Art Education

BFA

Art Education occupies the overlap between visual expression and social responsibility. Art Education is recognized as an integrated, compound discipline, requiring intensive training in studio art and art history while reaching beyond art and education for its resources. The social and cognitive sciences provide frameworks through which contemporary issues in visual culture and the transmission of cultural knowledge are explored.

The Art Education Program follows the National Art Education Association Standards for Art Teacher Preparation by guiding students to use big ideas to frame art lessons. As part of the Art Education curriculum, students study various approaches to art education, including lessons that integrate art with other subject areas and current issues, lessons based in visual culture and social justice, and approaches based in culturally responsive and multicultural models. The Art Education Program also encourages pre-service art teachers to use technology in their art classes. Students explore various technology in class such as 3D printing, STEAM art, circuit art, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and programming and coding.

With strong studio art skills and art education theory, students who graduate from our Art Education Program enjoy consistently high rates of job placement. Besides working as art teachers, some students also pursue graduate study in art education.

Philosophy

All coursework has an accompanying practicum, designed to provide pre-service teachers with the means to examine and apply their knowledge in a field setting. As a result of this learning-through-practice approach, all stakeholders benefit, including the pre-service teacher, the profession, the school district and future generations of young students.

Our program is distinguished by our concentration on practical applications — hands-on experience working with children and youth — throughout the course of study. Our Saturday Morning Art classes, taught by Art Education pre-service teachers, have brought opportunities for creative expression to nearly 300 community youngsters each semester for over 20 years. Additional outreach opportunities are provided through collaboration with various non-profit organizations in mid-Michigan.

All pathways in design-based degree disciplines begin with Foundations course work covering essential forms and concepts in visual art practice.

Teacher Certification

In preparation for the Teacher Certification Internship-Year Art Education students spend two semesters in the Saturday Morning Art (SmART) K-12 outreach program.