University of Arizona

School of Art

Home | Students | Programs of Study | Art & Visual Culture Education | Undergraduate Studies

Steps to Completing the Degree

You are encouraged to apply for the major as soon as you've decided to major in Art and Visual Culture Education. You may begin the course work outlined below before applying for the major.

First Year

Begin to take First Year Experience courses

  • General Education requirements: 18-21 credits

Non-curricular:

  • Apply for Art and Visual Culture Education major, if you haven't applied when you first entered the UA. Please consult an Art and Visual Culture Education Faculty member or a School of Art Advisor for details.

Second Year

  • Complete First Year Experience courses and begin 200 level Art courses: 2 courses in 2D media and 2 courses in 3D media.
  • Continue to take General Education courses
  • Take ARE 230, Foundations of Art and Visual Culture Education

Non-curricular:

  • Arrange to be added to the Art Education email listserv, which provides students with important notices about the major, deadlines, and events in the School of Art and the College of Fine Arts. Email your request to wpinedo@email.arizona.edu
  • Apply for Fingerprint Clearance: All students must be fingerprinted before taking College of Education coursework. Effective January 1, 2008, per Arizona State Statute A.R.S. § 15-106, all teachers and persons who are required to be fingerprinted to work in the classroom are required to have an Identity Verified Prints (IVP) fingerprint clearance card. Please see www.ade.state.az.us/certification/ for more details. Please allow at least 2 months for processing. The College of Education often schedules fingerprinting sessions. Fingerprinting can also be completed through the UA Police Department and city police departments.
  • After completion of 56 units and admission to the Art and Visual Culture Education major, apply for the College of Education Affiliate Program through an art and visual culture education faculty member. To be admitted, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and meet "Fitness to Teach Criteria" developed by the College of Education.

Third Year

  • Take ARE 230, Foundations of Art and Visual Culture Education, if not taken already
  • Take other Art Education coursework
  • Complete ART studio Distribution courses at the 200 level (if not done before)
  • Begin ART Concentration: 3 courses in one medium
  • Take 1-2 ARH 300/400 level courses
  • Certification majors: Take Education courses: TTE 300, Classroom Processes and Instruction, EdP 310, Learning in Schools, TTE 350, Schooling in America
  • Certification majors: Complete General Education coursework (if not done before)
  • Community and Museums majors: arrange for a 300 level internship. Work with your faculty mentor and a community agency where you would like to do the internship. This internship is taken prior to the senior internship.
  • Community and museum option majors: Take supporting coursework.

Non-curricular:

  • Certification majors: Students must participate in a Portfolio Review. Please contact an Art and Visual Culture Education faculty member for dates and requirements.
  • Apply for the Art and Visual Culture Education major (if not done before)
  • Certification majors: Once admitted to the Art and Visual Culture Education major, apply for the College of Education Affiliate Program (if not done before)
  • Apply for Fingerprint Clearance (if not done before)

Fourth Year

  • Complete ARE required courses and electives
  • Complete ARH requirement: 6 credits at the 300 or 400 level
  • Complete ART Concentration requirement: 3 courses at the 300/400 level in one medium
  • Certification majors: Complete ARE 431, Pedagogical Practices in Art Education or ARE 460, Curriculum Theory in Art and Visual Culture Education
  • Complete ARE 438, Teaching Art and Visual Culture/ Wildcat Art
  • Certification majors: Complete, LCEV 408 (UA South) Methods for Teaching SEI, LCEV 416 (UA South) SEI Methods and SERP 301b or SERP 301a as well as any other Education coursework not completed in year 3
  • Community and Museum option majors: Complete supporting coursework.
  • Community and Museum option majors: Complete second internship, arranged through an Art and Visual Culture Education advisor. You must meet with an art and visual culture education faculty member during the first four weeks of classes the semester prior to internship to schedule the internship. The internship involves a substantial time commitment, meeting with your Internship supervisor and faculty mentor, and completing a professional portfolio.
  • Please note that failure to act professionally and/or an insufficient grade point average will unfortunately prohibit you from being recommended for student teaching or internship

Non-curricular:

  • Teaching Option students must ensure that they complete a portfolio review. Please contact an Art and Visual Culture Education faculty member for dates and requirements.
  • Certification majors: Apply for student teaching.
    • All coursework must be completed before student teaching
    • Application for student teaching placement takes place early in the semester prior to student teaching. A mandatory meeting is held in the College of Education during the second to fourth week of each semester for persons planning to student teach the following semester. Announcements of the meeting are posted via the art and visual culture education listserv, on the bulletin board in the art and visual culture education faculty office hall, and on the College of Education website. After attending the meeting, students arrange an appointment with an art and visual culture education faculty member to determine a school placement and to have her or him sign the application form.
    • Failure to act professionally and/or an insufficient grade point average will prohibit a student from being recommended for student teaching
  • Certification majors: Complete the non-curricular requirements toward certification in Arizona: Take the Arizona Educator Proficiency Exams (AEPA) in Art and Professional Knowledge--Secondary. Students often take these tests after completing education coursework, BUT they should be taken before starting the student teaching practicum.

Fourth and following year(s)

Certification majors: Complete the student teaching experience and course:

  • TTE 493b.
    • Student teaching is the capstone experience in the degree program. In addition to apprenticing in a middle or high school all day for a semester, it involves attending bi-weekly meetings with the university supervisor, completing assignments for the meetings, and completing the Student Teaching Portfolio. Unprofessional behavior will prohibit a student from passing student teaching.

Non-curricular:

  • Apply for the Degree Check
  • As early as possible in the semester prior to graduation (usually the student teaching semester), the student files an application for Degree Candidacy. Each senior is provided with an official degree check, which will inform you of any remaining degree requirements. Advisors in the School of Art are responsible for helping you complete your degree check and complete an application for candidacy.
  • Certification majors: Before student teaching, complete and pass the Arizona & U.S. Constitution tests or course alternatives. This requirement can be achieved by taking: (A) POL 210 (UA or extended U) or POL 201, 214 or 230 (at UA), OR (B) POS 210 at Pima College Course, OR (C) The United States and Arizona Constitution Exams. Contact the College of Education Student Services Area or look at the Arizona State Department of Education website www.ade.state.az.us  for details/dates.
  • Certification majors: It is the student’s responsibility to complete all paperwork required by the College of Education for institutional recommendation and to contact the Arizona Department of Education to fill out the required forms and pay the necessary fees for provisional certification in Arizona