Master of Arts in Art Education

Program Director

Samuel Adu-Poku, Ph.D., Professor
4089 Bliss Hall
(330) 941-1866
sadupoku@ysu.edu

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Art Education program is designed to give art educators an opportunity to further develop artistic, pedagogical, scholarly, research, and leadership capabilities through in-depth study in studio, art history and art education theory. The M.A. in Art Education can be applied towards doctoral study, National Board Certification, Ohio Senior Educator or Lead Educator Licensure, and professional licensure in other states. Special emphasis is placed on the exten­sion of specialized studio experiences in a variety of areas, including:

• painting,
• printmaking,
• sculpture,
• ceramics,
• graphic design, and
• photography.

Coursework combines studio practice and art history with art education theory, research, and classroom pedagogy to strengthen the capacities of teachers to create dynamic K-12 visual art programs. This integrated approach to the exploration of studio, arts-based educational research, technological, historical, socio-cultural, and contemporary is­sues in art and art education leads students to a fuller understanding of the challenges and opportunities of contemporary art education.

Accreditation

The Master of Arts in Art Education is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Admission Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• an undergraduate degree in art education and teacher certificate or professional teaching license;
• a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale;
• a minimum of two years of teaching experience preferred;
• three original letters of recommendation;
• 10-12 color images of personal artwork (digital copy);
• a statement of purpose of approximately 250 words indicating intent and proposed area of specialization within art studio and capstone project (studio project track or graduate thesis track);
• a personal interview with the Program Director and the Graduate Program Committee in the Department of Art may be required.

In some cases, remedial coursework in undergraduate studio art may be required by the Grad­uate Program Committee in the Department of Art before regular admission is granted. To obtain regular admission, the candidate must make up deficiencies by taking the appropriate under­graduate studio courses without graduate credit.

Application Deadline

Students must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate coursework consisting of:

• a graduate studio core,
• an art education core,
• a graduate research course,
• an art history elective, and
• a capstone project in the form of either a written thesis or a graduate studio art exhibition.

Research projects are supervised by art education and studio art faculty and should be oriented toward the scholarly integration of theory and practice. As a culminating experience, students must complete either an exhibition combined with a professional talk and an artist’s statement, or an oral examination based on a written thesis.

Research Thesis Option

 Non-Research Thesis Option

Learning Outcomes

1. Candidates demonstrate understanding of the connections between artistic and pedagogical practice, and can carry out Arts-Based or action research in their classrooms.
2. Candidates demonstrate proficiency in personal artistic practice,including technical expertise and the capacity for content expression.
3. Candidates can discriminate between and synthesize multiple sourcesof information to construct and demonstrate an understanding of the Field of Art Education,its history, and its place in the American educational system and political economy.