Art and Art Education MA

Master of Arts

Designed primarily for teachers on sabbatical leave, those returning to teaching after an absence of years, artists working in schools, museum and community educators, and other individuals with art education experience who wish to strengthen their theoretical background and earn graduate credit.

Optional Concentrations

 (for M.A., Ed.M., Ed.D., and Ed.D.C.T. students—not available for M.A. Initial Certification students)

Students may choose to take a Museum Education concentration as part of their degree. This concentration explores the art museum as an educational institution, introduces students to object-based teaching and learning, and offers an overview of educational programs in museums throughout New York City. The museum concentration consists of four courses selected from the list below, which must be taken in addition to other master’s or doctoral requirements:

  • A&H 4000 - Art Museum Roundtable
  • A&HA 4090 - Museum education issues I: Culture of art museums
  • A&HA 5085 - Varieties of visual experience: Museums and education
  • A&HA 5090 - Museum education issues II: Missions and standards
  • A&HA 5804 - Museums as resource

Students in this concentration must secure and complete an internship or residency in a museum or gallery, in consultation with their advisor.

Students looking to gain P-12 teaching experience without New York State art teacher certification may complete the Art Pedagogy and Teaching P-12 concentration as part of their degree. This concentration combines courses in artistic development of children and adolescents, curriculum development, studio-based practice with applications for teaching, cultural diversity in art teaching and learning, and special education, along with a school-based art teaching internship.

Note: The Art Pedagogy and Teaching P-12 concentration does not lead to New York State P-12 art teacher certification. Students who wish to become certified art teachers should apply to the Art and Art Education Program’s M.A. with Initial Teacher Certification program.

The Art Pedagogy and Teaching P-12 concentration consists of the courses listed below, which must be taken in addition to other master’s or doctoral requirements:

  • A&HA 4080 - Artistic development of children
  • A&HA 4291 - Field observations 1
  • A&HA 4088 - Artistic development: Adolescence-adulthood
  • A&HA 4291 - Field observations 2
  • A&HA 4087 - Processes and structures in the visual arts
  • A&HA 4089 - New media new forms: Technological trends in art education
  • A&HA 4081 - Curriculum design in art education
  • A&HA 4102 - Challenging thinking: Lesson planning
  • A&HA 4079 - Exploring cultural diversity: Implications for arts education
  • A&HA 5202 - Fieldwork in art education

Students in this concentration must complete, as one of their out-of-program courses, a teaching-based course in special education. Students in this concentration must also secure and complete an internship or residency in a P-12 school setting, in consultation with their advisor. Note: Students who wish to also learn how to become clinical supervisors of art teachers in schools must complete, in addition to the courses above: A&HA 4722 Supervised teaching in art education: Elementary, A&HA 4702 Supervised teaching in art education: Secondary, and A&HA 6520 Seminar in clinical supervision in the arts: K-12.

Students may also choose to take a Creative Technologies concentration as part of their degree. This concentration explores and strengthens the relationship between art, technology, and education. The goal is to prepare artists and art teachers to be leaders in educational ecologies that interweave digital tools and creative materials in multi- and cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and playful pedagogies. The state-approved advanced certificate is a 15-credit point offering within the Art and Art Education program.

Required courses:

  • A&HA 4089 New media, new forms
  • A&HA 4084 Digital foundations in creative technologies
  • A&HA 5128 Studio in creative technologies
  • A&HA 5125 Inquiry-based art & design
  • A&HA 5063 Adv. studio in creative technologies
  • A&HA 5120 Creative technologies research seminar
  • A&HA 5601 Creative technologies colloquium

 

A graduate student listens to a student in her cohort.

Admissions Information

Master of Arts

  • Points/Credits: 34
  • Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall

Certification

  • Non-Certification Track

Application Deadlines

  • Spring: November 1
  • Summer/Fall (Priority): January 15
  • Summer/Fall (Final): Rolling
* For details about rolling deadlines, visit our admission deadlines page.

Supplemental Application Requirements/Comments

  • Students pursuing this degree are also eligible to apply for an Advanced Certificate in Creative Technologies
  • Academic Writing Sample
  • Supplemental application and Portfolio required (included in online application)
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Course Requirements

Master of Arts (M.A., 34 points)

Required courses in Art Education (17 points minimum):

  • A&HA 4080 - Artistic development of children OR A&HA 4088 - Artistic development: Adolescence-adulthood (2 points)
  • A&H 5001 - Research methods in arts education (3 points)
  • A&HA 5086 - Art in visual culture (2 points)          
  • A&HA 5922 - Master’s seminar in art education (2 points)
  • A&HA 6510 - Advanced seminar (2 points)            
  • Three studio courses (2-3 points each)   

Required courses outside the program (6 points minimum): Chosen with advisor approval.

Students in the M.A. program must take six (6) points offered outside the Art and Art Education Program at Teachers College. Any course that does not start with A&HA qualifies as an out-of-program, or breadth, course.

Additional courses within and outside the Program:

To be planned in consultation with the advisor and in support of individual needs and interests.

Students in this M.A. program are required to complete an advisor-approved integrative project on a theme or research topic arising from their interests.

Contact Us

Program Director: Dr. Olga Hubard

Teachers College, Columbia University
444 Macy Hall

Phone: (212) 678-3360   

Email: artofc@tc.edu

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