Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art Education
- San Francisco, USA
- Online
Bachelor's degree
DURATION
8 semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
USD 1,463 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* per unit for international students / USD 1,239 per unit for domestic students
Key Summary
The Art education BFA program provides a pathway to becoming an art teacher in classrooms, museums, and community-based art programs. You will be exposed to a wide range of visual art and design media, developing both a breadth and depth of knowledge and skill. Through coursework and fieldwork, you will learn how to develop successful curricula and lesson plans for a wide range of audiences.
Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:
Art and Design Skills
- Create a portfolio of work representing a broad range of visual media as well as a specialized discipline of art/design
Teaching and Communication Skills
- Design effective art education curricula targeted to an intended audience with consideration for the needs of diverse learners
- Demonstrate appropriate applications of content standards such as the California Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade Visual Arts Standards
- Articulate the importance of art in education based on research, observation, and experience
Visual Literacy
- Articulate the formal and expressive properties of works of art/design as well as their content, meaning, and purpose
Knowledge of Human Development
- Articulate appropriate strategies for meeting the needs of all learners and learning styles with consideration for human developmental stages, cultural and linguistic diversity, physical and cognitive disabilities, and accelerated learning in art education settings
Professional Readiness
- Demonstrate breadth and depth of accomplishment as an artist and art educator through a professional portfolio
Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:
- Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
- Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
- Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
- Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
- Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
- Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
- Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.
Academy of Art University offers some of the best training and hands-on experience to help you excel in careers in art education. We pride ourselves on doing an exceptional job preparing you to excel as an art educator. Our degree programs are designed to equip aspiring art instructors with a comprehensive toolbox of marketable skills that will lead to success in their future careers.
Art Teacher
As an art teacher in a private, public, or charter school, you’ll help inspire the artists of tomorrow directly in the classroom. You’ll prepare and implement lesson plans, address various learning styles and needs, and analyze qualitative and quantitative student data.
Community Arts Leader
As an arts leader in community settings, you’ll plan, organize, and implement programs as well as activities for a wide range of audiences and settings. Help bring the arts to communities around the world or in your backyard and bring the joy of arts to everyone.
Instructor
As an art education instructor at a university, you’ll contribute to the higher education of tomorrow’s artists. Explore complex subjects, lead class discussions, and encourage critical thinking as you guide students through various subjects.
Museum Educator
Inspire the next generation of artists as museum educators. You’ll lead hands-on tours and activities for a range of audiences, as well as contribute to the educational growth of your community.
Teaching Artist
As a teaching artist, you’ll instruct artists of the future in a variety of settings. You’ll develop curriculum and syllabi with Program Directors, and coordinators, as well as lead teachers and establish lines of communication with students and their families.
Unit Requirements
| Liberal Arts | 45 |
|---|---|
| Art & Design Core | 36 |
| Art/Design Portfolio Dev | 21 |
| Pedagogy Core | 18 |
| Total | 120 |
Degree Requirements
- A minimum grade of C- in all core courses, major courses, and LA 107 Writing for the Multilingual Artist or 108 Composition for the Artist
- Minimum 2.0 GPA and the following general education requirements:
- 1 Written Communication: Composition
- 1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking
- 1 Written Communication: Context & Style
- 3 Art Historical Awareness: Prehistory - 20th Century Western Art
- 1 Comparative Art History
- 1 Quantitative Literacy
- 1 U.S. Constitution
After the above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.
Curriculum
Semester 1
- ARE 105: Overview of the Theories and Practices of Art Education (Pedagogy Core)
- FASCU 130: Sculpture 1 (Art & Design Core)
- FND 113: Sketching for Communication (Art & Design Core)
- LA 101: Freshman Symposium: Artistic Resilience (Liberal Arts)
Semester 2
- FA 145: Printmaking (Art & Design Core)
- FND 112: Figure Drawing (Art & Design Core)
- FND 122: Color Fundamentals (Art & Design Core)
Recommended for summer - ILL 133: Digital Media: Digital Manipulation (Art & Design Core)
- LA 108: Composition for the Artist (Liberal Arts)
- LA 233: Popular Topics in Health, Nutrition, & Physiology (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer
Semester 3
- ARE 305: Educational Psychology (Pedagogy Core)
- FA 110: Still Life Painting 1 (Art & Design Core)
- IXD 249: Web Design 1 (Art & Design Core)
- LA 202: English Composition: Creative Persuasion & Argument (Liberal Arts)
Semester 4
- ANM 101: Introduction to Computer Graphics for Animation (Art & Design Core)
- ARE 310: Curriculum Development for the Art Classroom (Pedagogy Core)
- LA 110: Writing the Short Story (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer - LA 120: Art History Through the 15th Century (Liberal Arts)
- LA 270: U.S. History (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer - LA 291: Designing Careers (Liberal Arts)
Semester 5
- ARE 340: Learning to Talk About Art (Pedagogy Core)
- FND 116: Perspective (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- LA 121: Art History Through the 19th Century (Liberal Arts)
- MPT 106: Edit 1: The Art of Editing (Art & Design Core)
Semester 6
- ARE 515: Integrating Technology into Art Education Settings (Pedagogy Core)
Recommended for summer - FA 211: Introduction to Painting: Figure (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- FA 423: Abstract Painting 1 (Art & Design Core)
- FND 149: Introduction to Design Thinking (Art & Design Core)
- LA 222: 20th Century Art (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer - LA 326: Topics in World Art (Liberal Arts)
Semester 7
- FA 220: Watercolor (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- FA 224: Composition & Painting (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- FA 241: Book Arts (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- LA 268: Spanish 1: Basic Grammar & Speech (Liberal Arts)
Semester 8
- ARE 460: Senior Seminar in Art Education (Pedagogy Core)
- FA 228: Landscape Painting 1 (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- ILL 120: Clothed Figure Drawing 1 (Art/Design Portfolio Dev)
- LA 273: Spanish 2: Conversational Spanish (Liberal Arts)
- LA 368: Experiencing Culture: Anthropology for Today's Artist (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer - LA 462: Power of Myth and Symbol (Liberal Arts)
Recommended for summer