Visual Arts Education

Create. Analyze. Teach. Visual arts education offers you theoretical knowledge about and direct experience in the studio arts, crafts, photography, graphic design and art history. Through intensive studio experiences, firsthand teaching opportunities and engaging course work, you’ll receive thorough preparation for your career.

Program Overview

Depending on your interests and career goals, you may select from two degree programs in art education. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) provides multi-age licensure, prekindergarten through grade 12, from the Department of Visual Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in education with multi-age licensure, prekindergarten through grade 12, is offered through the School of Education and Allied Professions.

The College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education and Allied Professions combine their resources to develop your knowledge and skills. As part of your teacher education training, you will learn teaching methodology, safety procedures, organization of materials and curriculum planning. You will also put your artistic talents to use as you participate in hands-on teaching experiences during all four years. By graduation, you will be prepared to teach art in various school settings, as well as understand the relationship between visual art and a pluralistic culture in a global society.

If you select the B.F.A., you can choose to pursue multi-age licensure. When you complete 40 semester hours and earn a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average, you are eligible to apply for continuation in the program. Students in the B.S. program must earn a grade point average of at least 2.5 in visual arts courses and 2.5 in professional education courses to be licensed. All students are expected to pass a critique of their work in their second year and prepare an exit portfolio in their fourth year.

For more information, visit the Department of Visual Arts website.

Licensure

The B.F.A. and B.S. programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The School of Education and Allied Professions is approved by the Ohio Department of Education to offer licensure to prospective teachers. Generally, Ohio licenses granted extend to most states. Multi-age licensure is contingent upon successfully passing the Praxis I, which assesses reading, writing and mathematics skills, and an exit examination, Praxis II, that tests your knowledge in the principles of learning and teaching, and the content area of specialization.