Art Education, BA/BS
Making Communities
Art Education prepares you to become a qualified and effective art educator. Graduates gain knowledge and skills to enter a teaching career in a K-12 visual arts classroom. You will explore a wide variety of media and styles, understand the relationship of the visual arts with other disciplines and will be given opportunities to experience teaching in arts education as you matriculate through the program. Recent graduates teach full-time in K-12 schools, work in education-related fields such as museums, galleries or non-profit organizations as well as seek graduate degrees in fields related to teaching, education administration and professional studio practice.
Degree Options
Bachelor of Arts (BA) / Bachelor of Sciences (BS) in Art Education
Students may pursue a BA or BS with this major. The BA degree requires a cognate area consisting of a third-level proficiency in a foreign language, while the BS requires three courses in Computer Information Systems, Statistics, or History. This degree enables students to meet certification requirements for teaching visual art in Michigan elementary and secondary schools.
A Note
The Art Education program consists of four years of undergraduate studies. However, in order to meet the State of Michigan’s teaching certification requirements, students must also complete a year of teacher-assisted (apprenticeship) and student-teaching (internship) practicum, leading to a five-year completion timeline for the whole program.
Apply to the Art Education Major
Admission to Grand Valley State University does not guarantee access or admission to the Art Education Degree Programs. Students interested in pursuing an Art Education Degree must first submit work through the Art Education Portfolio Review Process.
Learning Environment
The discipline integrates the practices of art making, art criticism, and an understanding of contemporary visual culture as foundations for teaching art in schools as well as community settings. Art education students complete rigorous training in studio art complemented by courses in the theory and methods of art education. During the last year of the program, majors complete their professional training with assisting and directed teaching opportunities at regional schools. The program leads to teacher certification for visual art in the Michigan public schools at the primary and secondary levels.
Crossing Lines - Project 1 by ArtPrize GVSU Charter School Collaborative
Students in selected GVSU authorized charter schools throughout the state visited Project 1, attended an art workshop designed by Grand Valley State University Art Education Program, and worked throughout the school year to create a student art exhibition. K-12 art teachers worked alongside ArtPrize and GVSU faculties to complete a year-long curriculum to foster conceptual thinking and meaningful art-making relevant to students’ lives by focusing on Big Ideas pulled from the Project 1 exhibition.
Participating Schools
- K-5: Black River Public School, Elementary Holland; University Preparatory Academy of Design Elementary, Detroit
- 6-8: William C. Abney Academy, Grand Rapids; Detroit Achievement Academy, Detroit
- 9-12: Crossroads Charter Academy Middle/High, Big Rapids; Canton Preparatory High School, Canton
“The skills at GVSU helped me prepare for real world experiences including how to continue to mold the minds of young artists to help them grow.”
—
EMILY MILLER, BA, ART EDUCATION AND MINOR IN ART HISTORY, 2014
Course Work
Core curriculum includes courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and digital media, alongside art history and art education methods. You will have a solid foundation in artistic skills and knowledge, while exploring hands-on teaching experiences through student teaching placements and classroom observations. The program encourages the development of your own artistic voice while learning how to effectively communicate and teach art concepts to diverse student populations.
ART 332 - Introduction to Art Education
An introduction to the field of art education, including the study of
its historical, sociological, and theoretical foundations and their
effect on its practice in the K-12 classroom. Prerequisites: ART 152
and ART 157.
Offered Fall Semester
Credits: 3
ART 333 - Curriculum Development and Practice
This course, designed for art education majors, provides experience
in curriculum and teaching portfolio development, as well as classroom
observation to provide the future art teacher with a firm foundation
for teaching in the K-12 classroom. Prerequisite: ART 332.
Offered Winter Semesters.
Credits: 3
ART 335 - Digital Creativity
This course is a hands-on studio course that provides basic skills
and an understanding of computer technology in the creative process.
Emphasized exploration of digital media concepts and methods for
supporting creativity through examination of the themes and issues in
contemporary arts and culture. Part of the Information, Innovation,
and Technology Issue. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Offered Fall and Winter Semesters
Credits: 3
ART 495 - Issues in Art (Capstone)
A seminar composed of lectures, discussions, papers, and assigned
readings intended to give the student an understanding of his or her
own place as a visual artist in the historical, social continuum of
our time. Prerequisite: Senior standing in B.A., B.S., or B.F.A. program.
Offered Fall and Winter Semesters
Credits: 3
Faculty
Hsiao-Ping Chen
Professor
Katalin Zaszlavik
Associate Professor
Major Coordinator
Facilities
The Art Education program has one resource room (a storage room for basic art making materials and tools) and two large studio classrooms (CAC 1201 and 1207) to afford adequate space for both art making and lecture-based discussions. The two classrooms have ample wall space to display student artwork, as well as storage space, shelves (drying racks), and cubbies abundantly sufficient to accommodate 24 students per class.
NAEA Student Chapter
Members of the National Art Education Association Student Chapter work to prepare themselves to teach the young minds of tomorrow. During their weekly meetings and service projects they work to develop their critical thinking skills, visual culture, art history, community involvement, and the development of big ideas. For more information about the student chapter, please email Prof. Katalin Zaszlavik at [email protected].
Careers in Art Education
Art Education (Art Ed.) graduates are prepared to teach in public and private schools, work in community arts and museum education programs, pursue graduate work and university teaching. Here are some possible career titles for the Art Ed. major:
- Primary/ elementary teacher
- Secondary/ middle/ high school art teacher
- Art curriculum developer
- Museum art educator
- Arts and cultural planner
- Arts administrator
- Workshop consultant
Career Facts
|
Fact |
High School Teacher |
Kindergarten and Elementary |
|---|---|---|
|
2024 Median Pay |
$64,580 per year |
$62,310 per year |
|
Work Experience in a Related Occupation |
None |
None |
|
On-the-job Training |
None |
None |
|
Number of Jobs (2024) |
1,094,500 |
1,539,800 |
|
Job Outlook (2024–2034) |
-2% (Decline) |
-2% (Decline) |
|
Employment Change (2024–2034) |
-17,800 |
-29,800 |
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, High School Teachers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm (visited August 28, 2025).
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/kindergarten-and-elementary-school-teachers.htm (visited August 28, 2025).
Students' Works
Schedule a VMA Tour
Interested in visiting VMA? Schedule your student lead tour today!
Tours are available during open VMA Office hours:
Monday -Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
(Closed on Public Holidays)
VMA Main Office: (616) 331-3486
[email protected]
Request Information/Visit
For questions about the Art Education major, please contact:
Katalin Zaszlavik
Art Education Major Coordinator
1113 Calder Arts Center
(616)331-3486
[email protected]
OTHER AREAS
Art Education — Art History — Ceramics — Film & Video Production — Graphic Design — Illustration — Jewelry and Metalsmithing — Painting — Photography — Printmaking — Sculpture — Visual Studies