Teaching Art, All Grades (MA)

Program Description

Coursework in MA program in Teaching Art, All Grades is designed for students who wish to pursue graduate-level professional training leading to an initial certification as artist–teachers in primarily public and private schools both nationally and internationally. The program combines a strong foundation in contemporary art with a solid grounding in education for social justice and practical teaching experience. 

Through a sequence of core courses grounded in a progressive social justice approach, students examine the making and teaching of art as a social and political act, and consider its philosophical, historical, political, and sociological contexts. We foreground a commitment to anti-racism and culturally sustaining pedagogy as a throughline in all of our coursework. Students develop their teaching philosophy and practical skills through courses in education, art education, and research methodologies while continuing their work as artists fulfilling creative course assignments and a graduate-level studio course.

For students who have an undergraduate BA or BFA degree in studio art and wish to acquire teacher certification, the MA Program in Teaching Art, All Grades, offers a curriculum that satisfies the academic requirements for New York State teacher certification. 

Career Opportunities

Our students go on to teach in public, private, and independent PreK-12 schools in the US as well as internationally, with a significant number joining the New York City Department of Education as Visual Art Teachers. Some choose to teach in museum education or not-for-profit and community-based organizations as well as serve other educational roles such as curriculum consultants and on curatorial projects. Some graduates eventually pursue further study in PhD or EdD programs.

Accreditation (AAQEP)

The New York University Teacher Education Program, which is designed to prepare students to meet the challenges of teaching and leadership in today’s demanding educational environment, is granted accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality Educator Programs (AAQEP) for a period of seven years, from April 2020 to June 2027. This accreditation certifies that the fore-named professional education program has provided evidence that the program adheres to AAQEP’s quality principles.

Accreditation (NASAD)

Admissions

Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:

• Résumé/CV
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Proficiency in English

See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.

See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 30 credits, comprised of the following:

Sample Plan of Study

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Examine the ways that art making and the teaching of visual art is grounded in historical context and power structures, including social, political, and cultural institutions. 
2. Build a teaching philosophy based on the understanding that visual art and education can create new knowledge and make meaning about the world in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability. 
3. Implement discipline-based curricula, lesson, and unit plans that use experiential learning and culturally relevant pedagogies to support critical thinking, creative inquiry, and social change inspired by contemporary approaches to art making & analysis.
4. Facilitate clear, creative, and innovative teaching strategies that are student-centered, appropriate to a specific sociopolitical and historical context, and effectively use technology to support student learning.
5. Demonstrate the ability to be reflective practitioners and effective researchers who understand how to integrate theory/research with pedagogical and classroom practice.
6. Build relationships with students and families to foster student learning, engagement, and well-being and serve as persuasive cultural advocates and community leaders able to articulate the importance of art in schools, institutions, and society at large.

Policies

Program Policies

Fieldwork Placement

Be advised that fieldwork placement facilities that provide training required for your program degree, and agencies that issue licenses for practice in your field of study, each may require you to undergo general and criminal background checks, the results of which the facility or agency must find acceptable before it will allow you to train at its facility or issue you a license. You should inform yourself of offenses or other facts that may prevent obtaining a license to practice in your field of study. NYU Steinhardt will not be responsible if you are unable to complete program requirements or cannot obtain a license to practice in your field because of the results of such background. 

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Steinhardt Academic Policies

Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.