Art Education Program Details

BFA in Studio Art with Teacher Certification in Art EC-12

As an undergraduate Art Education major, you will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art, plus become eligible to take the state of Texas certification exams for Teacher Certification in Art, Grades EC-12.

In the School of Art & Design, you will take the same Art Foundation courses as other Studio Art majors. You will take courses in Art History that span a period of time from prehistoric and ancient art through the modern art movements in the 20th century. You will choose one studio emphasis via a track option from Studio Art either in 2D or 3D art: drawing and printmaking, painting, photography, ceramics, metals, sculpture, or expanded media. You'll complete the equivalent of advanced level 4 or 5 in that area of emphasis.

Simultaneously, you will complete your major coursework in Art Education with a sequence of Art Theory & Practice courses. In these courses, you’ll study theories of art education, childhood and adolescent development, and teaching methods. Plus, you'll actually teach in real classrooms in local schools and at community arts events. When your major coursework is complete, your program culminates in a semester-long student teaching assignment, administered by the College of Education and supervised by your Art Education faculty.

Pathways to Certification 

There are two pathways to certification: a BFA in Studio Art with Teacher Certification, and a Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education with Teacher Certification. Whichever path you choose, your certification pathway culminates in Student Teaching (see next section for details). Read the Teacher Certification Handbook for more information.

Learn more about the pathways to certification: 

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Student Teaching is the state-required culminating experience of the teacher certification process. This is a one-semester (six credit hours), unpaid, full-time experience in a local public school classroom. All coursework must be completed prior to the student teaching semester. No additional courses are allowed during or after student teaching.

Placement

The Office of Educator Preparation is responsible for all placements in schools, but the student’s preferences are given significant consideration when possible. Placements are offered in the fall and spring semesters and are comprised of seven weeks of elementary and seven weeks of secondary (although not necessarily in that order). For the secondary level, the student teacher is assigned to either a middle school or a high school. Student teachers are placed in an area ranging from Georgetown to the north and Selma and Schertz to the south. 

Duties & Schedule

Student teaching is designed for the student to have a complete experience as a classroom teacher. The cooperating teacher and the student teacher will determine the student teacher’s duties as they develop the skills to be the lead teacher. Student teachers are on the same schedule as their cooperating teachers at the school placements, and share in all duties and responsibilities. Student teachers are not eligible to serve as substitute teachers during their student teaching. However, they are expected to take the lead teaching position when a substitute is required.

Attendance

Student teachers are expected to have perfect attendance. If absences should occur, they can be made up by serving additional days in the school where they occurred at the end of the semester.

Supervisor

An Art Education faculty member will serve as the Student Teacher Supervisor. Student teachers and supervisors will meet for orientation, seminars, and school visits. The supervisor will observe the student teacher in the role of lead teacher for a minimum of three observational reports—two at the first placement and at least one at the second placement.

Evaluation

Art Education is an all-level program, so student teachers must successfully complete both the elementary and secondary levels. Failure on either level will require that both are repeated in a subsequent semester.

For each level, there is one evaluation form that the supervisor will provide to the cooperating teacher in the last weeks of the assignment. The cooperating teacher's scoring and commentary will be a significant factor in the supervisor’s determination of the level of success as she/he/they completes the form.

The supervisor will determine if the student teacher has successfully fulfilled the requirements and demonstrated the skills to be eligible to be recommended for certification. With certification, the art education student will be eligible for a career in teaching art. At the end of the semester, the observational reports and evaluations will be available to the student teacher through the university’s website.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Course Descriptions

Select any course to view details. Select "Expand" to view all course details. For complete course descriptions, including prerequsites, visit the Course Catalog.

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  • A survey and analysis of the theories and practices of art learning. Topics include: philosophy; history and theory of art learning; technology; artistic development; learning theories; assessment tools; program development; presentations and current realities; trends and issues.

  • This course examines theories and practices of using electronic media for the creation of art as well as for enhancement of the art learning process.

  • This course is a survey and analysis of the theories and practices of teaching art to children. Topics include artistic development, art programming, content, philosophies, methodologies, objectives and assessment. It requires ten clock hours of field experience in an elementary art learning setting.

  • This course covers the theories and practices of adolescent art learning. Topics include: learning environments, artistic development, presentation methodologies, objectives and assessment, and other current topics. It requires ten clock hours of field experience in a secondary school art setting.

  • In this course students will learn about the philosophies and practices of art criticism, art history, and aesthetics, as well as contemporary methodologies for analyzing and engaging with art. 

  • Individualized study focusing on personal skill and knowledge development related to art learning experiences. Research will include a review of literature, a design for practical experience, and documentation of results and conclusions. May be repeated with different emphasis for additional credit.

  • This course prepares art education majors to pursue a career in EC-12 art education. The focus supports the development of secondary curricula, an art teaching portfolio, and advanced analysis of the roles of culture and technology in art teaching and learning.

  • This rotating issue(s) course introduces students to emerging ideas and advanced topics in the field of art education. Students address these issues through studio art practices and by developing relevant components for their teaching portfolio.

  • In this course, students learn about community-based research, art, and methodologies. They participate in collaborations and field experiences/internships with community partners in art/cultural centers, museums, schools (PK-12), businesses, and diverse learning communities and organizations.

  • Students will apply knowledge and skills learned during the teacher preparation program while engaging in clinical practice with experienced EC-6/4-8 mentor teachers in school settings with university instruction and supervision. This culminating experience is required for Texas teacher certification and is a half-semester course designed for students seeking All-Level certification. Prerequisites: Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program; 2.75 Overall GPA; additional coursework may not be taken concurrently except for the co-requisite; for undergraduate students, all other degree-required coursework must be completed; for graduate and post-baccalaureate students, all other certification coursework must be completed; requires departmental approval through Office of Educator Preparation application process.

  • Students will apply knowledge and skills learned during the teacher preparation program while engaging in clinical practice with experienced 7-12 mentor teachers in school settings with university instruction and supervision. This culminating experience is required for Texas teacher certification and is a half-semester course designed for students seeking All-Level certification. Prerequisites: Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program; 2.75 Overall GPA; additional coursework may not be taken concurrently except for the co-requisite; for undergraduate students, all other degree-required coursework must be completed; for graduate and post-baccalaureate students, all other certification coursework must be completed; requires departmental approval through Office of Educator Preparation application process.