Please contact artofc@tc.columbia.edu for any additional help or questions.
Before emailing your academic advisor, please make sure you have reviewed all pertinent advising materials below:
If after reviewing these materials you still have questions or need support, please proceed as follows:
Keep in mind that administrative support staff (Program Manager, Academic Secretary, Program Secretary) are not authorized to advise Master’s students.
*After MA (non-cert) and Ed.M students begin their studies, they will work with a faculty advisor:
All incoming and continuing students pursuing the M.A with Initial Visual Art Teacher Certification degree work with Prof. Iris Bildstein (bildstein@tc.columbia.edu).
Before emailing the Program Advisor, please make sure you have reviewed the 2023-2024 Master’s in Studio Practice (Hybrid) Handbook and Who do I go to for … document.
If after reviewing these materials you still have questions or need support, please email the Program Advisor, Erika Vogt at ev2477@tc.columbia.edu. Erika will be able to answer questions regarding registration processes, course selection and other related decisions.
Keep in mind that administrative support staff (Program Manager, Academic Secretary, Program Secretary) are not authorized to advise Master’s students.
Before emailing your academic advisor, please make sure you have reviewed the 23-24 Doctoral Student Handbook carefully and go through the FAQs on this webpage, as well as the Who do I go to for ... document.
If after reviewing these materials you still have questions or need support, please proceed as follows:
Keep in mind that administrative support staff (Program Manager, Academic Secretary, Program Secretary) are not authorized to advise doctoral students. Examples of advisement include but are not limited to: selection of coursework, change in concentration, selection of dissertation readers, and assistance with completion of the online Degree Audit.
You can view and download here the 23-24 Master's Student Handbook
You can view and download here the 23-24 Doctoral Student Handbook
You can view and download here the 23-24 MA in Studio Practice for Art Education (Hybrid) Handbook
No, the choice of a Concentration is entirely optional for M.A. (non-cert), Ed.M., Ed.D., and Ed.D.C.T. students. Instead of focusing on a Concentration, you may decide to develop your own plan of study in consultation with your advisor.
Due to the strict curricular requirements for Initial Visual Art Teacher Certification set by New York State, these five concentrations and individually designed plans of study are not available to students enrolled in the M.A. with Initial Certification degree track.
The Studio Practice M.A. (Hybrid) does not have enough credits to accommodate courses beyond the requirements. Therefore, students in this degree may not select a concentration.
Please read this entire section carefully. You may find information that is relevant to you.
To maintain full-time status, students must be registered for 9 credits (or more) in the spring term, 9 credits (or more) in the fall term, and 9 credits (or more) in the summer (considering Summer A and B together). The half-time status requirement is at least five (5) points. Less than half-time status is one (1) to four (4) points.
Students must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify for federal student loans.
There are some scholarship and grant programs that require full-time status. For more information on Teachers College institutional scholarships, external scholarships and grants can be found through the Office of Financial Aid website. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@tc.columbia.edu
A number of veterans' benefits are also reliant on a student’s enrollment status. If you have any questions, reach out to Russell Gulizia at rmg2110@tc.columbia.edu
Students who are enrolled in a full-time load of billable credits will be automatically enrolled in the Columbia Student Health Insurance plan. Domestic students may request to waive their insurance coverage providing documentation of acceptable and comparable coverage. More information is available at this link.
International students must maintain full-time status in order to remain in compliance with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration requirements. Please consult with OISS for more details.
If you are a student in the M.A. Init degree track:
Student teaching, which takes place during your last two semesters (fall and spring), carries three (3) credit points per semester. Nevertheless, TC will automatically grant Art Education student teachers full-time status through enrollment in these courses, even if you are taking less than 9 credits:
If you are in the M.A. (non-cert) or Ed.M degree tracks:
TC will grant M.A. (non-cert) and Ed.M. students enrolled in the courses listed below full-time status, even if they are taking less than 9 credits:
*If you are an international Master’s student that is currently registered for the courses above, please note that you do not need to apply for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) with TC’s Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
If you are in the Ed.D. or Ed.D.C.T. degree tracks:
TC will grant doctoral students enrolled in the courses listed below automatic full-time status, even if they are taking less than 9 credits:
Registering for the courses above and being granted full-time status by TC does not mean you actually earn credits beyond those you are enrolled for. It simply tells TC and the U.S. Government that you are working as hard as you would if you were enrolled full-time, which satisfies enrollment requirements for International Students, TC housing and financial aid. You do not have to enroll in more than one of these courses per semester.
You cannot enroll in the courses above at any time during your program. You can only register for these courses if you are advised to do so by your academic advisor.
M.A. (non-cert) and M.A. Init students are not eligible to transfer credits from previous degrees.
Ed.M. students can transfer up to 30 graduate level credits into their degrees.
Doctoral students can transfer up to 32 graduate level credits into their degrees.
If you are interested in transferring graduate credits you earned previously, please visit this link through the Office of the Registrar to start the process. Keep in mind that there is no guarantee your credits will be transferred, and that transferred credits will not replace any required courses; rather, they will count as electives.
To decide what breadth courses to take, talk to your academic advisor. You can also explore the online course schedule and see what sounds interesting to you, and you can also seek recommendations from fellow students who have already spent time at TC. Once you have identified interesting options, share them with your academic advisor before you enroll.
Breadth courses are built into the Studio Practice M.A. (Hybrid)—there is no need for students in this degree to select breadth courses.
To decide what elective courses to take, talk to your academic advisor. You can also explore the online course schedule and see what sounds interesting to you, and you can seek recommendations from fellow students who have already spent time at TC. Once you have identified interesting options, share them with your academic advisor.
Another tip for M.A. (non-cert), Ed.M., and Ed.D. students: The Program Plan for the M.A. with Initial Certification lists a number of relevant courses in Art & Art Education that you might find interesting.
*This course does not count as a studio course requirement for some of our degree tracks. Please email your academic advisor to confirm how this course fulfills your degree requirements.
**This course does not count as a studio course requirement for some of our degree tracks. Please email your academic advisor to confirm how this course fulfills your degree requirements.
You can explore the courses that will be taught each semester by visiting the online course schedule. The schedule of classes becomes available before registration opens. You can learn more about the dates when registration opens for continuing and new students on the TC Academic Calendar.
Independent Study courses offer opportunities for you to work independently, under the oversight of an instructor, on projects that you initiate and pursue on your own. Independent Studies count as electives. If you are interested in doing an Independent Study, follow this procedure:
If your advisor approves, you can fulfill your studio requirements through independent study studio courses called “Studio Work.” To gain credit, you need to enroll for a Studio Work course in the art form of your choice.
Once you secure your advisor’s approval, the first step is to make sure that an instructor listed for Studio Work on the online schedule is able to work with you (procedures for securing instructor approval are addressed in the questions above). Present your ideas to the instructor and confer with them on the specifics of your work for the semester. After you secure instructor permission, follow the procedure for courses that require “special permission” to enroll (the procedure is listed on a question below).
To identify the right instructor for Independent Studio Work, please refer to the online course schedule and see who is listed under the studio category that you are interested in. Reach out to the instructor that seems like the best fit, introduce yourself, briefly explain why you want to do Independent Studio Work, and ask if they might be able to work with you. You can search for instructors’ email addresses on the Teachers College homepage.
Different TC programs have different procedures for processing special permissions.
If you are interested in an Art and Art Education course that requires special permission, has instructor's approval and/or is closed, please follow this procedure:
(1) Introduce yourself,
(2) Ask if you may join their course,
(3) Briefly explain why you are interested and
(4) Be sure to include: the course title, course number (e.g. A&HA 4080), CRN number, your legal name, and your 8-digit TC ID number. All course information is in the online course schedule.
Please note that the Program Manager, Academic Secretary, and Program Secretary cannot enroll you in courses that require special permission, have Instructor’s Approval or are closed without written approval from the AAE instructor.
If you have issues enrolling in any of these courses after the request has been processed, please forward the email (with the Academic/Program Secretary’s confirmation) to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@tc.columbia.edu and ask for their support.
Students must plan carefully and well in advance for registration, being sure to initiate and submit any override requests for classes in a timely manner. Please note that the Art Ed Office cannot process overrides for students after the add/drop deadlines. We are also unable to request that late registration fees be waived for students who wait until the day of add/drop to register for a class that requires instructor’s approval, special permission and/or is closed.
Please note that the Program Manager, Academic Secretary and Program Secretary cannot unlock courses outside of the Art and Art Ed Program with these restrictions (courses that do not start with the A&HA code).
Students must plan carefully and well in advance for registration, being sure to initiate and submit any override requests for classes in a timely manner. This includes dissertation seminar and dissertation advisement, including sections which you have registered for in past semesters.
The Art Ed Office Staff cannot process overrides for students after the add/drop deadlines, nor can they manually register students for courses at any point. Once overrides are processed, students are responsible for registering for courses via the myTC Portal.
AAE Staff are also unable to request that late registration fees be waived for students who wait until the day of (or after) add/drop to register for a class.
If you received approval from an instructor—the day of or after add/drop— to register for a class that has "Instructor's Approval", requires "special permission" or is closed, you must forward the approval/confirmation email to the Registrar's Office (at registrar@tc.columbia.edu) and request their assistance with having them manually register you for the class.
The add/drop deadline is determined by the Registrar's Office at TC and is beyond our control.
As indicated in the Program Plans for some of our degree tracks, several courses in the Art and Art Education Program are offered for variable credit points: 1, 2, 3, or 4. When this is the case, you have the option of deciding how many credits you wish to take. Regardless of the credit load, the content of the course and the amount of class time will be the same. The difference will be in the work you, the student, are expected to do outside of class. You will be required to do more work for a 3-credit course than for a 2-credit course.
To change the # of credits (through your myTC portal) for a variable course you are registered for in the Art and Art Education program, please view this tutorial.
Exception: Students pursuing the M.A. with Initial Teacher Certification and M.A. in Studio Practice (Hybrid) degree tracks and who are required to enroll in some of these variable courses, must register for the # of credits indicated in their Program Plans.
You can search for instructors’ contact information on the Teachers College homepage, via the search icon (Photo Directory) located on the top right of the page.
Students enrolled in the Ed.M., Ed.D., and Ed.D.CT. programs can take graduate-level electives at Columbia University.
Ed.D. and Ed.D.CT. students may also take elective courses in schools affiliated with the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium under certain circumstances (M.A. and Ed.M. students are not eligible for Inter-University Doctoral Consortium courses).
Once you have identified a course you would like to take outside TC, you must (a) seek approval from your academic advisor, and (b) to speak to the instructor of the course to make sure that they will allow you, a TC student, to register. The instructor may or may not be in a position to accept you into the class. If both your academic advisor and the Columbia instructor approve your request, follow these instructions for cross-registration. If you have any issues with cross-registration or have further questions about it, please contact the Office of the Registrar at TC.
As per Teachers College policy, M.A. Init, M.A. (non-cert), and Ed.M. students must take all their breadth (“out-of-program”) courses at Teachers College (courses at Columbia or other affiliated schools do not fulfill the breadth requirement). There are no exceptions.
The only degree tracks in the Art and Art Education Program that require an internship are the Ed.D.C.T. and/or students pursuing the Museum Concentration. If you are in any of these categories and have questions about securing an internship, please consult with your academic advisor.
For information on the doctoral dissertation, please refer to the Doctoral Student Handbook.
Students in the M.A. (non-certification) and Ed.M. complete a Special Project—sometimes referred to as a “thesis”—as part of their degree requirements. Work towards the Special Project starts in the Master’s Seminar (fall only), where students conceptualize and develop a proposal for their project. The actual Special Project is carried out and written up in the Advanced Seminar (spring only). The instructor of the Advanced Seminar serves as advisor for all Master’s Special Projects.
Prior to taking the Master’s Seminar, you must take A&H 5001 Research Methods in Arts & Humanities (Arts Education). This course offers an overview of various research methodologies and methods, which you will draw upon when developing your Special Project proposal. If you wish, you may also begin to identify potential research topics on your own as you complete other coursework. However, prior to the Master’s Seminar, you do not need to do any formal work towards your Special Project, nor do you need to settle on a specific topic/question, or meet with faculty regarding the Special Project.
Students in the M.A. Init and Studio Practice M.A. (Hybrid) do not complete a master’s thesis. Instead, students in the M.A. Init complete a degree-specific project during student teaching. Students in the Studio Practice M.A. (Hybrid) participate in a group exhibition.
Applying for graduation is a two-part process that involves (1) ensuring that your Degree Audit is complete, and (2) applying for graduation online. Please see the details below:
No later than Friday, Dec. 1st, please fill out this Google Form to let your academic advisor and the Academic Secretary know that you intend to graduate in February 2024 or May 2024.
Once you complete and submit this form, the Academic Secretary will review your Degree Audit along with your academic advisor. After we have reviewed and confirmed your Degree Audit, we will send you an email before the start of the Spring 2024 semester, giving you the green light to apply for graduation online via your myTC portal.
If you have questions about specific aspects of your Degree Audit or are unsure whether you will be ready to graduate in the spring, please reach out to your academic advisor ASAP.
The process for applying for graduation is done completely online via your myTC portal, after the program has approved your Degree Audit, as described above.
Current students who have successfully completed all requirements can visit the TC Convocation Website with information on academic attire, how to sign-up for tickets, upcoming webinars, ceremonies, guests information, and accessibility.
For any other questions related to Convocation and CU Commencement, please email convocation@tc.columbia.edu
There are sporadic, limited job openings in the Program in Art and Art Education. Here are some specifics:
Please visit the TC’s Jobs and Careers homepage.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is employment used to satisfy the requirements of a required or elective internship, practicum, or fieldwork course. In all cases, the employment must form an integral part of the established curriculum of your program. Note that if the internship, practical or fieldwork course is required, it may be a credit or non credit course, depending on your program's academic requirements and procedures. If the course is an elective, it must be taken for a minimum of 1 credit.
You may qualify for CPT if:
- Your program of study can accommodate a "Fieldwork" or "Internship" course.
- You are offered a job that has a clear connection to your academic program, which includes activities that would enhance your program-specific learning.
- You have been lawfully enrolled full-time for one academic year.
- You are in lawful F-1 status.
- You are making normal progress toward degree completion and are in good academic standing.
OISS has its own requirements and process to approve students for CPT. Be as informed as you can and follow OISS’s process.
There is also a process you need to follow at the Program level before you apply for CPT:
Reach out to your faculty academic advisor and ask them if the job offer you have is suitable for a Fieldwork or Internship course. Provide the following information in the body of your email:
Attach the job offer letter to the email.
If your faculty advisor thinks the job is suitable:
Ask them which specific Internship or Fieldwork course you should enroll in. Please ensure you ask them for the correct course code and number (ex. A&HA 4202, 5202, 6202, 6482).
If OISS requires it, ask your faculty advisor to give you a signed Degree Audit, which you will submit to OISS. Get specific directions from OISS on how your advisor should sign the Degree Audit and share these directions with your advisor.
After your faculty advisor agrees to support you, fill out the OISS application for CPT.
If you have already accrued the minimum number of credits required for your degree you are not eligible for CPT.
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To apply for OPT:
OISS has its own process to approve students for OPT. Be as informed as you can and follow OISS’s process.
Before you apply, inform your faculty advisor that you are applying for OPT. Remind them of your graduation date.
If you are unsure who your faculty academic advisor is, please contact:
According to Teachers College policy, individuals may not use TC studio facilities without being officially registered with the College. The Program in Art and Art Education further stipulates that the use of studios is reserved for students who are registered for a TC studio course, Independent Studio Work, or a community program in the particular studio area.
This said, active students in the Program in Art and Art Education may request to use a studio that is not attached to one of their courses. To make such requests, students must contact the Art and Art Education Program Manager to propose and establish their goals and expertise in the area. A conversation will ensue with the full-time faculty member responsible for the studio, the program manager, the studio instructor(s), and the studio fellow(s). The goal of this conversation is to discuss materials, work schedule, and support needed, as well as the possibility of storage. Approval may not be granted or denied solely by a studio fellow.
Students requesting to use a studio that is not attached to one of their courses may be asked to provide their own materials and may or may not have access to storage space. Depending on the situation, students may also be asked to register for a specific course or Independent Studio Work to earn access to the studio. It is to everyone’s benefit that we are respectful of the Program's workspaces.
To submit a studio use proposal, or if you have any further questions about studio access, please contact the Program Manager, Samantha Clay Reagan, at sfc2115@tc.columbia.edu and copy the Art Ed Office (artofc@tc.columbia.edu).
The schedule for exhibitions in the Macy Art Gallery is planned during the summer before each academic calendar. Students interested in proposing an exhibition in one of the galleries for the following academic year should submit a proposal before the end of the Spring semester by completing the form found at the bottom of the About page on the Macy Art Gallery website.
Additionally, opportunities to curate a small show in Gallery C do occur throughout the year, and students interested in this possibility can send an email to the gallery coordinator at MacyGallery@tc.columbia.edu to request the most current submission form for pop-up shows in Gallery C. These are open, per availability, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Program in Art and Art Education offers $200 student travel stipends each academic year. The stipends are reserved for students in the Program in Art and Art Education who present in academic conferences, symposia, or other academic programs which result in out of pocket expenses related to out of town travel, accommodations, or registration fees. Stipends are awarded on a first come, first served basis until funds run out.
Art and Art Education Program student travel stipends are typically awarded no more than once per year per student. All requests are reviewed and awarded by the Program Faculty and Director on a case by case basis. If approved, stipends are processed following the conclusion of student participation in the academic event.
Stipend requests must be directed to the Art and Art Education Program Manager (sfc2115@tc.columbia.edu). They must include (a) information about the academic event, (b) official documentation demonstrating participation in the academic event, and (c) documentation of expenses.
Specific information and all questions related to the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan can be found at this link.
The Art and Art Education Faculty strongly encourage and support students’ efforts to advance their professional careers. More often than not, the application processes for job searches, internal and external grants and awards, and other potential opportunities call for letters of recommendation from faculty who can speak directly to students’ particular qualifications and experiences. Crafting a detailed and compelling letter of recommendation takes considerable time, and Art and Art Education faculty regularly receive requests from many students to supply these letters on their behalf.
In order for faculty to produce recommendation letters in a timely way, students need to keep the following “professional courtesy” rules in mind when planning their internal deadlines towards their goals. These rules/expectations of professional etiquette are standard, and should be adhered to at all times.
Students may only provide the name of a faculty after asking particular faculty members if they are willing to take on this role and receiving a positive response.
Documents you need to submit with your request to the faculty member: Name of the program(s) and school(s) to which you are applying, your CV and application essay, due date and steps for submitting the completed letter.
Documents you need to submit with your request to the faculty member: Name of the program(s) and school(s) to which you are applying, your CV and application essay, due date and steps for submitting the completed letter.
Documents you need to submit with your request to the faculty member: Full job listing/position description, your CV and cover letter, contact person name and information for addressing the recommendation letter (if available), due date and steps for submitting the completed letter.
Documents you need to submit with your request to the faculty member: Full internship listing/position description, your CV and cover letter, contact person name and information for addressing the recommendation letter (if available), due date and steps for submitting the completed letter.
Documents you need to submit with your request to the faculty member: Full grant/award description listing, your full, completed project proposal or award narrative, CV, contact person name and information for addressing the recommendation letter (if applicable), due date and steps for submitting the completed letter (if applicable).
At times, you may need to get faculty feedback on jobs and other types of professional applications before you finalize them. This requires additional time, with the amount depending on the scope of the documents to be reviewed/revised. You should plan for an additional month in these cases.