Art Education

Overview

The art classroom is a place where young learners are given the opportunity to explore and develop their personal dreams and goals, and to think independently. 

The Art Education program at School of Visual Arts take a learner-centered approach to art education that emphasizes collaboration and community and address the needs of diverse populations, including those with special needs.

Designed for students who have completed an undergraduate major in studio art, the graduate degree (MA or MAT) in Art Education can be completed either as a full-time, one-year intensive or as a two-year, part-time program—ideal for those who want to continue working while they complete the course work to become an art teacher.

Our faculty is comprised of professional artist/teachers who are experts at training artists to apply their creative skills to teaching art to children in pre-kindergarten through grade classroom 12. The program provides the foundations and psychology of education as they are applied to diverse elementary school and secondary school populations. Seminar courses investigate age-appropriate materials, processes and educational concepts, which students then apply directly to practice in schools and other educational settings. Individualized student teaching and internship placements are made at carefully selected public schools and arts organizations throughout the city. Our courses provide students with further training in varied approaches to teaching art. The program culminates with the completion of a teaching portfolio, master’s thesis and a final gallery exhibition.

At SVA, we believe that to teach art, you should first be an artist who can use the power of art to open the eyes and minds of young learners to new experiences and individual fulfillment. Our program is for artists who want to become teachers and make a difference.

Why We Stand Out:

• Learn the foundations of education and develop confidence with lesson planning
• Experience the depth and breadth of what it means to be an art educator today, by working with students in homeless shelters, public schools and museums
• Learn how art education can benefit society through respect for differences in culture, perspective and personal choice
• Study the relationships between art and social-emotional issues, including self-awareness, social justice, empathy and problem-solving