Our program acknowledges teaching and learning in broad terms spanning infancy to the elderly, in sites that include schools, universities, art colleges, museums, community sites, and international settings. We embrace a diversity of students representing cultures within and outside the United States who bring unique insights and richness to our community. Our work with students draws upon deep knowledge in the practice and history of art, design and popular culture, understanding and engagement with contemporary movements and debates, and well-grounded insights about artistic development and the worlds that contextualize individual lives. We expect that our students will be able to translate their knowledge into curricular and instructional practices that nurture human development and challenge learning across a diversity of life spans.
The program’s curriculum and courses cross-pollinate theory and practice in fresh and innovative ways. Working with traditional and digital tools and materials, we foster our students’ personal development as artists, researchers, reflective thinkers, and imaginative educational practitioners. To these ends we reach out to other programs in the College for the contributions of their distinctive disciplines, and we design conferences and symposia that invite individuals and groups to engage with us in dialogue on contemporary issues, cultures, and practices. We maintain a lively schedule of Macy Art Gallery exhibitions and professional development offerings each year that allows us to confront themes, ideas, and practices representing the varied worlds of art and education.
Research holds a critical and central place in our program, as faculty and students identify questions and engage problems that define our discipline today and anticipate future concerns. Working collaboratively through a series of seminars, our doctoral candidates “make new knowledge” through rigorous scholarship and critical reflection, forging new directions in the field. Our master's students and student teachers engage in classroom and other forms of grounded and action-based research and produce the kinds of insights needed to move the praxis of art education forward. Above all, we recognize that for artists and art educators, research necessitates exploring and experimenting with multiple ways of knowing and varied ways of presenting research in art and art education.
The faculty of the program are experienced scholars and practitioners who work closely with students to design individual programs that meet and support particular needs and goals. The vast cultural resources of New York City also offer students opportunities to enrich and expand their programs of study in vibrant ways.
OPTIONAL AREAS OF FOCUS
(for M.A., Ed.M., Ed.D., and Ed.D.C.T. students—not available for M.A. init students):
Museum Education:
Students may choose to take a Museum Education area of focus as part of their degree. This area of focus explores the art museum as a civic and educational institution, examines the role of museum education departments, and introduces students to innovative museum education programs and pedagogical practices. The museum area of focus consists of four courses selected from the list below, which must be taken in addition to other master’s or doctoral requirements:
A&HA 5090 Museum Education: Social and Cultural Issues
A&HA 5085 The Museum Education Department: Function, Scope, Possibilities
A&HA 4090 Teaching in the Art Museum
A&HA 5804 Museum Experiences Across Disciplines
A&H 4000 Inquiry in the Museum: Bridging Gallery and Studio
Students in this area of focus must secure and complete an internship or residency in a museum or gallery, in consultation with their advisor. References to this area of focus will not appear on student transcripts or records.
Studio Art Pedagogy:
Students who seek to sharpen their expertise designing pedagogically sound, imaginative studio art learning opportunities may complete the Art Pedagogy area of focus. This area of focus equips students to teach people of different ages in different learning contexts—schools, museums, community centers, and beyond. It combines courses in the artistic development of children and adolescents, curriculum development, studio-based practice with applications for teaching, cultural diversity in art education, and special education, along with an optional art teaching internship.
Note: The Art Pedagogy area of focus 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 area of focus 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 4281 - Field observations (two semesters)
A&HA 4088 - Artistic development: Adolescence-adulthood
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 (optional)
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. References to this area of focus will not appear on student transcripts or records.
Creative Technologies:
Students may choose to take a Creative Technologies area of focus as part of their degree. This area of focus 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. Students who complete the certificate requirements will receive official acknowledgement of certificate completion on their records.
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
Points/Credits: 40
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required Courses in Art Education (34 points):
Required courses outside the program (6 points):
Students in the M.A. with Teacher Certification 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. Students going for certification must earn three (3) credits in a Special Education course (required by the NYSED for certification) as part of the out-of-program requirement.
Note:
Members of each student teaching cohort are also required to attend student teaching seminars, participate in resource workshops on documenting and evaluating their practicum teaching, and mount a Macy Gallery exhibition combining their own artwork with that of the pupils taught during their practica. Note: To be certified by New York State, there are additional requirements. Please see below and consult the Office of Teacher Education website for details.
Certification Information
To gain Initial Teacher Certification students must:
Students will receive all pertinent information to complete items 1-7 in the Supervised Teaching seminar.
Points/Credits: 34
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required courses in Art Education:
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.
Points/Credits: 32
Entry Terms: Summer Only
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required courses in Art and Art Education (26 points):
Required courses outside the program (6 points):
Students in this M.A. program are required to assemble an advisor-approved body of studio work completed in the program and present it through public exhibition.
Points/Credits: 60
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required Art Education courses:
Required courses outside the Art and Art Education Program (6 points minimum):
Students in the Ed.M program must take six (6) points at Teachers College offered outside the Art and Art Education Program. 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 Ed.M. program are required to complete an advisor-approved integrative project on a theme or research topic arising from their interests.
Points/Credits: 90
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required Dissertation Seminar Sequence in Art Education (15 points):
Required Research Methods Courses (4 points minimum)
Two courses minimum:
Required Content Courses in Art Education (12 minimum suggested points)
To be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Required Studio Courses in Art Education (6 points minimum)
Optional Concentration Courses
Students enrolled in a concentration must fulfill all courses required for that specific concentration.
Required Courses Outside the Program (flexible points)
To be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Presentation Requirement: A&HA 6999 - Exhibition Rating (0 points):
Notes:
To complete doctoral certification, students must fulfill all course and doctoral/dissertation seminar requirements and successfully pass faculty review of doctoral qualifying papers and the dissertation proposal. Students are also required to offer a professional presentation. This may include--in consultation with the student’s advisor--a conference presentation, a published article, a gallery exhibition, or some other equivalent advisor-approved professional presentation. The doctoral certification process is accomplished through faculty review; students must complete each level satisfactorily before they are given permission to write the dissertation. Candidates should be in touch with the Office of Doctoral Studies to be certain of complying with the latest procedures and deadlines.
Points/Credits: 90
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Certification:
Degree Requirements
Required Dissertation Seminar Sequence in Art Education (15 points):
A&HA 5504 Proseminar in Art Education, Part 1
A&HA 5504 Proseminar in Art Education, Part 2
A&HA 6510 Advanced Seminar in Art Education, Part 1
A&HA 6510 Advanced Seminar in Art Education, Part 2
A&HA 7502 Dissertation Seminar
Required Research Methods Courses (4 points minimum)
Two courses minimum:
A course that offers an overview of various research methods.
A course that focuses on a specific methodological approach.
Required Content Courses in Art Education (flexible points)
To be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Required Studio Courses in Art Education (6 points minimum)
Optional Concentration Courses
Students enrolled in a concentration must fulfill all courses required for that specific concentration.
Required Courses in Art College Teaching (7 points)
A&HA 5081 Advanced Curriculum Design in Art Education (3 points)
A&HA 6002 Teaching and Administration of the Arts in College (3 points)
A&HA 6482 Internship in the Teaching of College (1 point)
Required Courses Outside the Program (15 points minimum)
A. Higher/Adult Education (4-6 points minimum)
At least two courses in higher education/adult education each for 2 credits minimum, to be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Suggestions:
ORLD 4051 How Adults Learn
ORLD 4053 Facilitating Adult Learning
B. Other Courses Outside the Program (9-11 points)
To be selected in consultation with the advisor. Must be taken at Teachers College.
Presentation Requirement: A&HA 6999 - Exhibition Rating (0 points):
Exhibition OR
Publication OR
Conference Presentation
Notes:
To complete doctoral certification, students must fulfill all course and doctoral/dissertation seminar requirements and successfully pass faculty review of doctoral qualifying papers and the dissertation proposal. Students are also required to offer a professional presentation. This may include—in consultation with the student’s advisor—a conference presentation, a published article, a gallery exhibition, or some other equivalent advisor-approved professional presentation. The doctoral certification process is accomplished through faculty review; students must complete each level satisfactorily before they are given permission to write the dissertation. Candidates should be in touch with the Office of Doctoral Studies to be certain of complying with the latest procedures and deadlines.
Points/Credits: 15
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Degree Requirements
The Creative Technologies Certificate (CTC) is a new curriculum expansion at Teachers College, Columbia University. It 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 aptly 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.
The Creative Technologies Curriculum is designed for individuals with work experience and/or undergraduate or graduate degrees in studio art, art education, art history, media design, or instructional technology, among others. Candidates for the CTC would ideally be art educators, artists, designers, technologists, and others who wish to incorporate creative technologies in various educational settings.
New media and digital technologies have changed the making, teaching, learning, and accessibility of art. These changes have influenced formal and informal learning environments such as universities, schools, libraries, community centers, after school programs, and art studios. Consequently, the landscape of traditional art itself is changing as a new creative reality steeped in media, technology, and social experience emerges.
The CTC strengthens and explores the relationship between art, technology, and education. This critical trifecta is an interdependent force at the forefront of educational efforts in primary, secondary, and university-level teaching and learning. In a world of increasing digital fabrication and social practice, it is more essential than ever to demonstrate proficiency beyond any one skill set. The CTC provides this diverse training to participants so that they may become leaders in this interdisciplinary movement.
Course Sequence
Required Courses (15pts)
Elective Course
Students should consult with their advisors to select a relevant elective course of 2pts to complete the 15 required credits. This course needs to address creative technologies integration across the curriculum and be taken from the Art & Art Education Program and other TC programs (see list of courses in the TC catalog or online).
Course Load and Program Timeline
Students must plan their schedules carefully, as some courses are only offered in the Fall (F) semester and others in the Spring (Sp). Some courses are offered in Summer (Su) session A and/or B as well.
Transfer Credit
Credit points from other institutions may not be transferred into the certificate/concentration.
Statement on Satisfactory Progress
Students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements. Program faculty will review each student’s progress annually. Where there are concerns about satisfactory progress, students will be informed by the program faculty. If a student is performing below expectations he/she may be required to complete additional coursework. The Program will provide a plan and timeline for remediation so students know the expectations for their continuance in the Program. If satisfactory progress is not maintained a student may be dismissed from the Program.
For more information see the CTC Checklist.