If you love art and enjoy working with children, pursuing a major in Art Education can help turn your passion into a career. Art Education at Southern provides pathways to becoming an art teacher in public schools with a certificate from the state of Connecticut. As an art educator, you'll be able to inspire others and help them explore the world through art.
We have an undergraduate pathway for those of you who are already in your undergraduate studies and studying art. We also have a post-baccalaureate pathway for those of you who have already achieved a bachelor's degree in art in any of the multiple visual art disciplines.
Our art education program is led and guided by a social justice framework. We are very interested in the socio-political dynamics of the school culture and the communities in which our PK-12 students are learning and growing as well as our own identities. We study curriculum and how to cultivate creative classrooms. We study pedagogical practices that engage learners from all walks of life.
In our Art Education program, we explore how the social and political environment impacts the way we teach and create art, especially in today's world of multi-dimensional media and visual culture. We also study historical art practices and emerging ones to incorporate them into our teaching methods.
Program Features
Art teachers contribute to the creative lives of students in preschool through high school.
The B.S. in Art Education program at Southern fulfills the state requirements to earn Connecticut certification as a PreK-12 art teacher. In our community of innovation and reflection your coursework and student teaching experiences will:
- expand and strengthen your studio skills to translate into curriculum with your future students;
- cultivate racial literacy and critical perspectives on urban and multicultural education;
- develop your capacity to meet the special needs and rights of all PreK-12 students through study of abilities/disabilities, multilingual learning and human development;
- investigate the role of digital culture in art teaching;
- see the multi-faceted role of art education in community settings;
- teach art within cultural, historical and socio-political contexts for a more socially just future.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstration of scholarship as evidenced by application of research-based subject matter content in lesson planning, instructional materials design, and curriculum development, and the ability to critically assess and refine these materials based on the learning outcomes of these materials.
- Demonstration of attitudes and dispositions appropriate to the profession of teaching as evidenced by professional integrity and commitment to teaching, collegial communication, and interactions with students.
- Demonstration of leadership as evidenced by participation in extra-curricular activities, student mentoring, and community service.
Careers
Whether you are looking to positively impact the next generation of artists and storytellers, or design the curriculum behind it, a degree in art education is certainly a career path filled with rewarding opportunities. Art educators help students of all ages appreciate and create visual art in classrooms and community centers. You’ll be well equipped to do everything from planning high school classes to developing community art programs, even developing effective and educational visits to fine arts museums.
Typical Job Titles
- Art Teacher
- Community Arts Organizer
- After-School Program Coordinator
- Special Education Art Teacher
- Graphic Design Teacher
- Art Studio Manager
- Creative Arts Therapist