The Art Education program in the School of Art prepares knowledgeable, progressive and culturally responsive professionals who are dedicated to addressing the current and future needs of visual arts educators in school, community and museum settings, as well as other cultural institutions.
Program Overview
Committed to the study of art’s educative promise and potential, the Art Education program at the University of Arkansas has a long history and outstanding reputation for preparing artist-educators to work in K-12 schools, communities, museums, and other educative environments.
Mission
The mission of the Art Education Program at the University of Arkansas is to:
- prepare culturally responsive educators who are dedicated to developing interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to art teaching and research, which address current and future needs of visual arts educators in schools, communities, and museum settings, as well as other educative environments.
- promote equitable educational practices and community-based programs that acknowledge and challenge barriers to quality art educational access and success, while promoting high quality, socially responsible visual arts educational opportunities.
- prepare artist-educators and artist-scholars to study, research, and transform the educative potential of the visual arts in schools, museums, and communities—regionally, nationally, and internationally.
- to conduct research and provide leadership that questions dominant ideologies and cultures in order to generate innovative, inclusive, and equitable approaches to the visual arts and its education.
Vision
The vision of the Art Education Program at the University of Arkansas is to inspire artist-educators and artist-scholars to utilize the educative potential of art practice, teaching, and research to build a more equitable and just world. Our work in carrying out this mission and vision is informed by the following core priorities:
- to recognize, celebrate, and promote inclusive and equitable approaches to art practice, teaching, and research.
- to prioritize and value the histories and practices of underrepresented peoples and underserved communities through critical, reflexive, and collaborative inquiry.
- to challenge, innovate, and extend the educative potential of art practice, teaching, and research.
B.F.A. Area Concentrations
The School of Art offers a wide range of courses, lectures, and seminars in the history of art from antiquity to the present day.
K-12 teaching concentration prepares for Arkansas K-12 art teacher licensure and employment in elementary, middle, junior and high schools in the state of Arkansas, as well as other states with comparable certification requirements.
The program prepares future K-12 art teachers to understand and apply current art education theory to practice, including contemporary concepts and applications for teaching art in a diverse, inclusive and globally responsive world.
The community practice concentration prepares graduates for a variety of art teaching and service occupations in social and cultural settings outside of the public-school system such as art-related museums, community art centers, hospitals, prisons, recreation centers, government agencies, mental health centers, and other government and privately funded programs for children, youth and adults.
Graduates may also enter careers besides teaching. There are professional positions available with art journals, government agencies, art material suppliers, art galleries and art centers. Additional opportunities exist in art foundations, museum services, firms that develop art teaching materials and cultural services.
Applying to the B.F.A.
All incoming undergraduate students complete Freshman Foundations courses their freshman year. After completing foundations, students are eligible to apply for the B.F.A. in art education.
Applications open in the fall semester and require the below:
- University GPA must be 2.5 or greater; School of Art GPA must be 3.0 or greater
- Copy of unofficial transcript in PDF format from UAConnect
- Complete application packet and upload to SlideRoom
- Portfolio with 10 to 15 high quality images
- Interview with art education faculty
For application and additional details please visit Applying for the BFA
Resources
- Download the Handbook
- Download the 8-Semester K-12 Teaching Plan
- Download the 8-Semester K-12 Community Practice Plan
- Download the Master Course List
Master of Arts
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.
To learn more about the program and application process visit the M.A. Program website page.