Art Education

About this Composite Major

The Art Education major prepares students to teach various studio art topics in elementary and secondary classrooms.

A survey of coursework in art history, ceramics, digital photography, digital design, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture provides students with a broad range of skills to develop their creative voices while preparing for their future classrooms. Coursework culminates in the Visual Art Capstone project.

Students further prepare for future careers in education by completing the Professional Education Sequence through the School of Education, including the Student Teaching Field Experience and the Teaching for Learning Capstone.

Professional development opportunities include internships, community teaching opportunities, and involvement with the VCSU Art Alliance. Alumni go on to rewarding careers in K-12 education, higher education, and community art centers and studios.

Meet A Student

- Art Education student Hannah Aberle poses for a photo

For me, art has always been a way for me to share my own thoughts and feelings. I always want to make sure that when I portray my thoughts and feelings through my pieces that I also allow others the space to be able to interpret their own thoughts and interpretations as well. I believe each artist should know exactly what they are trying to portray and be able to reach his or her audience in a meaningful way." -Hannah Aberle, '22, Valley City, ND.

Accreditations

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Career Educators

- 80% of advertised art educator jobs require a bachelor’s degree. The median salary for an art teacher is $45,000.

A degree in art education will propel you into your future as an art educator and can equip you with the skills to succeed. There are multiple career fields available to graduates in art education including:

Licensed K-12 art teacher
Community art education
Arts non-profit work
Art Therapist (additional training required)

- A professor and student work together on prints for an art class.

Get Involved in your Major

Join university organizations such as VCSU Art Alliance at VCSU and take part in Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) and Student North Dakota United (SNDU).

Students are also encouraged to join professional organizations in their field such as:

Teacher Education Requirements

Students are typically admitted into Teacher Education during their sophomore year or at the beginning of their junior year of college. This program requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and successful completion of the Praxis I test. Additional criteria for Admission to Teacher Education can be found on the Education and Graduate Studies website.

Contact Information

Department Chair

Angela Mircsov, angela.mircsov@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7564

Faculty Contact

Gratia Brown, gratia.brown@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7567

Department Location

Center for the Arts, (701) 845-7272

Schedule your visit today!

https://visit.vcsu.edu/

(701) 845-7101 or (800) 532-8641

General Education Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
English Composition
Select one of the following:		6
ENGL 110	College Composition I
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
or
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
ENGL 210	College Composition III: Persuasive Writing
Speech Communication
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 110	Fundamentals of Public Speaking
COMM 212	Interpersonal Communication
COMM 216	Intercultural Communication
Mathematics
Select one of the following:		3
MATH 103	College Algebra
MATH 104	Finite Mathematics
MATH 107	Precalculus
MATH 110	Mathematics in Society
MATH 165	Calculus I
MATH 210	Elementary Statistics
Lab Science
Select two of the following, one must come from the Natural and Physical Sciences category		8
Natural and Physical Sciences (ND:LABSC)
BIOL 111	Concepts of Biology
BIOL 150	General Biology I
BIOL 151	General Biology II
BIOL 170	General Zoology
CHEM 115	Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 116	Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
CHEM 121	General Chemistry I
CHEM 122	General Chemistry II
GEOL 100	Introduction to Earth Science
GEOL 106	The Earth Through Time
PHYS 100	Concepts of Physics
PHYS 110	Introductory Astronomy
PHYS 211	College Physics I
PHYS 212	College Physics II
PHYS 251	University Physics I
PHYS 252	University Physics II
Additional Sciences (ND:SCI)
PSYC 240	Cognition and Brain Science
TECH 161	Technology, Engineering, and Design
TECH 165	Technology Solutions for Society
Wellness
Select one of the following:		2
HPER 100	Concepts of Fitness and Wellness
HPER 212	Introduction to Stress Management
Computer Science and Literacy
Select one of the following:		3
CIS 147	Principles of Information Security
CIS 170	Introduction to Computer Information Systems ¹
CSCI 120	Introduction to Programming
CSCI 127	Introduction to Programming in Java
CSCI 160	Introduction to Structured Programming I
CSCI 289	Social Implications of Computer Technology ¹
SE 110	Discovering Computing
Humanities
Literacies
Select one of the following:		3
ASL 101	American Sign Language I
ASL 102	American Sign Language II
COMM 211	Oral Interpretation
ENGL 220	Introduction to Literature
ENGL 225	Introduction to Film
ENGL 231	Bible as Literature
ENGL 232	Mythology
ENGL 236	Women and Literature
ENGL 241	World Literature I
ENGL 242	World Literature II
ENGL 261	American Literature I
ENGL 262	American Literature II
HUM 201	Civilization, Thought, and Literary Heritage
PSYC 200	Ethics and Philosophy of Science
SPAN 101	1st Year Spanish I
SPAN 102	1st Year Spanish II
SPAN 201	2nd Year Spanish I
SPAN 202	2nd Year Spanish II
THEA 110	Introduction to Theatre Arts
Art and Music
Select one of the following:		3
ART 110	Introduction to the Visual Arts
ART 115	Introduction to Digital Media
ART 210	Art History I
ART 211	Art History II
ART 233	History of Craft
HUM 202	Fine Arts and Aesthetics
MUS 100	Music Appreciation
MUS 101	Music Fundamentals
MUS 201	World Music
MUS 207	History of Popular/Rock Music
Social Science
Select 6 credits from the following:		6
COMM 112	Understanding Media and Social Change
COMM 114	Human Communication
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
GEOG 151	Human Geography
HIST 103	United States to 1877
HIST 104	United States to Present
HIST 211	World Civilizations to 1500
HIST 212	World Civilizations since 1500
HIST 267	Environmental History
HIST 270	Native American Studies
POLS 115	American National Government
POLS 116	State and Local Government
PSYC 111	Introduction to Psychology
SOC 110	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 111	Introduction to Anthropology
Additional Humanities or Social Science
Select one additional course from Humanities or Social Science or select from the following:		2
ART 122	Two-Dimensional Design
ART 130	Drawing I
ART 150	Ceramics I
ART 180	Photography I
GEOG 111	Survey of Geography
MUS 104	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 105	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 130	Valkyries
MUS 131	Concert Choir
MUS 140	Athletic Band
MUS 141	Concert Band
PHYS 275	Planetarium Science
THEA 201	Theatre Practicum
Total Credits		39

¹: Course satisfies the Digital Literacy graduation requirement.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
ART 115	Introduction to Digital Media	3
ART 120	Painting I	3
or ART 230	Drawing II
ART 122	Two-Dimensional Design	3
ART 124	Three-Dimensional Design	3
ART 130	Drawing I	3
ART 150	Ceramics I	3
or ART 265	Sculpture I
ART 170	Printmaking I	3
ART 180	Photography I	3
ART 210	Art History I	3
ART 211	Art History II	3
ART 311	Art History III	3
or ART 411	Art History IV
ART 390	Art Methods	4
ART 491	Visual Arts Seminar	2
ART 492	Visual Arts Capstone	2
Electives
Select six hours from the following:		6
ART 215	Graphic Design I
ART 221	Painting II
ART 225	Digital Imaging I
ART 233	History of Craft
ART 235	Digital Illustration I
ART 245	Introduction to Web Design
ART 251	Ceramics II
ART 265	Sculpture I
ART 266	Sculpture II
ART 271	Printmaking II
ART 280	Photography II
ART 309	Art Business
ART 311	Art History III
ART 321	Painting III
ART 330	Drawing III
ART 345	History of Graphic Design
ART 351	Ceramics III
ART 366	Sculpture III
ART 371	Printmaking III
ART 380	Photography III
ART 394	Independent Study
ART 397	VCSU CSA Internship
ART 399	Special Topics
ART 411	Art History IV
ART 420	Advanced Research Studio
ART 494	Undergraduate Research
ART 497	Internship
ART 499	Special Topics
Total Credits		47

Students are placed in an elementary and secondary classroom during the Student Teaching Field Experience.

Total General Education 39 Hrs
Total Major Requirement 47 Hrs
Total Professional Education Sequence 32-33 Hrs
Total Credits Needed to Graduate 120 Hrs

Professional Education Sequence

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Professional Education Sequence
EDUC 240	Educating Exceptional Students	3
EDUC 250	Introduction to Education	3
EDUC 283	Understanding Cultural Diversity in Education	3
EDUC 300	Educational Technology	2
EDUC 351	Secondary Practicum and Classroom Management	1
EDUC 352	Culturally Diverse Practicum	1
or EDUC 464	Practicum in the ELL Classroom
EDUC 375	Teaching Reading in the Content Areas	2
EDUC 400	Educational Psychology	2
EDUC 450	Trends in Assessment and Educational Issues	2
EDUC 480	Student Teaching (Secondary)	10
PSYC 250	Developmental Psychology	3
Total Credits		32

For degree and graduation requirements, visit degree requirements and graduation requirements.

Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ART 122	3	ART 124	3
ART 150 or 180	3	ART 130	3
ENGL 110 (Gen Ed)	3	ENGL 120 (Gen Ed)	3
PSYC 111 (Gen Ed)	3	MATH 104 (Gen Ed)	3
CIS 170	3	Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4
HPER 100	2
UNIV 150	1
	18		16
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ART 115	3	ART 170	3
ART 180 or 150	3	Art History Selection	3
Art History Section	3	Art/Music (Gen Ed)	3
EDUC 250	3	Communications (Gen Ed)	3
Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4	Literacy (Gen Ed)	3
		EDUC 240	3
	16		18
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ART 390	4	ART 491	2
Art Elective	3	Art History selection	3
EDUC 300	2	PSYC 250	3
EDUC 351	1	EDUC 283	3
EDUC 375	2	EDUC 352 or 464	1
Additional Humanities or Social Science (Gen Ed)	2-3
	14-15		12
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ART 120	3	EDUC 480	10
ART 420	4	ART 492	2
EDUC 400	2
Social Science (Gen Ed)	3
EDUC 450	2
	14		12
Total Credits 120-121

Please note: This plan is intended for general information only. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor each semester before registration.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate competency in art education practice including curriculum planning, use of technology, and classroom management.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the historical and contemporary world art dialogues.
Students will demonstrate an awareness of the social impact of art by contributing to the cultural environment of the campus and community
Students will demonstrate proficiency in the studio arts.
Students will demonstrate professional preparedness.