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Home › Prospective Students › Degrees › B.F.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education

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.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education Community & Museums

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 RequirementDescriptionRequired Number of Units
Foundation Courses - Art HistoryARH 201 Survey of Art History I
ARH 202 Survey of Art History II
ART 119 Contemporary Art & Theory
9 Units
Foundation Courses - First Year ExperienceART 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 StudiesAny 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 StudiesAny 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 HistoryUpper Division. One 400 level required for writing emphasis credit.6 Units
Upper Division StudioART coursework in the same studio concentration – choose in consultation with your faculty mentor.9 Units
Art Education Core CoursesARE 230
ARE 420
ARE 425
ARE 438
12 Units
Upper Division Art Education CoursesARE 431
ARE 434
ARE 440
ARE 460
ARE 469
ARE 476
ARE 496A
6 Units
InternshipStudents are encouraged to seek educational experiences outside of the classroom. 9 Units

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education Teaching Certification

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 RequirementDescriptionRequired Number of Units
Foundation Courses - Art HistoryARH 201 Survey of Art History I
ARH 202 Survey of Art History II
ART 119 Contemporary Art & Theory
9 Units
Foundation Courses - First Year ExperienceART 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 StudiesART 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 StudiesART 273 Beginning Ceramics
ART 276 Material Studies
ART 287 Beginning Sculpture
6 Units
Art HistoryUpper Division. One 400 level required for writing emphasis credit6 Units
Upper Division StudioAll coursework must be in the same studio concentration – choose in
consultation with your mentor
9 Units
Art Education Core CoursesARE 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 CourseworkEdP 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

ACCELERATED MASTER’S DEGREE Art & Visual Culture Education (UA Undergraduate Students Only)

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.

Degrees

  • B.A. – Art History
  • B.A. – Studio Art
  • B.A. – Design Arts & Practices
  • B.F.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • B.F.A. – Studio Art
  • Minors in Art
  • M.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • M.A. – Art History
  • Master of Fine Arts in Art
  • Ph.D. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • Ph.D. – Art History
  • Museum Studies Certificate Program

CFA Student Services

Max M. Jackson Coordinator, Recruiting - Admissions and Enrollment
maxj@email.arizona.edu Slonaker House, Room 203
520-626-1644
Melanie J Marsh Program Assistant
melaniejmarsh@email.arizona.edu Music Bldg, Room 111
520-626-1194
Kimberly Moore Financial Aid Professional II
kmoore657@email.arizona.edu Slonaker House, Room 201
520-276-5935
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Lindsay Clark Coordinator, Student and Alumni Engagement
linds@email.arizona.edu Slonaker House, Room 201
520-621-9430

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We're so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work y'all are creating and sharing it here.

"I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and we'll miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!"

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭
... See MoreSee Less

Were so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work yall are creating and sharing it here. 

I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and well miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Congrats, Lauren!! 🙌💐

Congratulations on a job well done. 👏Very proud of you and your accomplishments.

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Graduation celebrations continue! Let's hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

"I'm Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers' reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms."

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!
... See MoreSee Less

Graduation celebrations continue! Lets hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

Im Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms.

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!Image attachment
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Congrats to Kasey!

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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
3 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States.
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations.
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations.
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaball
... See MoreSee Less

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States. 
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations. 
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations. 
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaballImage attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.”

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds.

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!
... See MoreSee Less

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.” 

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds. 

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong 

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition!

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski.

See you there!!👋
... See MoreSee Less

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition! 

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski. 

See you there!!👋
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
1 month ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!
... See MoreSee Less

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!Image attachmentImage attachment
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