Art Education

The Department of Visual Art & Design offers two Art Education majors: a bachelor of fine arts and a bachelor of arts, as well as a minor. Both majors prepare you for your teaching career.

To be accepted to either Art Education major, you will also need to apply through the Teacher Education Department and complete approximately 27 hours of coursework in the Teacher Education Department.

Both bachelor degrees lead to secondary licensure, allowing you to teach in grades 6-12. You’ll also be prepared to seek your Master of Fine Arts or a similar graduate degree.

Program Highlights:

The Art Education program uniquely integrates both art and education, enabling students to earn licensure with a minimum of 122 credit hours. We provide both BFA and BA degrees. With a strong emphasis on K–12 teaching and museum education, the program is recognized as one of the most efficient, affordable, and dynamic in the state.

Students gain hands-on experience with a variety of pedagogical approaches suitable for both in-person and online teaching environments. In addition, students will also get training in art making techniques by exploring diverse art media—both traditional and non-traditional—such as landscape sand art, water marbling, digital art, laser cutting, 3D printing, AI-generated art, animation, and more.

Faculty provide individualized support for job preparation, including assistance with developing a teaching portfolio website, writing a teaching philosophy, crafting a resume and cover letter, and participating in mock interviews for senior students.

Art Education students regularly teach in local public and private schools, visit art museums, and collaborate with faculty from other universities on teaching and research projects. Each year, students are invited to attend the Utah Art Education Association’s Conference and often receive funding to travel to the National Art Education Association Convention held in various cities across the U.S. These experiences help students stay informed about trends in the field,
make connections, and gain professional development opportunities by presenting their projects on a national stage, with the guidance of faculty mentor.

Upon graduation, students are well-prepared to pursue careers as K–12 art educators, museum educators, art specialists in public and private schools, or art education consultants. The program also provides a strong foundation for those interested in pursuing graduate degrees in education-related fields.

Possible Careers in Art Education: 

• Middle school art educator
• High school art educator
• Art specialist in public or private schools
• Museum educator
• Art center educator
• Educational text author
• Art curriculum director at the district or state level
• Art education consultant
• Arts council educator