the world.
- Participate in professional organizations and research conferences in the field of art education and related fields.
Students admitted to the M.A. in Art Education degree program must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours to graduate.
These credit hours are distributed as follows:
Students must take 21 credit hours of graduate-level courses in art education (7 courses in total). Twelve of these credit hours will comprise the core curriculum and 9 credit hours of additional courses that align with students’ interest and research foci.
Students will be expected to take one advanced-level course in Studio Art or Art/Design History (3 credit hours) and one advanced-level course in another area of study outside of the discipline of art education, which could include Studio Art or Art/Design History (3 credits). Students will devote the remaining 6 credit hours of their program to conducting research and writing a graduate research thesis.
Core Curriculum (12 Credit Hours)
Students must take four courses that comprise the core curriculum of the program.
Supplementary Curriculum (9 Credit Hours)
Students must also take three courses from the catalog as they relate to their research interests and foci. Courses will be offered based on student interest and need.
Students are required to take one advanced-level course in Studio Art or Art/Design History and one advanced level course in another area of study outside of the discipline of art education, which could include Studio Art or Art/Design History.
Students’ interests and research foci will guide their selection of courses. It is anticipated that courses offered in other colleges and academic units at the University of Arkansas will correspond with the research and educational interests of students pursuing the M.A. degree program in Art Education.
Funding: Assistantships and Travel Scholarships
All accepted M.A. students are eligible for a full Graduate Assistantship which includes a full tuition waiver and an annual stipend of $15,000, and a Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $4,000 per year, for a total package of $19,000 of support.
There are two types of Assistantships are available—one which requires 20 hours of work per week (Assistantship A) and one which requires 10 hours per week (Assistantship B). Assignments are determined by balancing the needs of the Art Education Program and research activities of Art Education faculty members, the School of Art and the student's interests, experience, and proficiencies.
Other funding packages are also available for those who are unable to devote themselves to the work attached to a Graduate Assistantship. These awards are renewable for up to two years, contingent on making satisfactory academic progress and fulfillment of assistantship duties.
Students who wish to present their research at national and/or international art education conferences (and conferences in related fields) could apply for this award. An award of up to $1,000 is made available for attendance and presentation at a national conference and $2,000 for an international conference.
In addition to the annual $4000 research stipend that is awarded to all students, this competitive award is granted to support the cost of conducting research (including the purchase of supplies for research; travel to conduct fieldwork (including visiting libraries and archives; and for specialized research training) directly related to students’ M.A. research thesis. Awards of up to a maximum of $4000 are made. Awardees would be expected to share outcomes of their research members of the art education community in the school of art at the annual colloquium of student research.