Bachelor of Fine Arts-to-Master of Arts in Art Education with Initial License
Undergraduate students who wish to major in graphic design, painting, printmaking, or sculpture and would also like to obtain state licensure to teach art in the public schools can pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)-to-Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education with Initial License program.
This program meets the standards set forth in the Massachusetts regulations for both initial and later acquisition of a professional license upon successfully completing three years of employment and a process of induction and mentorship in the school district.
Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs are linked bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in which the two degrees are conferred sequentially. This Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program allows students to apply a maximum of 8 units from their undergraduate degree toward the associated master’s degree. The units applied toward the master’s degree must be at the 500 level or above.
Students must apply to Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Programs before the conferral of the bachelor’s degree. Typically, students apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts-to-Master of Arts in Art Education Program in their fourth (senior) year. Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts-to-Master of Arts in Art Education Program must complete at least 24 units while enrolled as a graduate student. Students should consult with the Financial Assistance office to learn how entrance into the Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program might impact their financial aid.
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 of 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 BFA-to-MA should declare their interest in this program during the spring of sophomore year by meeting with their academic advisor and indicating their interest on the Visual Arts Major Declaration form.
Declaring interest in the BFA-to-MA will cause an Art Education track to be added to the student’s academic summary and Degree Progress Report 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 fifth-year portion of the program, and admittance to the fifth year is not guaranteed.
Admission into the MA
During the fall of the senior year, students who had previously declared an interest in the BFA-to-MA 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 fifth year. Application requirements can be found on the CFA website. The application fee and portfolio requirement are waived.
Upon acceptance, 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.
Requirements
Students must complete the requirements for the BFA and the MA in Art Education with Initial Teacher Licensure in Massachusetts. Students may count 8 units from their undergraduate degree toward the MA.
The BFA-to-MA in Art Education with Initial Licensure program is highly structured, with required courses to prepare students to enter classroom teaching.
This is the advised pathway for the BFA-to-MA in Art Education:
During the undergraduate degree:
- CFA AR 586 Child Development Through Arts (4 units)
- 500-level studio or another eligible elective (4 units)
Fall term of the MA (fifth) year (16 units):
- CFA AR 558 Contemporary Issues in Art Education (4 units)
- CFA AR 560 Applied Studio (4 units)
- CFA AR 590 Elementary and Secondary Methods in Art Education (4 units)
- CFA AR 591 Curriculum Design + Pre-Practicum Seminar (2 units)
- CFA AR 592 Pre-Practicum (2 units)
Spring term (16 units):
- CFA AR 554 Art Education Seminar: Curriculum and Instruction (4 units)
- CFA AR 565 Art, Access, and Inclusion (4 units)
- CFA AR 756 Practicum (8 units)
