BFA/MA (4+1) in Art Education with Initial License

Undergraduate students who wish to major in graphic design, painting, printmaking, or sculpture but would also like to obtain state licensure to teach art in the public schools can pursue a dual degree that combines an undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with a Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education with Initial License.

This program meets the standards set forth in the Massachusetts regulations for both initial and ensuing professional licensure.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate the integration of studio skills acquired in visual arts classes used in the teaching of a variety of media and in strategies for embedding concepts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the methods and processes necessary to nurture artistic behaviors in students.
• Design a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
• Develop and implement classroom practices that align with the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers.
• Demonstrate an awareness and ability to integrate contemporary art and issues into their community engagement or artistic or teaching practice, with a global and cross-cultural lens.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the broad needs of learners and be able to design classroom spaces, activities, and assessments that take into consideration issues of disability, trauma, emotional and mental health, and English language proficiency.

Application and Admissions

Declaration of Interest

Students who would like to pursue the 4+1 should declare their interest in this program during the spring of sophomore year, concurrent with declaring their undergraduate major.

Declaring interest in the 4+1 will cause an Art Education track to be added to the student’s academic summary and Degree Advice so that they and their advisor are able to track their progress during their junior and senior years. Declaration of interest is not a formal application for the +1 portion of the program, and admittance to the +1 year is not guaranteed.

Admission into the +1 Year

During the fall of the senior year, students who had previously declared an interest in the 4+1 and who have continued to take the required courses will be invited to formally apply to the MA in Art Education with Initial License for their +1 year. Application requirements can be found on the CFA website. The application fee and portfolio requirement are waived for students applying to the +1 year.

Upon acceptance to the +1 year, students complete the remainder of their studies as graduate students in the MA in Art Education with Initial License and fulfill all remaining requirements for the graduate degree.

Recommended Program of Study

This combined degree program requires five years of full-time study to acquire a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in one of the specified majors (Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture) in the School of Visual Arts, as well as an MA in Art Education with Initial License.

At the completion of the BFA degree requirements (132+ credits) at the College of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will be awarded. At the end of the fifth year, or after a minimum of 22+ additional credits of CFA coursework, the Master of Arts in Art Education with Initial License will be awarded.

First Four Years

The first four years of the 4+1 program are taken as an undergraduate student enrolled in a BFA in graphic design, painting, printmaking, or sculpture.

The following 20 credits of studio and psychology coursework are required to meet state licensing requirements and should be taken during the BFA degree as liberal arts or studio electives. They will count toward the 132 credits required for the BFA degree.

Design or Technology: CFA AR 123, 225, 385, 389, 527, 581, 582, 589	4 cr
CAS PS 101 General Psychology	4 cr
CFA AR 470 Ceramics	4 cr
Photography: CFA AR 243, 508, 515	4 cr
Printmaking: CFA AR 250, 251, 270, 425, 447, 448, 451, 452, 517, 518	4 cr

The following 20 credits of graduate-level art education coursework will be completed in the last two years of undergraduate studies. Students must take these credits during the junior and senior years of the BFA to be properly prepared to teach in their +1 year. These courses are required for the program and they must be completed before students can be placed in practicum.

CFA AR 586 Child Growth and Development (fall only)	4 cr
CFA AR 558 Contemporary Issues in Art Education (fall only)	4 cr
CFA AR 565 Art, Access, and Inclusion (spring only)	4 cr
CFA AR 655 Elementary Methods of Art Education (fall only)	3 cr
CFA AR 656 Elementary Pre-Practicum (corequisite for CFA AR 655)	1 cr
CFA AR 660 Secondary Methods of Art Education (spring only)	3 cr
CFA AR 662 Secondary Pre-Practicum (corequisite for CFA AR 660)	1 cr

+1 Year

The +1 year of the program is taken as a graduate student enrolled in the MA in Art Education with Initial License program and follows the completion of the BFA in graphic design, painting, printmaking, or sculpture.

CFA AR 551 & 552 Processes and Structures I & II (fall and spring)	2 cr each
CFA AR 553 Art Education Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction I	4 cr
CFA AR 765 Practicum I	4 cr
CFA AR 554 Art Education Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction II	4 cr
CFA AR 766 Practicum II	4 cr
Education or Studio elective	2 cr

For the Education or Studio elective, students select a course in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor. Courses from which a student may select include but are not limited to:

• CFA AR 547 Principles of Painting Techniques
• CFA AR 589 Interactive Design
• CFA AR 594 Graphic Design Theory
• CFA AR 597 Experience Design
• CFA AR 747 Advanced Printmaking
• SED AP 526 Family and Community Engagement
• SED CT 534 A Practical Approach to Classroom Management
• SED DS 502 Adolescent Development
• SED SE 504 An Introduction to Early Childhood Disabilities
• SED SE 505 An Introduction to Severe Disabilities
• SED SE 510 Special Education Curriculum and Instruction
• SED SE 534 Classroom Behavior Management
• SED SE 535 Understand Autism
• SED SO 520 Project Citizen: Promoting Civic Engagement

Students can also take a Directed Study 2-credit course with a studio professor of their choice.