MA : ART EDUCATION

The MA in art education is a cohort program intended for teachers who desire intensive curriculum development, professional development, and additional content and skills in the disciplines of a comprehensive art program. A masters degree prepares students to pursue a PhD or EdD in art education if that is their intention. The MA in art education can also contribute to K-12 licensure requirements for graduate students who are interested in teaching art.

Requirements for Degree

• Credit hours (36 hours): minimum 30 course-work hours plus 6 thesis hours. Course work hours primarily from 500- and 600-level courses (no more than 9 hours of 300- or 400-level courses may apply).
• Course requirements: 12 hours of core art education seminar (ArtEd 678R); 12 hours of ArtEd 578R (3 hours of digital art; 9 hours of studio art); 3 hours of art history courses; 3 hours of advanced art studio electives; 6 thesis hours (ArtEd 699R).
• Examinations: comprehensive examination and oral defense of thesis.

Program Outcomes

• Studio Practice - Students will further develop their personal artistic practice in relation to current discourses related to contemporary art and their own pedagogy.
• Literature and History of the Field - Students will demonstrate understanding and knowledge of historical trends in art, design, and education and the ability to access relevant sources of research and commentary within these fields.
• Leadership and Community - Students will contribute to a strong collaborative community network through leadership and service within a graduate cohort and among various art education professional organizations.
• Professional Activity - Students will actively participate and contribute to the field as researchers and practitioners.
• Research - Students will conduct reflective research within their own teaching contexts and explore and contribute to significant topics within the field.
• Spirituality - Students will demonstrate the ability to consider complex questions and personal responsibilities associated with art and education in the light of gospel principles and through their experiences as researchers, artists, and teachers.

MA Art Education students who are fully enrolled and in good standing in their program are eligible for Graduate Studies scholarships for the first 4 semesters of their degree program. These scholarships vary in amount depending on the number of students enrolled in the program, but tend to offset around half the cost of graduate LDS tuition for a fully-enrolled student. Eligible graduate students do not need to apply to receive this funding.

These are tuition scholarships, and as such are applied to the awardee's Financial Center account at the beginning of each semester after the student has successfuly registered for the number of credit hours required. The scholarship funds are automatically applied toward any outstanding charges (tuition, insurance, fees, etc.) and the remainder is then disbursed to the bank account associated with the Financial Center.

Additional financial support is available in the form of employment within the department, teaching assistantships/instructorships, and Need-Based Scholarships.

For more information about tuition and cost of living, please visit Graduate Studies' page.

Applications for the MA in Art Education are only accepted in alternating (odd-numbered) years.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree in Art Education from an accredited U.S. or Canadian university. Applicants holding other teaching degrees may be considered if art deficiencies or professional education deficiencies are completed to the satisfaction of the Art Education Graduate Admissions Committee prior to admittance in the program. This committee is comprised of Art Education Graduate Faculty.
• Certification to teach in public schools at the elementary or secondary level OR equivalent professional background related to other educational venues (e.g. museum and community education)
• Two years of art teaching or equivalent experience
• A 3.0 or higher GPA during the last two years of undergraduate study
• Recent TOEFL or IELTS test results, if English is a second language.

Application

• $50 non-refundable application fee
• Personal information
• Ecclesiastical information
• CV
• Artists’ Statement (250 words or less) - Your statement should directly address the conceptual concerns behind your work, and how those concerns have driven the making process.
• Statement of intent - Upload a PDF file under 10MB. In this document, please address prior teaching experience, teaching certification status, and desired outcomes from this graduate program. 
• Writing Sample - Include one or two writing samples, not longer than 20 pages in total, for example, an academic paper, an art or exhibition review, or an opinion piece. 25MB max total file size, submitted as a single .pdf. 
• Portfolio of 20 images, or their equivalent (see calculations below). All genres and mediums are welcome, including new genres, video, sound, etc. 
  
  • Images (up to 5MB each), Video (up to 250MB each), Audio (up to 30MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud.
  • If submitting sound or video art, follow this formula to determine that the proper amount of material is included in the application: One sound/video piece = 5 images (therefore, one video + 15 images = 20 images; 2 sound files + 10 images = 20 images, and so on) Edit any sound or video art down to a 3-minute clip and indicate in your media label that it is just an excerpt.

For more information and specifics about the program, required courses for the degree, and procedures, please refer to our MA Handbook.

• ​BYU Graduate Studies
• ​Program Summary
• About BYU

Contact