College of Arts & Sciences

Art Education

The goal of the undergraduate program in Art Education is to prepare highly effective art educators with expertise in the visual arts, with the skills to plan and teach a comprehensive program of art education responsive to all students and their communities. Students who are admitted to art education at Georgia State are:

• competent artists with both a broad range of skills and depth in one medium;
• effective visual communicators, able to conceive original ideas in visual form;
• effective verbal communicators using both oral and written language;
• successful students in a liberal arts curriculum.

Program Description
No portfolio is required for entrance into the undergraduate School of Art and Design. The art education program at Georgia State is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping students develop instructional skills appropriate for a broad range of ages and abilities. The program reflects a professional art school commitment to mastery of art content. Students are required to take several courses in one art discipline to gain the depth needed for teaching and personal artistic development. A variety of area schools provide a rich learning laboratory for all of the art education classes. Three out of the four pre-student-teaching courses include on-site classroom observations. The last semester of the program is spent student teaching with a master teacher in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Transfer credit
Upon acceptance into the University and before initial registration, students who wish to transfer credit for art courses taken elsewhere must bring a copy of their transcripts with a GSU transfer evaluation to the School of Art and Design undergraduate advisor in room 117 Art and Humanities. A catalog description, course syllabus, or portfolio review may be required for course evaluation.

Course Requirements - (129 credit hours) - (A specific course listing is available separately.)
College Curriculum Core (60 credit hours)

Courses required for the major (66 credit hours)

• Studio (26)
• Art history (6)
• Education (12)
• Art education, including student teaching (24)

Application
Enrollment in the program is limited to students who demonstrate the ability to be successful in the program and to the number of students who can be taught effectively by available faculty. Students are required to pass a review process to be accepted into the major, and again before student teaching.

Before the application to the major
Students must take all 18 credit hours of courses appropriate to the major field (four foundation studio courses and two art history surveys).
They must also have completed or be taking AE 4200/6200 with the grade of “B” or better.

Entry into the major
Entry into the major is a process that occurs during the semester in which all art education majors take the first art education course, AE 4200/6200. Students applying to the major should also have at least a 2.5 overall GPA, a 3.0 GPA in studio and art history courses. Toward the end of AE 4200/6200 students will formally apply to the major by submitting a portfolio of representative samples of their studio work from college level and other written work. The content and specific format of the portfolio will be communicated within the context of the AE 4200/6200 methods course. Portfolio art work should show evidence of competence in studio skills in both two and three dimensional media.
 
APPLICATION TO STUDENT TEACH:
Before being approved for student teaching, students must meet professional requirements for entry into teacher education as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences “Teacher Education Programs” section of the catalog, including passing scores on the GACE Basic Skills exam. Arrangements for taking Basic Skills Exam are the student’s responsibility. Formal completed applications to student teach should be made to the art education faculty advisor in the fall or spring semester prior to student teaching. Student teaching applications should be received no later than the first week in February for fall placement and the first week of October for spring placements. Students are advised to work closely with the art education faculty to schedule and arrange for student teaching well in advance of the projected semester they plan to student teach. Student teaching placements cannot not be requested without evidence of passing Basic Skills Exam scores.
Students must have completed a pre-student teacher review before beginning student teaching. Reviews are held each semester. For details, students should contact their art education advisor.
 
Post-student teaching review
As part of the student teaching requirement all students must make an oral presentation and present a portfolio of teaching materials and student work developed during student teaching for review by the art education faculty.
 
Certification in Georgia also requires a passing score on the GACE II test which is usually taken the semester prior to student teaching. Arrangements for taking the GACE II are the student’s responsibility.
 
Career Opportunities
The Georgia State art education program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The program prepares students to accept positions in school systems throughout the country. Students are trained in state-of-the art computer facilities and are leaders in contemporary teaching technology. They are prepared for a wide variety of jobs; most are hired to teach in public and private schools in the Atlanta area. The art education faculty works closely with leaders in art education throughout the State of Georgia to place graduating students. In recent years, elementary level art jobs have become as common as those for middle school and high school. Although hiring conditions fluctuate from year to year, the majority of GSU students seeking art teaching jobs are successful. Graduates who do not go into the school setting often find themselves working in related art careers. For example, recent graduates have taken administrative or teaching positions at local museums and recreation centers.