The Master of Science (MS) in Art Education is a 30-credit program with advanced work in art education and the studio arts. The MS with a major in art education offers two separate program options. Both options require applicants to have completed a bachelor’s degree in the visual arts or a related field, and to be admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Graduate School. Additional background requirements depend on the option the applicant intends to pursue, as follows:
- Pre K-12 Art Education Option is designed to enhance the expertise of practicing teachers. The program combines theory, practice, and research in an effort to develop leaders as teachers-artists-researchers in the field.
- Community-Based Art Education Option is designed for those who desire careers as educators in community art programs, including museums. The program looks at theories and practices that have impacted community-based art education.
The Department’s facilities and services include fully equipped studios housed in the Kenilworth Square East building and the main campus Art Building.
The Peck School of the Arts’ Kenilworth Square East (KSE) Gallery provides a year-round schedule of exhibitions, with galleries that are housed in the Kenilworth Square East building, a research facility approximately one mile from campus. The Department of Art and Design offers a schedule of workshops and special lectures each year. In addition, graduate student studios are located in the Kenilworth Square East building.
Frederick R. Layton Fellowships are awarded each year to incoming and continuing graduate students, depending on funding. Information and application forms may be obtained at: http://uwm.edu/arts/art-and-design/graduate/.
A limited number of Teaching Assistantships and Project Assistantships are offered through the Department of Art and Design. Information and application forms may be obtained at: http://uwm.edu/arts/art-and-design/graduate/.
Students applying for admission to the three graduate programs in Art and Design, should note these application deadlines:
- For Fall admission to the MS graduate programs in Art Education, the Graduate School recommends completing the online application one year in advance of intended enrollment (check http://uwm.edu/arts/art-and-design/graduate/ for more specific information) with portfolios and letters of recommendation uploaded to the Panthera Graduate Admission Application page by February 1. If applying for university fellowships, the application is due by December 10. Applications are accepted for Fall admission only.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements and have an undergraduate degree in art education, art history, studio arts, or related field to be considered for admission to the program.
For Fall admission to the MS graduate programs in Art Education, the Graduate School recommends completing the online application one year in advance of intended enrollment (check http://uwm.edu/arts/art-and-design/graduate/ for more specific information) with portfolios and letters of recommendation uploaded to the Panthera Graduate Admission Application page by February 1. If applying for university fellowships, the application is due by December 10. Applications are accepted for Fall admission only.
The following materials are required and must be submitted with application:
- An example of writing skills— appropriate examples include: a paper presented at a professional meeting, an art curriculum guide, a research paper, or a published article.
- A digital portfolio of applicant’s original work (minimum 10, maximum 20 images) and, if an experienced teacher, the work of one’s students (minimum 10, maximum 20 images). Explanatory or descriptive annotations must accompany images.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation that provide insight into your background as artist and educator.
Applicants may be admitted with specific program-defined course deficiencies provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses. Upon admission to the program, the student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. The Graduate School and the Office of Graduate Studies in Art and Design monitor the deficiencies. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted as program credits required for the degree.
Credits and Courses
The minimum requirement for the MS in Art Education degree is 30 graduate credits, 6 credits of which must be in foundations in art education, 9 credits in current topics and thematically related studio workshops, and 6 credits in thesis development. The student, in consultation with the major professor, is responsible for also planning 9 additional credits (minimum) in a chosen program of study in art education with a specific focus on Pre K-12 or community environments. Please refer to Master of Science in Art Education Handbook for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Concentration Course Requirements (choose 6 credits from this list) | ||
| ART ED 920 | Research Methods in Art Education | 3 |
| ART ED 830 | Teaching Art With Works of Art | 3 |
| ART ED 910 | Seminar in Art Education: | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Current Topics and Thematically Related Studio Workshops (9 credits) | ||
| ART ED 801 | Seminar in Urban Education and the Visual Arts | 3 |
| ART ED 489 | Art Education Workshop: | 1-3 |
| ART ED 830 | Teaching Art With Works of Art | 3 |
| ART ED 920 | Research Methods in Art Education | 3 |
| ART ED 810 | Curricular Designs for Art Instruction | 3 |
| ART ED 910 | Seminar in Art Education: | 3 |
| ART 904 | Seminar In Art-Unique Topics: | 3 |
| ART 901 | Seminar in Art-Philosophy and Concepts | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Area Requirements and Thesis (15 credits) | ||
| Focus Area (9 credits) | ||
| Choose additional courses in consultation with major professor that specifically focus on pre K-12 or community environments. | ||
| Thesis (6 credits) | ||
| ART ED 990 | Master's Thesis | 1-3 |
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
Immediately upon admission, the graduate student must contact the Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Art and Design for initial advising and aid in selection of a major professor from the faculty of the Art Education area.
Upon completion of 9 graduate credits, each student must make arrangements for a graduate faculty member in the Art Education Area to serve as the major professor and must notify the Department of Art and Design Office of Graduate Studies of that professor’s willingness to serve in such a capacity.
Immediately thereafter, each student, in consultation with the major professor, must organize a thesis committee. The committee should consist of the major professor from art education, another faculty member from art education, and one additional faculty member, supporting the major area of concentration, for a minimum of three total. The additional faculty member may come from outside art education, outside the Department of Art and Design, or outside of the university. Members from outside the university community must have credentials that further a student’s research agenda and must be chosen in consultation with the major professor.
If the student’s major professor takes a leave of absence, receives a sabbatical, or leaves the university, the student should contact the Office of Graduate Studies in Art and Design for advice in selecting a new major professor.
Transfer of Credits
Upon admission, an applicant may be permitted to transfer a maximum of 12 graduate credits earned at another institution, or as a UWM non-degree graduate student, subject to transfer credit requirements and department approval.
Thesis
All MS in Art Education students must develop, present, and defend a thesis to complete their degree. Two thesis options are available: a written thesis that emphasizes scholarly research; or an applied study that includes the development and implementation of a significant teaching strategy or curricular model that is reported on in a written thesis. Thesis option should be selected by a student and approved by the major advisor before 12 graduate credits are earned.
Students must have at least two members of the Art Education area faculty on their thesis committee and one from a related field of study.
GPA Requirements
As a masters degree student in the Department of Art & Design, you must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in your major of art education and a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Should you not meet this standard, you will be placed on academic probation for the following long semester. Should you not acquire a 3/.0 GPA for the semester in which you were on probation, you will be subject to dismissal from the program by a majority vote of the graduate faculty.
In addition, if you earn a grade of C or lower in any art education course, you will be placed on academic probation for the following long semester. If you obtain a second C (or lower) at any point in your course of study, you will be subject to dismissal from the program by a majority vote of the graduate faculty, This includes obtaining two C's in the same semester.
Time Limit
All coursework applied to your master's degree must be no greater than five years old at the time of your graduation. As individual courses exceed that limit, they cannot count towards your MS. All students in the graduate program are expected to make continuous and satisfactory progress toward completion of their degrees. Failure to make adequate and timely progress may result in removal from the program.