Art Education

Overview

The art education program at SIUE is a K-12 teacher licensure program in visual arts education for the state of Illinois. The program is built on an understanding and application of skills in the fields of art studio, art history, and the role and function of art to general education and the culture it serves.

Our program is grounded in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior knowledge base, which promotes the “teacher as an inquirer-professional” model. The program is based on the initial level for teacher preparation in the areas of:

Knowledge application and development
Instructional process
Context and foundations of education
Learners and learning
Interpersonal relation skills
Professional relationships

At SIUE, our students are engaged in inquiry and reflection, which are necessary components in the development of successful learning environments in various contexts. Our students observe and interact with a wide variety of art education professionals in diverse art program settings in order to understand the role of each program as it relates to the needs of their future students and instructional objectives.

The art education program stresses the development of the student as an artist-teacher, the student as a professional teacher and the development of the student’s teaching skills in a school setting. Our students have access to excellent facilities and a variety of equipment for creating art, which allows students to obtain hands-on experience in creating art, presenting lessons and writing curriculum.

SIUE students are well prepared for their future careers as artist-teachers with a broad, general background in intermediate-level courses in studio art, art history, art education and professional education. To complete the art education program, students participate in intensive student teaching for one semester in two school settings at K-12 public schools throughout Illinois.

SIUE holds National Association of Schools of Art and Design accreditation. The Department of Art and Design's studio practices, safety protocols and curriculum meet national standards for teaching art.

What can I do with a degree in art education?

Graduates of the art education program at SIUE are prepared to successfully compete for career and graduate education opportunities. Our students pursue advanced Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees in visual arts education and studio art, and gain employment with area public and private schools teaching in K-12 classrooms.

Hands-on Learning

At SIUE, art education students gain valuable hands-on experience as teachers through various internship opportunities. The most prominent opportunity is the Summer Arts Program, which is run by the Department of Art and Design. The program serves primary, intermediate and advanced students in grades K-8.

The close proximity of SIUE to the St. Louis metropolitan area allows our students to study original works of art with easy access to numerous museums and cultural institutions. St. Louis is home to the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM); the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts; the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM); the Laumeier Sculpture Park; Cahokia Mounds; and many others.

Our students also have the opportunity to participate in the student chapter of the National Art Education Association. The SIUE chapter is an active and visible organization on campus, providing networking and professional development opportunities for members. Students participate in service-learning experiences where classroom learning can be applied and chapter members have represented the art education program via local, state and national platforms, including at the Illinois Art Education Association Conference and the National Art Education Association Conference.