Art Education
The B.S. program in Art Education provides dynamic, hands-on, career preparations for those interested in teaching art in schools and community settings with licensure and non-licensure options.
Art Education, Art Education K-12 Teacher Licensure Concentration, B.S.
The B.S. program in Art Education provides you with dynamic, hands-on, career preparations to teach art with licensure and non-licensure options. The program offers you a wealth of opportunities to learn how to teach art in schools and community settings. You will work closely with art education faculty, mentoring teachers, and K-12 students. The Art Education curriculum is rich with studio art courses and creative opportunities to prepare you as a teaching-artist. You will become knowledgeable of diverse art media techniques and processes, art history, and art inquiry methods necessary to teach students and guide your own creative practices.
All students pursuing a major in Art Education are required to complete the General Education requirements as specified by the department. Students should consult with their advisors each semester to plan their course schedules.
Teacher Licensure Concentration
The Art Education K-12 Teacher Licensure Concentration provides art education majors with career and graduation choices, including a minor in Secondary Education, required for licensure. Working full-time in K-12 classrooms with mentoring teachers during the Residency 2 semester provides time-intensive, supervised teaching experiences for preservice teachers to build confidence in their teaching and assessment abilities, hone best teaching practices, and develop effective methods for managing K-12 students, art materials, and equipment in art classroom environments.
Students pursuing an Art Education K-12 licensure concentration will minor in Secondary Education to teach elementary, middle school, and high school art at public schools and other teaching positions requiring licensure.
Art Education majors seeking a licensure concentration must complete (1) a major in Art Education and its specified requirements, (2) the General Education Program, (3) a minor in Secondary Education, and (4) any additional teacher licensure requirements. Students must contact a Secondary Education minor advisor for additional details and requirements relating to Teacher Licensure (see College of Education). NOTE: Please see the Secondary Education minor located in the Womack Educational Leadership Department for requirements.
News Briefs
Art Education student receives Tennessee Art Education Association's Higher Education Student Achievement award
Art Education major Paige Brenner accomplished outstanding achievements throughout her studies at MTSU. In 2023, she received the Tennessee Art Education Association's (TAEA's) Higher Education Student Achievement Award for her role as an innovative leader. TAEA recognized her ability to inspire K-12 students, peers, and practicing educators through exemplary teaching, scholarship, and service.
During her studies, Brenner created a multimedia tunnel book artwork in collaboration with Dr. Debrah Sickler-Voigt that was featured on the cover of STEAM Teaching and Learning Through the Arts and Design, published by Routledge in 2023. Their creative collaboration aimed to acquire new STEAM skills for the classroom. She co-presented her experiences developing the tunnel book at the TAEA Conference in Memphis.
Recently graduated, Brenner is eager to teach the many skills she learned at MTSU in her new position as a certified elementary art teacher in Wilson County Schools.
Art Education program collaborates with students, teachers from Tennessee School for the Blind
In 2023, MTSU's Art Education program collaborated with students and teachers from the Tennessee School for the Blind (TSB) to develop a multimedia stop-motion animation titled The Campfire Dance. Working closely with the Art Education majors and their teachers, TSB's K-12 students learned how to create The Campfire Dance's original set, music, characters, audio, and story. To add humor to their animation, the children used their guide canes to give the impression of roasting marshmallows at a campfire. Instructing the students, MTSU's art education majors became skillful in making student accommodations that included using multi-sensory resources and providing guided practice so that the students could achieve their project's collaborative goals.
The Art Education Majors' teaching was recognized through an honorable mention awarded to the students for their animation by the International Children's Exhibition of Fine Arts Lidice (ICEFA Lidice) using, a UNESCO partner. Watch The Campfire Dance here: https://youtu.be/EwKnKL_dPdg
News Briefs
Art Education student receives Tennessee Art Education Association's Higher Education Student Achievement award
Art Education major Paige Brenner accomplished outstanding achievements throughout her studies at MTSU. In 2023, she received the Tennessee Art Education Association's (TAEA's) Higher Education Student Achievement Award for her role as an innovative leader. TAEA recognized her ability to inspire K-12 students, peers, and practicing educators through exemplary teaching, scholarship, and service.
During her studies, Brenner created a multimedia tunnel book artwork in collaboration with Dr. Debrah Sickler-Voigt that was featured on the cover of STEAM Teaching and Learning Through the Arts and Design, published by Routledge in 2023. Their creative collaboration aimed to acquire new STEAM skills for the classroom. She co-presented her experiences developing the tunnel book at the TAEA Conference in Memphis.
Recently graduated, Brenner is eager to teach the many skills she learned at MTSU in her new position as a certified elementary art teacher in Wilson County Schools.
Art Education program collaborates with students, teachers from Tennessee School for the Blind
In 2023, MTSU's Art Education program collaborated with students and teachers from the Tennessee School for the Blind (TSB) to develop a multimedia stop-motion animation titled The Campfire Dance. Working closely with the Art Education majors and their teachers, TSB's K-12 students learned how to create The Campfire Dance's original set, music, characters, audio, and story. To add humor to their animation, the children used their guide canes to give the impression of roasting marshmallows at a campfire. Instructing the students, MTSU's art education majors became skillful in making student accommodations that included using multi-sensory resources and providing guided practice so that the students could achieve their project's collaborative goals.
The Art Education Majors' teaching was recognized through an honorable mention awarded to the students for their animation by the International Children's Exhibition of Fine Arts Lidice (ICEFA Lidice) using, a UNESCO partner. Watch The Campfire Dance here: https://youtu.be/EwKnKL_dPdg
Art Education, Art Education K-12 Teacher Licensure Concentration, B.S.
MTSU Art Education graduates are highly successful in the job market. Their employment as professional art educators includes working in public and private PreK–12 schools, museums, community art organizations, and after-school programs. Some pursue specializations in museum education, arts administration, and artist-in-residency programs. Graduates work in middle Tennessee, nationally, and internationally. Those who pursue advanced degrees can become qualified to work as lead art educators, arts administrators, professors, teaching artists, and consultants.
MTSU’s Career Development Center
MTSU offers a comprehensive Career Development Center that serves students throughout the full student experience and beyond. They collaborate with faculty and staff to equip students with the tools to be marketable to the world of work and continuing education.
Students can schedule an appointment or check online resources and job boards at mtsu.edu/career.
Students can find current internship opportunities by talking to faculty and visiting the University job and internship board called Handshake .
Wondering what you can do with your major? Check out our What Can I Do with A Major In guides.
Welcome to Art Education! MTSU’s Art Education degree has an excellent reputation because it prepares students with real-world teaching, learning, and creative opportunities.
As an Art Education major, you will be offered extensive teaching experiences in school and community settings. You will create studio art projects in a range of media, develop meaningful lesson plans, and study original works of art.
These combined experiences give you the professional skills needed for successful employment as an art educator. You work closely with Art Education faculty who are experts in the field and take pride in mentoring students throughout their studies and into their careers. Ultimately, as an Art Education major you will learn what it means to be a skillful teaching artist qualified to lead in today’s school and community settings.
Required Courses Include:
True Blue Core (41 hours)
Major Core (15 hours)*
ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design 3 credit hours
ART 1630 - Three-Dimensional Design 3 credit hours
ART 1650 - Foundations of Digital Art and Design 3 credit hours
ART 1920 - Survey of Western Art I 3 credit hours
ART 1930 - Survey of Western Art II 3 credit hours
Art Education Concentration (40 hours)
ART 1620 - Drawing I 3 credit hours
ART 1640 - Drawing II 3 credit hours
ART 1910 - Survey of Non-Western Art 3 credit hours
ART 2200 - Introduction to Art Education 3 credit hours
ART 3210 - Elementary Art Education Methods 3 credit hours
ART 3220 - Secondary Art Education Methods 3 credit hours
ART 3230 - Art Education Practicum 3 credit hours (taken three times for 9 credit hours)
Upper-division Art History 3 credit hours
Art Electives (10 hours) - Minimum one 2D and one 3D required
Required Courses for the SECONDARY EDUCATION MINOR (27 hours)
YOED 2500 - Planning and Assessment (3 credit hours)
YOED 3000 - Classroom Management (3 credit hours)
YOED 3300 - Problem-Based Instructional Strategies (3 credit hours)
YOED 4020 - Residency I: Grades K-12 (6 credit hours)
YOED 4400 - Residency II (12 credit hours)
TOTAL 120-123 hours*
Public Accountability Notice
MTSU is an accredited institutional member of NASAD, National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
To see data about the program, please visit this webpage: https://planeffectiveness.mtsu.edu/art_bfa/.
CONTACT US
Please fill in the form below and we will contact you very soon
