Visual Arts Education: PreK – 12 (BS)
Encourage creativity and self-expression in young people.
Why Study Art Education?
Art teachers encourage students of all ages to explore their imagination, express themselves through creation and discover their talents. Art education also builds motor, language, social and problem-solving skills. It promotes risk-taking and innovation, and develops self-discipline and confidence.
Why USF for Your Visual Arts Education Major?
The University of Saint Francis is well-known for preparing qualified, competent and compassionate educators — and we’re also a campus with a thriving arts community. When you study art education at USF, you’ll find:
- Creative learning spaces such as our Art Education Lab
- 24/7-access to outstanding art studios
- Student-teaching and service-learning experiences
- On-campus galleries and exhibitions
- Workshops with visiting artists
With an educational mission rooted in the Franciscan values of faith and reason, USF will prepare you to use your artistic abilities to make a positive difference in the lives of students of all backgrounds.
Take the first step:
Request InformationCareer Outlook & Success
5
art galleries on campus
$71,450
National median salary for high school art, drama and music teachers in Indiana (BLS, 2019)
97%
of the Class of 2020 was employed or continuing their education within six months
Real-World Experience: Art in the Classroom & Community
Attending a school USF’s size gives you hands-on experience in school and community settings starting your first semester.
Field Experience & Student Teaching
You will learn — and teach — in public, private and religious schools, as well as community art classes hosted at USF:
- Saturday Morning Art (weekend classes, grades 1-8)
- Arts in the Morning (summer art classes, grades 1-6)
- Summer Art Academy (summer program, grades 9-12)
Your field experience culminates with a 16-week student teaching engagement.
Community Service
Have fun and gain experience with learners of all ages when you participate in Jesters, USF’s performing arts troupe and visual art program for children and young adults with special needs.
Expert Instruction from Professional Educators and Artists
As a visual art education major, you’ll learn from accomplished artists with a range of professional and artistic backgrounds, as well as expert educators with years of experience in the classroom.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Kathy Danko-McGhee is the author of numerous international and national journal articles and also two books, The Impact of Early Art Experiences on Literacy Development (2007), and The Aesthetic Preferences of Young Children (2000).
Campus Involvement
Join in with your fellow creative-minded students and future educators with clubs, activities and professional organizations such as:
- Art Education Association of Indiana
- National Art Education Association
- Artists in Action
- Creative Arts
- Dead Artists Society
- f/8 Photo Club
- Mudslingers Ceramics Club
- Pencil Pushers Sketch Club
I love that the professors are working artists, too. They inspire me because I struggle with balancing art-making with art education, but I see them teaching and producing new work.
Naomi Vanderleest ’21
Visual Art Education major
Where You’ll Find Our Graduates
With a teaching license in hand, a USF visual art education major will be ready to inspire creativity in students of all grade levels in public and private schools across Indiana and beyond, such as:
- Eastside Junior-Senior High (Butler, Indiana)
- Homestead High School
- Durham Public Schools (Indiana)
- Fort Wayne Community Schools
- Riverview Middle School
Students may also use their artistic and educational training to pursue a range of creative and art-related careers, such as:
- Family programs educator, Nasher Museum of Art
- Marketing and educational programs director, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival at Duke University
- Ceramics instructor, Bisque It Pottery
- Sensory Motor & Cognitive Coach, Brain Balance Achievement Centers
After earning their bachelor’s, some USF students study art education and further hone their craft in graduate school, often with a goal to teach at the college level. They’ve been accepted into MFA programs at schools such as:
- Kent State University (MA, art history)
- New School University (MFA, photography)
- Ohio University (Ph.D, interdisciplinary arts)
- Purdue Fort Wayne (MA, liberal studies)
- University of South Florida (MA, art history, criticism and conservation)
Accreditation
The Department of Education is accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which was previously known as the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Visual Arts Education Program is also fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
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