art student presenting an art education project

What does it cost?

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

How long will it take?

90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework must be completed.

Where will I take classes?

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

Georgia State's priority deadline for undergraduate degrees is March 1. Final fall semester deadline is June 1, and spring semester deadline is December 1. Prospective B.F.A. students enter the Art & Design School as a general major and apply for a concentration sophomore year with a portfolio.

Art Education, B.F.A.

The Georgia State University undergraduate concentration in Art Education prepares pre-kindergarten through 12th grade art educators with expertise in the visual arts and the skills to plan and teach in a way that is responsive to all students and their communities.

The program builds a community of collegial professionals who demonstrate disciplinary expertise, including art teaching skills with sound pedagogical strategies, an understanding of current scholarship and issues within the field and the ability to positively impact student learning. Special emphasis is placed on the teaching of diverse learners in urban and metropolitan settings. The program bridges the gap between theory and practice—helping students develop skills as an instructor and an artist.

Art Education students benefit from the activities of the National Art Education Association, which provides a variety of early professional experiences for pre-service teachers, including the organization of exhibitions of art education student and alumni artwork, the sponsorship of fundraisers and service projects in the Atlanta area and travel to state and national conferences.

The program also reflects a professional art school commitment to the mastery of art media. Students are required to take several courses in one art discipline to gain the depth needed for teaching and personal artistic development, as well as a broad range of elective studio courses to master the diverse skills that will be needed as a classroom teacher.

The student experience: Three of the four pre-student-teaching courses include on-site classroom observations.  The last semester of the program is spent student-teaching with master's-level teachers in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Program Highlights

The Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design features an internationally active faculty and a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for professional careers in art and design. The programs foster critical thinking and dynamic artistic production in an interdisciplinary environment. The school offers a B.A. in Art History, B.F.A. in Art Education, a B.A. in Studio Art and a B.F.A. in Studio Art with concentrations in Ceramics, Drawing, Painting & Printmaking, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, Sculpture and Textiles.

MEET THE ART EDUCATION FACULTY

  • B.F.A. degree that is NASAD accredited.
  • Area-specific, merit scholarship opportunities.
  • Year-round exhibitions in the Welch School Galleries & student-run galleries.
  • The Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series, bringing in speakers around the country and world.
  • 24-hour studio and building access.
Program Details

Applying to a B.F.A

Students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree must first enter as a B.A. in studio and take Foundations courses. They then can apply and be accepted into either a B.F.A. in studio or art education. This is when they chose their concentration.  Acceptance to a concentration is determined by application and portfolio review following completion of the art core curriculum. The studio program requires a concentration in one of the following areas: drawing and painting, or printmaking, graphic design, interior design, photography, textiles or three-dimensional studies (ceramics or sculpture). Students should consult with the undergraduate area coordinator in their area of interest for details. Portfolios and applications are reviewed fall and spring semesters on Portfolio Review Day, which is set by each area.

Admission to Art Education B.F.A.

The Art Education program offers two tracks for students to develop their teaching skills. One track is the traditional model of art teacher preparation with a focus on students meeting the certification requirements for kindergarten through 12th grade teaching in Georgia. Another option for study in Art Education has a focus on preparing students to teach in a community-based arts organization or museum. The primary difference in the students' experience will be the setting in which they complete most of their observation hours, practicum and internship. Developing effective methods for teaching art is the goal for both programs.

Application to the B.F.A. program in Art Education should occur upon completion of the 18 semester hours required in Area F as well as the introductory art education course (AE 4200). Admission to the major takes place at the midpoint of the second semester in the program during which students are taking AE 4400 Media, Technology and Visual Presentation.

To apply to the Art Education certification track, students must have:

  • passed the portfolio review of artwork professionally presented in an electronic portfolio or PowerPoint
  • received at least “Good” in all dispositional ratings
  • earned a 2.5 overall cumulative GPA
  • earned a 3.0 GPA in all art content courses
  • passed GACE Program Admission Assessment or have been exempted from the GACE Program Admission Assessment (SAT Score 1000 or more: verbal and math combined; or ACT Score of 33 or higher: math and English combined). When registering for the assessment, program entry candidates must add their program provider (Georgia State University – school code 5090) as a score recipient when registering or we will not receive notification of completion of the assessment
  • provided proof of completing the Georgia Educator Ethics – Program Entry (350) Assessment, although there is no pass/fail grade assigned. Program entry candidates must add their program provider (Georgia State University) as a score recipient when registering or we will not receive notification of completion of the assessment

To apply to the Art Education non-certification community-based teaching track, students must have:

  • passed the portfolio review of artwork professionally presented in an electronic portfolio or PowerPoint
  • received at least “Good” in all dispositional ratings
  • earned a 2.5 overall cumulative GPA
  • earned a 3.0 GPA in all art content courses
  • submitted an essay detailing goals and reasons for wishing to teach in a community-based program

Guidelines for the Entry-to-the-Major Review will be distributed during Art Education courses and posted in the Art Education area. Art Education faculty will assist students in preparing their pre-teaching certification and portfolio requirements for admission. If a student is not accepted into the Art Education certification track, or is accepted with pending status, the student will not be allowed to take any further Art Education courses until the issue for admission to the major is resolved. If the issue cannot be resolved within the second semester of the program students may elect to complete a degree in Art Education with a focus on community-based art education settings or museums, which does not lead to a teaching certification, or consider other degree options. In the community-based track, students complete the last 10 hours of the Art Education program in an alternative teaching setting rather than in public schools.

BFA Art Education (Certification track)

12 credits Education courses

6 credits upper-level Art History

18-20 credits Studio courses

25 credits Art Education course

5-6 credits Special Problems

 

BFA Art Education (Non-Certification track)

12 credits Education courses

6 credits upper-level Art History

18-20 credits Studio courses

18 credits Art Education course

7-9 credits Special Problems

Visit the catalog for curriculum details.

More information on Georgia State's undergraduate tuition can be found on the student financial services website.

Once in the program, Ernest G. Welch students are eligible for merit-based scholarships, nominated by the faculty. New area awards and scholarships are announced every Spring semester.

  • Ensuring comprehensive exposure to an array of perspectives as represented by the various faculty approaches to media, content, imagery, and teaching styles.
  • Exploring the continuing traditions of art-making in pursuit of new forms and with contemporary concepts and issues.
  • Preparing students for an application of medium, techniques, and concepts in the the k-12 classroom
  • Encouraging multidisciplinary approaches with other studio areas.
  • Preparing students for a professional arts career or secondary degree through development in workshops, exhibitions, internships, marketing and art handling, design, collaboration with peers, critique and artistic discourse, etc.

Description

Careers

The undergraduate programs at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design prepare students for competitive careers in contemporary art, art education, design and art entrepreneurship. Highlights include one-on-one mentorship with an internationally acclaimed faculty, access to art institutions and creative publications, networking with high-profile artists, scholars and businesses, participation in conferences and internships.

The program leads students to career paths such as graphic, interior and Web designers, multimedia artists, curators, gallery directors, museum and non-profit arts managers, art administrators, kindergarten through 12th grade art teachers, art educators, art historians and writers, creative directors at advertising and marketing firms, props and set design fabricators and art appraisers, among others.

Contacts

Undergraduate Coordinator
Tim Flowers
[email protected]

Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design
10 Peachtree Center Avenue SE
117 Art & Humanities Bldg.
Atlanta, GA 30303

College of the Arts Logo35 Broad St., 4th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303

The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.