Art Education The City University of New York

Overview

Students of the MA in Art Education at The City University of New York gain a critical understanding of the social significance of art education as they develop the skills to actively contribute to the field through their creative and academic work.

CCNY offers four graduate level tracks in Art Education; two of the tracks lead to Certification in New York state in teaching art (PK-12). Students in each track take coursework that prepares them to be active and reflective practitioners in the field of art education.

Option 1: MA + Initial Certification

This 40-credit track is for students who do not have Initial Certification through New York state. Students in this program pursue a range of courses that prepare them for certification with New York in teaching art. This program is appropriate for anyone interested in teaching in public schools, community centers, museums, or other spaces for learning.

Option 2: MA + Professional Certification

This 35-credit track is for students who have previously earned New York State Certification and are interested in deepening their understanding of art education. Or adding Visual Arts Certification to other area certifications. This program is also appropriate for those interested in expanding their ability to teach in settings beyond schools and to effectively advocate for the arts in education. A Master’s degree is required for a NYS Professional Teaching Certification.

Option 3: MA without Certification

This 38-credit track is for students interested in pursuing a MA in Art Education without certification in preparation for careers as teaching artists, museum educators, and community arts professionals. Students in this track pursue a series of art education courses focused on teaching in multiple settings along with electives in education, studio art, and art history.

Option 4: Advanced Certificate

This 26-credit track is for students who already have an MFA/MA in Art or Art History and are seeking NY State certification in Visual Arts. Students in this program pursue a set of prescribed courses that meet NY State Certification requirements and includes one semester of student teaching. This program is appropriate for anyone interested in teaching in community centers, museums, or other spaces for learning. This program does not lead to a MA.

Program Goals

Students in the Art Education Program at CCNY will:

• Develop the necessary dispositions to be a reflective practitioner (i.e. responsiveness, improvisation, leadership, problem-solving, reflection, etc.)
• Understand the cultural, political, social context/purposes of art education in our society.
• Analyze contemporary and historical trends in art education as they relate to educational theory.
• Reflect on the role of power, privilege, and identity as they pertain to the responsibilities of educators.
• Write critically about their own experiences in arts education and about current issues in the field of arts education.
• Create and teach scaffolded, idea-centered, developmentally-appropriate, inquiry-based, and social justice oriented curricula for teaching art in multiple settings.
• Understand the differences between teaching in multiple arts education settings (i.e. museums, schools, after school programs, community centers, etc.)
• Employ effective assessment tools for evaluating learning in the arts.
• Design and implement self-directed research in arts education.
• Integrate their own art-making with their own teaching practice.