Program: Arts Education, Art Concentration, M,Ed. - Fitchburg State University

Graduate Curriculum Committee

Petri Flint, MFA

Jessica Robey, PhD

Amy McGlothlin, DMA

Program Objectives

The Master of Education in Arts Education, Art Concentration is a non-licensure degree program designed to develop excellence in teaching and creative practice among teachers and community workers in the discipline of Visual Art. Graduates of the program can expect to gain a deeper understanding of effective Art teaching practices that they can apply directly in their workplace, as well as a deeper engagement with the content of their creative discipline as artists. **

Program Description

The curriculum for the Master of Education in Arts Education, Art Concentration seeks to further develop excellence in teaching through a core of Arts pedagogy courses, while also allowing for deep engagement with creative practice in Art through content courses. The Arts Education core requirements, which are shared by students in both the Art and Music Concentrations, have an emphasis on Arts pedagogy, and enhance an understanding of best teaching practices in any Arts classroom. The courses study dominant current trends in pedagogical theory and methods in the Arts, and place a strong emphasis on practical application in a classroom setting. The content area coursework is flexible, and should be customized to suit your own teaching and artistic emphasis; these courses are selected to deepen one’s content knowledge and creative practice in Visual Art.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Be able to effectively articulate and apply current educational theory to teaching and learning situations.
Be able to effectively conduct educational research that fosters reflective teaching and informs best practices in an arts classroom.
Deepen their engagement as practicing artists.
Expand the range of their knowledge about art, to enrich the scope and depth of their teaching and for their own professional advancement.
Demonstrate awareness of the impact of societal issues on the curriculum as they relate to meeting the diverse needs of individual students.

Admissions Standards and Criteria

To apply for enrollment in the Master of Education in Arts Education program, students must submit documents as outlined in the Graduate Admissions section as well as:

• An official transcript of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution preferably with (but not limited to) a major or minor in an arts area such as visual arts or music
• A personal statement of not more than one page outlining the student’s rationale for entering the program

Required Core Courses (9 Credits)

Art Concentration Courses (12 Credits)

Select four courses in ART in consultation with your program advisor from among the following:

Creative Arts Pedagogy Electives (6 Credits)

Select two additional creative arts pedagogy courses from the following in consultation with your advisor. A course can count as both a Pedagogical Elective and a Visual Art Concentration course, but the credits cannot be counted twice for the overall program requirement of 36 credits:

Free Elective Courses (9 credits)

Select at least three courses numbered 7000-9999 in ART, CRAR, EDUC, EDLM, MUSC, SPED or another area in consultation with your program advisor.

Total for Degree, 36 Credits

Note:

**For students who will be seeking professional licensure in Art through the MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, the four ART-prefix courses in the Art Concentration should satisfy the licensure requirements for content courses in Art. Please verify all specific licensure questions with DESE.

Arts Education, Art Concentration, M,Ed.

Graduate Program Chair