B.F.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education
Within the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art & Visual Culture Education program, students study the theoretical foundations of the discipline and interact with practitioners via hands-on experiences, field observations, student teaching, and community and museum internships. Our community of art and visual culture education students is professionally engaged, academically motivated, and joyful. Please join us!
AREAS OF EMPHASIS
- Community & Museums
- Teaching Certification
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Admission into the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art & Visual Culture Education is by application only and is competitive. Students must retain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in major coursework, a GPA of 2.5 in College of Education courses (for the teaching option), and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Students are advised in the School of Art’s Student Advising Center and by faculty advisors.
Coursework in Art & Visual Culture Education
The BFA in Art Education (both options) comprises UA general education courses, studio and art history courses, art education courses, College of Education courses, and the student teaching practicum. Courses integrate studio, history, theory, issues of diversity and social justice, and the practice of art and visual culture education.
Double Majors
Students may also choose to double major and graduate with a BFA in Art Education and in Studio Art. This option requires 11 courses above the BFA in Art Education. Check with the School of Art Advisors to learn about the BFA in Studio Art.
Contact an academic advisor or set up an advising appointment to learn more about School of Art programs and admissions.
Students pursuing the Community emphasis of the AVCE program are given theoretical grounding in conjunction with practical experience. They learn about paradigms of practice such as Community-based Arts Education, Design Pedagogy, Civic Engagement and Social Practice.
Students interact with practitioners in the field through field trips and guest lecturers and get hands on experience through observations, internships, and real projects. Learning to design curriculum, facilitate arts programming, fundraising, and program management, our graduates can expect to get jobs at For-profit and Non-profit Arts and Education organizations; as Program Coordinators / Directors, and Outreach Managers/ Coordinators, Teaching Artists; as Community Organizers and advocates in Education, Social Work or Activist organizations; as Gallery Managers; or freelance as Community Based Art Educators. Students choosing to focus on policy might also find employment in local or national arts councils and arts and culture branches of government.
Museum emphasis graduates find employment in museum, gallery, or artist-run center settings. Positions may include museum education assistants/directors, museum education curators, school- museum partnership coordinators, community engagement specialists, arts administrators, visitor experience specialists, heritage interpreters, and gallery managers. Graduates also pursue jobs in local, national, or international museum education associations and governmental departments.
Specific Program Requirements can be viewed through UA Academic Catalogs. In addition, all students must complete General Education requirements.
| Program Requirement | Description | Required Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses - Art History | ARH 201 Survey of Art History I ARH 202 Survey of Art History II ART 119 Contemporary Art & Theory | 9 Units |
| Foundation Courses - First Year Experience | ART 100A Mapping ART 100B Space ART 100E Surface Three courses required from the following: ART 100C Gaze ART 100D Experience ART 100F Amalgam ART 100G Propaganda ART 100J The Body (Prereq: ART 100A) | 12 units |
| 2D Studies | Any 200 level ART course in photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, design, illustration or watercolor to qualify you to enroll into upper division ART courses. To be chosen in consultation with your adviser. | 6 units |
| 3DXM Studies | Any 200 level ART course in sculpture, ceramics,new genre, or extended media to enroll you into upper division ART courses. To be chosen in consultation with your adviser. | 6 Units |
| Art History | Upper Division. One 400 level required for writing emphasis credit. | 6 Units |
| Upper Division Studio | ART coursework in the same studio concentration – choose in consultation with your faculty mentor. | 9 Units |
| Art Education Core Courses | ARE 230 ARE 420 ARE 425 ARE 438 | 12 Units |
| Upper Division Art Education Courses | ARE 431 ARE 434 ARE 440 ARE 460 ARE 469 ARE 476 ARE 496A | 6 Units |
| Internship | Students are encouraged to seek educational experiences outside of the classroom. | 9 Units |
Students in the BFA in Art Education: Teaching Option graduate as art teachers and are qualified to teach art in K-12 grade schools in Arizona and, with minor adjustments, in many other U.S. states.
Our graduates find art teaching jobs in elementary, middle, and high schools (public, charter and private), and are currently teaching art in Tucson, Phoenix, elsewhere in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, New Jersey, Washington State, and in other parts of the country. They have taught abroad in schools in Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Korea, United Arab Emirates, England, Germany, and other countries. Some graduates are school administrators; others oversee art education businesses.
Specific Program Requirements can be viewed through UA Academic Catalogs. In addition, all students must complete General Education requirements.
| Program Requirement | Description | Required Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses - Art History | ARH 201 Survey of Art History I ARH 202 Survey of Art History II ART 119 Contemporary Art & Theory | 9 Units |
| Foundation Courses - First Year Experience | ART 100A Mapping ART 100B Space ART 100E Surface Three courses required from the following: ART 100C Gaze ART 100D Experience ART 100F Amalgam ART 100G Propaganda ART 100J The Body (Prereq: ART 100A) | 12 units |
| 2D Studies | ART 205 Figure Drawing I ART 246, 244 Photography ART 250, 251, 253, 255, or 256 Beginning Printmaking ART 265 Design I ART 266 Illustration I ART 280 Painting I ART 285 Watercolor Painting I | 6 units |
| 3DXM Studies | ART 273 Beginning Ceramics ART 276 Material Studies ART 287 Beginning Sculpture | 6 Units |
| Art History | Upper Division. One 400 level required for writing emphasis credit | 6 Units |
| Upper Division Studio | All coursework must be in the same studio concentration – choose in consultation with your mentor | 9 Units |
| Art Education Core Courses | ARE 230 ARE 431 or ARE 460 ARE 300 - Spring Semester ARE 438 - Spring Semester 9 units from: ARE 420, 425, 431, 434, 440, 460, 469, 476 , 496A | 21 units |
| Education Coursework | EdP 301 Child Development or EdP 310 Learning Schools SERP 400 Survey of Exceptional Students LCEV 408 (UA South Online) ARE 493 Student Teaching Practicum | 21 units |
| Non-Curricular Required Steps | • Participation in and passing the AVCE Portfolio Review two semesters before you student teach. • Meet the University of Arizona Teacher Preparation Programs Professional Standards. • US & Arizona Constitution Exams. This requirement can be met by taking: POL 210 at the UA, POS 210 or a combination of POS 201 and 231 at Pima Community College, POS 220 or a combination of POS 221 and 222 at the Northland Pioneer College or a combination of HIS510 and 511 at the University of Phoenix, or by taking a test. Please contact an AVCE faculty member for information about the test. • Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment (AEPA) and NES (National Evaluation Series) Assessment of Professional Knowledge tests. Students take the AEPA Assessment Exam in Art and the NES Professional Knowledge: Secondary. Please visit the AEPA test site for details and exam dates. • Fingerprints are required for student teaching. All students must hold an identity verified fingerprint (IVP) clearance card in order to student teach in Arizona’s schools. This requirement should be met two semesters before student teaching. The best route to receiving a fingerprint card is to attend one of the College of Education’s fingerprinting sessions. • Pursuant to University of Arizona teaching preparation agreements across campus, persons pursuing certification to teach art are evaluated in their coursework in part according to national InTASC standards. A link to the standards can be found on the College of Education’s Forms link. Certification students will be asked to sign the UA TPP Professional Standards Contract, found as a link on this page. | NA |
The School of Art has an Accelerated Master’s Degrees in Art & Visual Culture Education. The Accelerated Master’s Degree allows current University of Arizona undergraduate students to use 12 units of graduate coursework towards both their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, giving students the possibility to receive both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in 5 year. Check out the degree and application information to learn more.