UF Art Education

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  1. What Can I Do With a Master’s in Art Education?

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    Teacher with a Master's in Art Education mixing paintIf you have creative experience, teach in schools, work in museums, or community art environments, and a passion for inspiring others, then a master’s degree in art education might be the perfect path for you. Art educators possess a skill set that allows them to teach creativity through a variety of art mediums in different settings, including formal and informal education environments. Whether or not you want to teach in a traditional setting, there are many career paths with a master’s in art education, including positions in schools, galleries, museums, nonprofits, and communities. There are additional careers where a master’s in art education merged with other disciplines is beneficial, such as arts and medicine, arts coordinator, teaching artist in residence, cultural educator, art and law, and many others.

    Art educators provide important knowledge, creative skills, and service in a variety of settings. Let’s take a look at some of the different roles available to those with an advanced degree in art education.

    Master’s in Art Education Careers

    Primary and Secondary School Art Teacher

    Becoming an art teacher in an elementary, middle, or high school is a natural fit for someone with a master’s degree in art education. Art educators help students learn to foster creativity and understand the world around them by teaching a wide variety of skills, including art making, art history, art criticism, and cultural understanding.

    Art teachers develop curriculum in their schools, with a focus on success for all students. Some typical tasks art teachers engage in, include planning and delivering lessons, talking about art, and using a variety of materials like watercolors, oils, pencils, canvas and paper to make art while focusing on state or national art education standards. Being an art teacher is an occupation where the focus is helping students explore creativity as they learn.

    Position Median annual salary
    Kindergarten/elementary school teacher $63,670
    Middle school teacher $64,290
    High school teacher $65,220

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Salary will vary depending on location, experience, education, and other factors.

    Post-Secondary Art Professor

    Post-secondary art professors are masters of their craft. In order to teach at a college or university, you must have a doctoral degree in art education, curriculum and instruction, or a related field. Some college-level art education jobs may be more focused on knowledge areas, such as pedagogical practice, community art, teaching art in schools, or technology in art to name a few. These academics may begin their journey with a master’s in art education in order to showcase their aptitude and proficiency as a next step to earning a doctorate and teaching at the collegiate level.

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a postsecondary teacher is $79,640.

    Artist-in-Residence

    Have you ever dreamed of sculpting in Sienna, or painting in Prague? Artist-in-residency programs allow artists to work with specific organizations and in a variety of settings. These programs take place in museums, schools, nonprofit organizations, and even national parks. There are artist-in-residence opportunities worldwide, giving you the chance to hone your craft, see the world, and explore new locations and cultures.

    The criteria for being selected varies as much as the opportunities themselves. Artist residencies can take place anywhere on Earth, including expeditions to the Arctic Circle, as well as a residency in the Moroccan Sahara.

    Arts Administration

    Becoming an arts administrator allows you to utilize your artistic ability, business expertise, and fundraising skills. Arts administration titles include arts education manager and director of development. These professionals work in settings like museums, theaters, galleries, symphony orchestras, and ballet companies.

    Art administrators wear a lot of hats, with job responsibilities including everything from planning events and art education activities to fundraising and overseeing budgets. Some of the skills required to be a successful arts administrator are problem solving, good communication, curiosity, and self-motivation.

    Arts administrators sometimes have opportunities to collaborate with each other and work with the larger art education community. In 2018, for example, over 10 art museums collaborated with local youth grade school programs and schools to feature exhibits of art work by children from across the United States. The exhibition, which was open from November 5, 2018 to January 2, 2019, was hosted at the U.S. Department of Education Headquarters in Washington D.C.

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, archivists, curators, and museum workers are expected to have much faster than average job growth at 11% from 2021 to 2031, with a median salary of $57,120* in 2021.

    *Salary will vary depending on location, experience, education, and other factors.

    Master’s in Art Education Courses and Curriculum Highlights

    A master’s degree in art education provides educators with the tools they need to be successful in a multitude of artistic professions. A comprehensive master’s program will offer students a variety of scholastic opportunities, chances for networking, and a structured way to gain exposure to different artistic mediums and teaching strategies.

    For example, the University of Florida’s online M.A. in Art Education (MAAE) helps students build a network and support system with peers and faculty. One such networking opportunity is through the Residential Summer Studio, featuring immersive, hands-on courses that many students have described as being a transformative experience. The Summer Studio gives students a chance to focus on their art without distraction, and make connections with other creative educators.

    Many art education graduate students also have the ability to engage in larger cultural and global opportunities. For example, a group of UF students took a cultural exchange trip to Guatemala, where they took part in a community-wide art experience. The students created alfombras (elaborate sawdust carpets) that were installed in the local history museum for two weeks and as part of an offering to a community procession.

    Key Skills for Art Teachers

    There are some skills that all art educators share — like pedagogical knowledge and understanding the art of teaching, as well as technical proficiency with a variety of artistic mediums and styles — and others that are more specific to the people with which they work. K-12 art teachers should possess many of the same skills as general education teachers like patience, adaptability, and leadership. Art educators who choose to work in a school should also enjoy working with children, teens, and young adults. In addition, an understanding of different theories behind curriculum design can help school art teachers build an engaging art education program for the large variety of students who may enter their classrooms.

    For those who choose to work in settings like museums and nonprofit organizations, desired skill sets include an understanding of teaching strategies, and a willingness to work with diverse populations, and be a good communicator and collaborator.

    How Long Does It Take to Earn a Masters in Art Education?

    Art education master’s degree programs can take anywhere from one year to several years to complete, depending on the length of the program and whether the student is taking courses on a part-time or full-time basis.

    Programs like the University of Florida’s online master’s in art education program can be done entirely online and be completed within two years, giving students the ability to work while completing an art education master’s degree. This NASAD-accredited program features include a powerful virtual community, a leading-edge curriculum, and personalized learning opportunities.

    Art Education Career and Teacher Licensing Requirements

    For teacher licensure a bachelor’s degree in education with a state-approved teacher preparation program is the basic requirement to teach in a public school. An M.A. in Art Education can help teachers enhance their ability to engage students and expand their pedagogical knowledge, personal growth, and artistic proficiencies. Please note that licensure is only offered at UF in the MAAE residential program.

    K-12 teachers will also need to obtain a state license to teach, and the requirements vary by state. In Florida, K-12 teaching candidates must complete a state-approved teacher preparation program, as well as the required Florida Teacher Certification Examinations. Some states, including New York, require a master’s degree for teaching K-12. While there are some general qualifications, teaching certificate requirements vary by state.

    About the Online Master’s in Art Education from the University of Florida

    The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction with peers and our world-class faculty as members of a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers, and scholars. This flexible program brings you the advanced concepts and immersive, hands-on experiences you need to flourish academically and creatively.

  2. The Importance of Art Education in the Classroom

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    Paintbrushes in plastic cups of paint in an Art Education classroomWhen the British street artist known as Banksy opened an online store called Gross Domestic Product, he issued a challenge: to make a purchase from the shop’s selection of items like a Banksy-branded aerosol paint can, a brick handbag, and a vest worn in concert by the rapper Stormzy. Customers who wished to be considered for the opportunity to make a single purchase first had to answer the question: “Why does art matter?”

    That deceptively simple, four-word query confronts a topic that’s occupied some of the world’s greatest creators and philosophers since Plato. How we answer this question can have much bigger consequences than whether you get to buy a piece of artwork from Banksy’s online store. The issue of art’s value becomes far more pressing when policymakers and administrators decide how to allocate time and funding for art education in schools. Art education offers students a wealth of benefits. These may include:

    • Greater social tolerance and civic engagement
    • Higher grades, including in subjects like language arts and math
    • Improved social skills and emotional regulation
    • Stronger engagement for students with diverse learning styles

    Art teachers must be ready to advocate for committing the necessary resources to prioritize the value of creativity in the classroom. You may have to explain the importance of art education in a school’s curriculum and present the research to back up those claims. We can become powerful advocates for the power of art and improved student outcomes by investigating the many benefits that come out of integrating more creativity into the school day and improving our classroom strategies.

    Why Is Art Education In Schools Important?

    Anyone who’s passionate about the arts recalls formative moments of experiencing a work of art pushing through a creative challenge. When we’re exposed to remarkable artworks or have opportunities to create, we find that art is crucial to individual growth and development and can even impact our health.

    A literature review from Frontiers in Psychology outlined several studies linking aesthetic experiences with broad improvements in subjects’ emotional states that promote physical and psychological well-being. Giving learners the time, space, and materials for creative expression can lower stress, improve memory, and make them feel more socially connected. Instructors can build their careers on bringing those experiences to students in a variety of settings, like galleries, museums, or events organized by nonprofit and community organizations.

    Appreciation for art also makes a significant difference in people’s lives on a macro level. Entire societies may stand to gain from an investment in the arts. Drawing on data from the General Social Survey, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Public Administration linked participation as either an audience member or creator to higher levels of civic engagement and social tolerance. This work suggests that children learning how to draw, paint, sing, or just appreciate the works made by others can help us become not just happier and healthier, but also better people.

    Learn about UF’s Online Master of Arts in Art Education program

    How Does Art Education Help Students?

    Recent research published in npj Science of Learning found that students aged 14-16 who participated in at least two semester-length arts workshops achieved higher grades in language arts and math, along with overall improvements in GPA. In addition, these students were more likely to engage in cultural activities outside of the classroom, indicating that their arts enrichment extended beyond the classroom.

    Yet, participation in the visual and performing arts is often treated as merely supplemental to other aspects of learning. As a result, there are major differences in access to art and music classes across the country.

    2019 findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that eighth graders in the Northeast were much more likely to report being enrolled in a visual arts course than those in the South. Disparities were also tied to race, ethnicity, family income, and whether a school is located in a city, suburb, town, or rural area.

    Meanwhile, the Nation’s Report Card shows that U.S. students continue to score lower than many of their peers in Europe and Asia on standardized tests despite years of pressure on educators to close the achievement gap. But seeking to improve student performance in math and reading does not have to come at the expense of art education.

    In fact, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, argue that instruction becomes more effective when educators integrate creative activities and make them central to academic development. Across disciplines, including STEM, there’s room to reimagine classes with a strong emphasis on drawing, painting, playing music, performing drama, and other creative pursuits. Encouraging students to use their imagination can help them actively engage with new concepts and discover connections between ideas as well as provide advantages for their social and emotional well-being.

    One example of effectively integrating arts and creative expression with other fields as a pedagogical strategy can be seen in the collaboration between University of Florida faculty members Susan K. Jacobson, who studies wildlife ecology and conservation, and Robert C. Mueller, who teaches printmaking. The UF professors collaborated on an interdisciplinary project in climate change communication in which groups of graduate students from both the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and the College of the Arts visited the university’s Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory. The students participated in learning activities like scientific lectures, discussions, and making collages before working in small groups to create environmental communication materials for visitors.

    As this example shows, students benefit from learning to embrace insights from multiple disciplines, and this can be valuable when they go on to pursue jobs. A 2024 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed that employers are interested in hiring professionals with skills that can be strengthened through participation in the arts, such as written communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and taking initiative. Art teachers can help students become more well-rounded and capable individuals by teaching them to develop original ideas through creative projects and practices.

    The Importance of Art Education in Early Childhood and Beyond

    It’s never too soon to introduce kids to the possibilities of creative expression. As outlined in a literature review from the National Endowment for the Arts, a variety of studies demonstrate the value of embedding artistic practice into early childhood education. Imaginative activities for young learners can lead to better skills in social interactions and emotional regulation.

    Lessons in the arts introduce K-12 students to problem-solving techniques, which help them to see the world in new ways, and provide access to creative ways of knowing. Kids discover how art can communicate their own ideas and may become interested in creating increasingly realistic depictions and mastering new techniques. By high school, young artists can think critically about their own work and that of others, establishing a unique point of view and a sense of community with other creative individuals.

    The National Core Arts Standards provide a framework for advancing students’ artistic understanding. This structure breaks down the developmental stages from Pre K through high school into 10 anchor standards. In each stage, students build creative habits as they learn to:

    • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
    • Organize and develop ideas and work
    • Refine and complete artistic work
    • Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation
    • Develop and refine artistic work for presentation
    • Convey meaning through the presentation
    • Perceive and analyze artistic work
    • Interpret intent and meaning
    • Apply criteria to evaluate work
    • Make art by synthesizing and relating knowledge and personal experiences
    • Deepen understanding by relating artistic ideas to societal, historical, and cultural contexts

    Pediatrician Dr. Perri Klass outlined the benefits of art education in schools in the New York Times, noting improvements for overall motivation, thinking, and academic achievement. An arts-integrated curriculum that asks students to draw or sing as part of the learning process may enhance their ability to recall material such as scientific principles or vocabulary. Foregrounding creativity can be especially effective for students who struggle to retain information from traditional lectures and reading assignments alone.

    Art does matter in the classroom, delivering a wide range of advantages for students. Educators can make the most of that potential by equipping themselves to offer creative practice as a central feature in the curriculum and show decisionmakers how these initiatives can achieve transformative results. The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program helps teachers make a difference. This program features courses that prepare educators to work in a variety of learning environments, support students of all ages, incorporate digital tools into their pedagogy, and foster critical thinking.

    About the Online Master’s in Art Education from the University of Florida

    The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction with peers and our world-class faculty as members of a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers, and scholars. This flexible program brings you the advanced concepts and immersive, hands-on experiences you need to flourish academically and creatively.

  3. Careers in Art Education

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    Person engaging in an art education career
    In today’s diverse landscape of learning and working, artistic projects and arts-integrated education support creative engagement, collaboration and increased ability to learn across many subjects. As a result of the broadly applicable skills that learning art can instill, master’s-level art education programs can help you transform your own creativity as well as your ability to inspire others.

    As the world of art constantly evolves, the careers and skills for effective art educators also change, so we wanted to look at both the traditional roles for art educators and some of the new developments that impact how they can inspire their students or other audiences.

    Learn about UF’s Online Master of Arts in Art Education program

    Why get a master’s in art education?

    One of the biggest is getting to meet and work with other people in your field. As professionals beginning or advancing their art education careers, students in art education master’s programs often gain as much from the courses as they do from interactions with each other. By working with and around professionals from diverse backgrounds and artistic talents, educators can expand their understanding of how others experience and teach art in a variety of contexts.

    At the same time, formal coursework offers an opportunity to focus on curriculum development, art criticism, interdisciplinarity, and studio skills, as well as other technical knowledge.

    What will I learn getting a master’s in art education?

    Some of the common areas of focus for a master’s in art education programs are in curriculum theory, contemporary issues in art education, arts integration, and advanced studio work. Online degrees often allow for a mixture of on-campus and remote learning, giving students both flexibility to earn their degrees on their own schedules and the opportunity to develop hands-on skills. For example, students in the University of Florida’s MA in Art Education (MAAE) program have the option to participate in residential summer studio courses. On-campus experiences like these allow online students to network with each other and with faculty and transform their artistic skills together as well as create a network of support.

    While some students may want to pursue a career as a teacher, the capstone requirement for the MAAE is an opportunity for students to investigate and showcase their individual strengths and areas of interest. These can vary from curriculum design, community arts, arts integration with other disciplines as well as non-profit and charity work. Arts education can be explored as a stand alone discipline or as a discipline that fuses different disciplines through pedagogical practice.

    With core courses, electives and a capstone, students can become highly proficient in the key frameworks foundational to art education while building on their own passions and interests, from local to global perspectives and their ability to elevate creativity wherever they find themselves, in the K-12 classroom, community endeavors or areas not traditionally associated with art education.

    What can I do with a master’s in art education?

    Art education careers can vary widely, from teaching different grade levels, to museum, curation to arts administration, and other non-profit work. The positions below offer an overview of the variety of work you can do with an art education master’s degree.

    Art Education Salaries

    The below table shows the median salaries for teachers, education curators and other art education careers overall. However, it’s important to note that teaching salaries can vary significantly by state. According to 24/7 Wall Street and U.S. Labor Department data, the top five states for teacher salaries in 2018 were New York, Connecticut, California, Alaska and Massachusetts.

    Position Median Annual Salary Median Annual Salary
    High School Level Art Educator $59,170 8% between 2016 and 2026
    College Level Art Educator $66,930 8% between 2014 and 2024
    Art Education Coordinator $92,500 5% between 2016 and 2026
    Art Director $92,500 5% between 2016 and 2026
    Museum Curator $47,360 13% between 2016 and 2026

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

    Art Teacher Careers

    Art education careers in both high school and college teaching environments are projected to have an above average growth rate over the next few years. In addition to job growth, teaching art can be uniquely fulfilling, as art can play a pivotal role in developing broadly applicable creative skills.

    Elementary and high school art educators have an opportunity to teach students how to incorporate artistic creativity into their work and throughout their lives, an especially important skill in the information age where creating engagement is a premium skill—both for learning and for communicating. Learning art can also help students find new ways of looking at the world around them and become better communicators.

    Art Education Careers in Museums

    Other areas where you will find art education careers are in museums, libraries, and non-profit organizations. Museums are prime locations for art educators to apply their knowledge; they can inform and engage other people in culture they might not have ever experienced otherwise. In museums, you will find positions like museum curator or education coordinator. Additionally, art education roles in museums may include curating collections or specific exhibits and developing informative material about artists, artistic styles and historic time periods in art.

    Art Education Careers in Healthcare and Non-Profits

    Some non-profit organizations focus on promoting the use of art and the ability to discuss and create artwork. Specific positions within these organizations vary widely and include professional artists, as well as administrative roles, such as after school program coordinator or advisor.

    Many non-profit programs focus on bringing art to specific audiences or settings, such as hospitals, hospices and Veteran services. Art education careers in these organizations may include training and coordinating how to effectively implement these programs or even directly working with patients. The benefits of these initiatives are still being researched, but studies have already found that training medical staff in critical assessment of art can enhance their ability to evaluate their own responses to a situation or patient. For this reason, MA in Art Education graduates may find work training nurses or staff in analysis and critical thinking.

    For example, artists in residence and teaching artists with Snow City Arts focus on bringing art and art education to patients at Lurie Children’s Hospital. They work directly with patients to not only bring positivity into the hospital, but to help provide education that aids in neurological and mental health, and the development of fine motor skills.

    Other Art Education Careers

    Moving outside of the directly educational fields, master’s degrees in art education can lead to positions in galleries, arts administration, and even theatre. In arts administration, professionals combine a love of the arts with fundraising skills and business knowledge. From art galleries and ballet companies to theatres and museums, these organizations must be able to function with a combination of artistic vision and business acumen.

    This is especially important as arts and technology converge, such as at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum: teamLab Borderless in Tokyo, which opened in June of 2018. Its focus on digital and immersive art makes it both unique and representative of a continuing trend to make galleries and museums more than just places to look passively at exhibits, but rather somewhere to actively engage with the subject matter.

    About the Online Master’s in Art Education from the University of Florida

    The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction with peers and our world-class faculty as members of a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers, and scholars. This flexible program brings you the advanced concepts and immersive, hands-on experiences you need to flourish academically and creatively.

  4. Master’s in Education vs Master’s in Art Education: What’s the Difference?

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    Teachers and other education professionals pursue Master of Arts in Education (MAE) or Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) degrees for a variety of reasons and with a wide range of career goals. While these degrees can cover similar material related to pedagogical practice, it’s important to consider your specific objectives when choosing which path to pursue.

    For example, do you want to explore a range of core content areas, education theory, or general models of curriculum building? An MAE program will provide foundational knowledge across a broad range of disciplines and explore additional topics that may be beneficial for advancement in a formal education setting, such as school administration.
    Young student in an art classroom
    However, if your interest is more focused on enhancing your teaching and student engagement skills and pedagogical knowledge in visual art, an MAAE program will have coursework more tailored for these goals. The blend of arts and art education knowledge you can develop in an MAAE program also makes this option ideal if you’re looking for coursework that is inclusive of a variety of formal and informal learning settings, including schools, museums and art galleries.

    Completing a master’s program also gives you the opportunity to develop professional connections that can open new opportunities and provide exposure to different content areas and stake holders in education whether schools, communities, or informal places of learning, making it more important to consider your path carefully — networking within the right field will inspire inquiry and build on your passions for the field working in.

    Read below to learn more about the differences between a Master of Arts in Education and an Master of Arts in Art Education.

    How are these degrees different?

    M.A. in Education (MAE) programs offer a broad curriculum that covers topics ranging from educational technology to reading and literacy and focus on traditional classroom content areas. Many MAE programs also allow students to choose a specialization, so they can concentrate in a specific core (Reading, Writing, Math, History, etc.) area.

    On the other hand, a Master of Arts in Art Education programs more readily focus on pedagogical practice, curriculum design, instruction and other issues related specifically to visual art education and arts integration. For example, an M.A. in Art Education program will likely have curriculum courses specific to visual art and pedagogical methods, theories in teaching in the visual arts, and the unique perspectives in teaching visual art education in a variety of learning contexts. An MAAE program is unique in that it also offers coursework to develop ones own visual art studio practice as a standard to teach others, making this degree ideal for professionals who want to continue refining their own artistic talent and skill, as well as grow in their teaching practice whether in the classroom, museum, or visual arts programming in community organizations.

    Master of Arts in Education vs. Master of Arts in Art Education Summary

    M.A. in Education M.A. in Art Education
    • Broad scope with options to specialize in different areas
    • More specialized scope, designed to enhance visual art teaching and program design skills
    • Courses in education technology and curriculum design
    • Combination of dedicated art study with education training
    • Practical experience with education media and instruction design
    • School focused only
    • Builds tools for research and evaluation
    • School, museums, community focused

    What will I learn in an MAAE program?

    A master’s degree in Art Education prepares graduates for a variety of careers, in which they can enhance their own style of teaching, integrate art into formal or informal education settings and better support learning through creativity.

    As with all graduate programs, one of the main benefits of attending is building a network and support system of like-minded professionals. For example, students in the University of Florida’s M.A. in Art Education (MAAE) program have the option to participate in residential summer studio courses that help build one’s individual studio practice and foster collaboration and connections with others in the field of Art Education, including other students (some pre-, new, or in-service teachers in public schools), faculty, and other professionals related to the field such as those who educate in museums, arts and medicine and broader areas in the visual arts.

    Throughout this program, all students complete a core set of classes that enable them to become proficient in art education pedagogy specifically relating to teaching through a creative lens. In addition, students are given the opportunity to build upon their own passions through dedicated studio development and a capstone requirement.

    The capstone project is a chance for students to display their individual strengths and research interests. Examples of common courses in a Master of Arts in Art Education program include

    What can I do with a Master of Arts in Art Education?

    There is a wide range of art and teaching careers that you can pursue with a master’s degree in Art Education. From teaching to healthcare to non-profits and community driven organizations, an MAAE prepares professionals to bring creativity, innovation and connection to their careers. Teachers and non-educators alike may pursue this degree in order to cultivate artistic engagement, art teaching skills, or visual art programming and activism.

    M. A. Art Education graduates will also leverage their practical art training and expertise in education to enhance engagement with the public or explore other innovative initiatives, such as arts and well being, pop up museums, or visual art education in the non-profit sector. For example, studies have found that mental health recovery can be aided by art, and that the inclusion of art classes in the routines of patients recovering from addiction, or living with chronic illness can improve both quality of life and fine motor skills.

    Related Content: Careers with an MA in Art Education

    Teaching Art at School

    There is ample opportunity to teach art at all levels of schooling, from elementary to postsecondary education. Many art teachers also leverage their skillset outside of the classroom. For example, PayScale shows that graphic design and nonprofit program director are common paths for professionals who teach art.

    Salaries for art teachers are dependent on experience. Although early-career art teachers earn an average salary of $36k, this increases to $49k among those who have at least 10 years of experience.

    While art teachers have a lot of responsibilities that are mandated by their district’s directives, many teachers have found innovative ways to go beyond the standard curriculum and push their students further. For example, many art teachers have created websites or blogs where their students can showcase their work to a much larger audience. Initiatives like Liam Smith’s Photography Project also provide advice for photography students, such as the top 5 camera hacks that actually work.

    Teaching Art in Non-Traditional Places

    As we’ve previously explored, there is a push toward unconventional art teaching careers, where hospitals can use art to engage the public and improve quality of care. In addition to finding roles like these in nonprofits that partner with healthcare providers, art education professionals can look for opportunities within hospitals that are building art programs as well as schools that partner with nonprofits and other organizations.

    For example, many school districts, including Chicago and Manhattan Beach offer home and hospital teaching programs, which are designed to bring education to students who can’t attend school.

    Some healthcare organizations, such as the Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, have developed art programs that are fully integrated into their treatment. Rady uses music and invites artists as well as art educators to create a positive atmosphere for children who are recovering from an illness or from surgery.

    Nonprofit Program Director

    The same skills that make an excellent art teacher, such as the ability to inspire creativity in others, are also well-suited for work in the nonprofit sector, where engaging audiences and creating evangelists is critical to advocating for the organization’s mission. In addition to the creative side of this role, there is an analytical element to successfully directing programs, as these professionals must ensure that their organizations keep accurate records. For some nonprofits, they may also have strategic direction over research and outreach activities.

    As PayScale shows, the median salary for this role is $54k, though there is a considerable salary range with the top 10% of nonprofit program directors earning $84k.

    What can I do with a Master’s in Education?

    A master’s degree in education opens up career options for educators and administrators alike. It can also allow students who are not currently teachers to gain important foundational training while developing an understanding of high-level concepts that support the development of the educational system.

    Geography plays an important role in earning potential. According to PayScale, for example, average Master of Arts in Education salaries in New York are $76,473 on the higher end, but this increases to $88,378 in Chicago.

    A master’s in education can be a great option for those who know that they want to be involved in education in a broad sense, whether it be administration, research or teaching, while the Master of Arts in Art Education is an excellent choice for those who know that they want to teach and work with art specifically.

    Careers with an M.A. in Education

    Principal

    While it may first seem like the principal’s job revolves solely around administrative and management duties, like hiring teachers and monitoring staff, they can also influence the culture of their schools. For example, they may be responsible for providing opportunities for the teachers to develop professionally and personally. They can also implement initiatives to encourage acceptance, hospitality and safety, as well as shaping the school’s overall image of academic success.

    A key part of the principal’s job is creating relationships with their teachers, parents and students. As one of the leading administrators, this understanding between principals and the educational community that they are ultimately serving is imperative.

    Instructional Designer

    Instructional design is the process through which learning products and experiences are designed and improved. This can be anything from online courses, manuals to various types of tutorials and learning systems. Instructional design may also be referred to as instructional technology, learning experience design or curriculum design.

    Instructional designers focus on communicating theories effectively in a way that is easily digestible and able to be learned by their target audience. They may be hired for developing specific online curriculums, or by companies that wish to improve the training process for new or developing employees. By applying research and design theories to the subject at hand, instructional designers create curriculums and programs that fit the environments the environments that they are applied to.

    Educational Media Specialist

    Libraries, museums, and businesses all have use of media specialists. A media specialist is responsible for the audio-visual components and other equipment that is used in these settings.

    Educational media specialists work with multimedia equipment in classrooms, keep records of electronic equipment and digitally stored resources. This role requires a diverse skill set that encompasses both technical knowledge and teaching, since media specialists are often responsible for not only the initial setup and maintenance of computer and media labs but instructing new users and helping students find the resources they need. Educational media specialists are also versed in how to incorporate media into classroom learning situations.

    Aligning Your Education with Your Career Goals

    The education field needs professionals with a variety of skills, not only to help run schools and specific programs, but to make sure that the education they offer continues to develop as our world becomes globally interconnected and technology-dependent. Both educators and administrators can generate interest and help secure funding for educational programs that foster connection between students, encourage learning and understanding across the world.

    Graduating with either a Master of Arts in Art Education, or a Master of Arts in Education equips students with the tools they need to build fulfilling careers that make a huge impact for many students and even the general public. However, graduates of an MA in Art Education program will have more opportunities to refine their personal artistic style as well as additional training with how to incorporate art into a wide variety of settings, both in and out of the classroom.

    At a museum such as SPYSCAPE, for example, these skills expand to the entire facility. SPYSCAPE is designed around not just imparting information to visitors, but actively engaging them and bringing them in to the middle of the world of spies and espionage. With the help of curators who can combine artistic vision and business acumen, SPYSCAPE actively informs people about the history of complex subjects like spying as well as the nature of modern espionage.

    A master’s degree in art education helps graduates elevate their creativity, both within their personal artistic projects and within their teaching. The variety of teaching methods and tools, combined with additional studio experience, can offer graduates of MAAE programs the ability to bring their analytical skills, historical knowledge and artistic talent together to engage, educate and inform.

    About the Online Master’s in Art Education from the University of Florida

    The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction with peers and our world-class faculty as members of a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers, and scholars. This flexible program brings you the advanced concepts and immersive, hands-on experiences you need to flourish academically and creatively.

  5. Watch a Video Featuring Student Prints & At-Home Studio Tours

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    In lieu of our one week on-campus Residential Summer Studio, we invited students from our online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program to take part in a two-week, at-home studio intensive. This approach gave students the opportunity to foster good studio practice habits at home and helped them find a balance between their art practice and everyday life.

    The at-home studio intensive is especially relevant to today’s teaching climate. Our students will take what they learn in their own at-home intensives to curate a more dynamic, at-home learning experience for their own students.

    Get a fun glimpse at one of the at-home studio intensives, “Print as Prototype,” and see a multi-camera demo on gradients, student printmaking projects and some at-home studio tours:

    An Online Master’s From a Top University

    UF’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program provides you with a top-notch education and the ability to work while earning your degree. Our leading-edge curriculum and studio experiences invigorate you intellectually, nourish you artistically, and prepare you to thrive in an array of 21st Century teaching and learning environments.

  6. UF Alumnus Brings Art Education to a Juvenile Detention Center

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    William Morris, a leading voice in Victorian England’s Arts and Crafts movement, famously declared, “You can’t have art without resistance in the materials.” This sentiment rings true for Dougie Smith, a graduate from the University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) who teaches at a juvenile detention center in Syracuse, New York. Dougie makes the best of challenging conditions on a daily basis, helping his students take a step back from their problems and discover the value of creativity.

    Dougie knows first-hand how powerful art education can be in the lives of young people. He talked with us about his path to becoming a teacher, what motivated him to pursue a graduate degree, the experience of taking courses online, and how he applies what he learned at UF in his own classroom.

    The Writing on the Wall

    Dougie’s earliest exposure to visual art came from his mother. She held a bachelor’s in art and shared the work of great painters like Van Gogh. Yet, what really fired Dougie’s imagination was the graffiti he saw while growing up in Syracuse. He became fascinated with elaborate lettering and calligraphy, filling notebooks with his efforts to imitate the examples he spotted around town.

    Spray-painted graffiti-style art with stencils as part of juvenile detention art program

    His passion for art wove into his college experience at the State University of New York at Cortland. While working toward his degree in teaching Spanish to adolescents, two fateful opportunities arose: First, he secured a summer maintenance job at the local detention center in Syracuse. Then, he spent a year studying abroad in Puerto Rico.

    “That art scene was kind of an epiphany for me because it was a different perspective on art and how graffiti gets viewed,” he explained. “I came out of my shell more and took a lot of art courses.”

    Dougie came home and resumed his maintenance job, finished his bachelor’s coursework, and became a student teacher. For a few months, he switched roles to become a detention home aide, responsible for monitoring residents’ behavior and enforcing the center’s rules. But soon there was an opening on the teaching staff, and he was able to start offering Spanish classes.

    After the facility’s art teacher left, Dougie was asked to pull double duty by filling in temporarily while continuing to teach Spanish. This was his chance to take on a role that he was truly passionate about. He succinctly summed up what makes his work so appealing:

    “I get to do art and help kids,” he said.

    Developing the Skills to Make a Difference

    With a year of teaching art under his belt, Dougie felt certain that he’d found the right career. Since New York State requires teachers to complete a master’s within five years after graduating with their bachelor’s, a graduate program was his next step toward making the role permanent. Attending an online information session convinced him to apply to the University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education.

    Though Dougie had not earned a bachelor’s in an art-related field, UF admitted him based on a holistic review of his application and undergraduate transcripts. He wasn’t sure what it would be like to earn a master’s entirely online, especially in a hands-on discipline like art education, but he saw that the program was well-organized and effectively leveraged technology to form meaningful connections among students and their instructors.

    Dougie was especially excited when his courses went beyond exploring everyday teaching strategies and broadened his artistic horizons. He built cardboard installations in a park as a project for his sculpture class and discovered an interest in printmaking. He had the freedom to absorb lectures and create on his own time, but he also appreciated the ability to share his creations with professors and peers through discussion boards and video conferencing.

    “I didn’t feel like I was doing work, honestly,” Dougie said. “It felt more like enjoyment.”

    For his capstone project, Dougie gathered observations of the students in his own classroom. He compiled field notes and sketched line drawings to reveal insights into the complex problems involved in educating residents of a detention facility. His project emphasized the importance of classroom management, noting the imperative to get to know a student population, engage them, and create a supportive environment.

    “You can find articles on art programs in juvenile detention, but there’s not a ton of research,” he explained. “One of my hopes was to add to that community and try to help other teachers.”

    With the support of his advisors, Dr. Heidi Powell and Patrick Grigsby, Dougie completed his capstone and was able to finish his master’s in two years while continuing to teach. His first time setting foot on the UF campus in Gainesville was when he chose to travel down the coast for his graduation ceremony.

    Making an Impact on the Front Lines of Education

    When lesson planning, Dougie combines his unique viewpoint with ideas borrowed from the MAAE curriculum. For example, he directly adapted a unit on African American women artists from a course taught by Dr. Powell. He brought the same rollers that he built in his printmaking class with Grigsby into the detention center. And he’s applied what he learned about sculpture to guide his students through making football helmets and Captain America shields.

    Close up of spray-painted graffiti-style art with stencils as part of juvenile detention art program

    However, when it comes to capturing the attention of detention center residents who initially have little interest in more traditional lessons, Dougie reaches farther back into his past.

    “I haven’t found a kid who hasn’t liked graffiti,” he said. “It’s the hook that gets them, and then I turn it into a lesson.”

    For teachers like Dougie, it’s vital to relate to individuals who have been through harrowing experiences at a young age. At the same time, he must adapt his classes to limitations like not being allowed to bring full-size scissors into the building. One of the biggest challenges is simply never knowing who to expect in the classroom at a facility where the average stay is about a month.

    “The population is ever-changing,” he said. “You have kids who haven’t been to school in a long time in a lot of cases, so you have to use that limited time to make an impression.”

    Even when COVID-19 restrictions kept teachers from visiting the detention center in person for several months, Dougie was able to continue giving lessons via Zoom. The pedagogical tools he gained from the online MAAE gave him the confidence to adapt to a difficult teaching situation and use technology to lead his students in printmaking projects.

    Dougie also encourages his students to stay creative when they return to home environments where they face serious problems like gang violence. One of his biggest concerns is that many former detention center residents may not have the care they need after release. He hopes that in the future he can provide young people in his community with more chances to participate in art projects, similar to the experiences he had participating in programs at the Boys & Girls Club as a kid.

    The UF College of the Arts strives to instill a focus on social engagement and individualized mentorship that can make a difference in the lives of at-risk young people. As the MAAE program director, Dr. Powell was impressed to observe how Dougie applied the concepts and the philosophy that he learned.

    “Dougie exemplifies all we try to do in our program by creating ways of learning that transcend situation,” she said. “His work demonstrates how art education impacts the front line of vulnerable learners and the power of pedagogy in alternative learning spaces.”

    About the Online Master’s in Art Education From the University of Florida

    The University of Florida’s online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction with peers and our world-class faculty as members of a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers, and scholars. This flexible program brings you the advanced concepts and immersive, hands-on experiences you need to flourish academically and creatively.

  7. Back to School in a Pandemic

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    I won’t sugar coat it—teaching is hard, and teaching during a pandemic is even harder. Art teachers and students everywhere are finding themselves in unique and challenging situations—some teaching and learning online, some in person, some traveling on a mobile “art cart”, and some are teaching in all of these settings at once. No matter what your teaching or learning situation is, one thing is clear—we all need art now more than ever.

    Here, I list my top 10 tips to keep creating and creating safely!

    Feet Up Friday

    Enjoying “Feet Up Friday” after recording 6 lesson videos for the upcoming week, using the gooseneck tripod and light ring (pictured).

    1. Stay Positive. This may seem like a cliché- but the #1 thing teachers and students need to do right now is take care of themselves! This may not be the year that you host or participate in several art shows, and that’s okay. I’m finding myself saying “no” to the things that won’t benefit myself or my students in order to allow time to prioritize the things that will.

    Learn about UF’s Online Master of Arts in Art Education program

    2. Be flexible and don’t finalize any plans. Yes, that means even your school schedule. Consider writing in your planner with pencil. Many schools are constantly flipping from one model of learning to another. Whether you started out virtual, face-to-face, or hybrid—it can all change with little notice. I personally have trouble handling surprises and last-minute changes, so I am trying my best to have a positive attitude and be flexible when I can. Typically, my Type-A personality has me creating color-coded rosters and seating charts the first week of school. Now, we are in our second month of school and I haven’t made my permanent rosters or seating charts yet because students are coming and going from virtual to in-person classes.

    3. Take advantage of technology. This year, consider a flipped classroom approach to teaching that accommodates both virtual and in-person learners. I film all of my lessons and demonstrations using a gooseneck tripod or phone stand, edit them on iMovie, and upload them to YouTube. This way I can double myself for face-to-face and virtual learners while also allowing for more time to set up, clean, sanitize, and even assist students as the video is playing. In both cases, I am actively teaching and engaging my students, often pausing my videos to interject and discuss with them. The video format allows me to do this without losing track of our goals for the day. A flipped classroom is also a great time management tool. You don’t have to be extremely tech savvy to do it either! I learned the basics of iMovie during my time at the University of Florida and have been using them ever since. It takes practice—your first videos may not be perfect, but your voice will thank you, as will your sanity.

    Socially Distanced Art Room

    Kelsi Quicksall’s art room with distanced tables, shields, and carts to hold sanitizer and supplies.

    4. Work on personal growth and goals. Spend time with family, work on your own artwork, and even consider starting online courses for professional development. Before the pandemic, I had such a busy in-person schedule that I was hardly on my computer, but now, I’m at home working more often than not. It may be the perfect time to think about getting your master’s. The University of Florida’s M.A. in Art Education program is flexible and adaptable to your life and schedule.

    5. If you need help, ask for it. Educators are here for their students and for each other at this time. I personally struggle to find my voice when it comes to asking for help. I have only been teaching for four years, and this voice gets a little louder each year as I learn that I don’t need to do everything on my own. Whether it’s funding art supplies for my students or asking how to further my education—just do it! Asking for help when you need it will only benefit yourself and your health, both mentally and physically. It is crucial that we do everything we can to stay healthy right now. Again, this sounds like a cliché. “Stay healthy” in a pandemic? Yes—you can do things with big results that will benefit your immune system. Aside from asking for professional help, self-care items like meal prepping healthy lunches for the school days, turning off the notifications and alerts from virtual learners after hours, and getting that much needed sleep! Your future self will thank you.

    6. Don’t compare yourself to others. Whether you are a student or a teacher, this is important but not easy to accomplish. I am constantly having to remind myself that social media is a highlight reel. When the idea of having to teach art on a cart was first introduced to me, I took to Instagram and Pinterest to find the snazziest looking carts out there. I was determined to have the best one if I was going to have to be on wheels. I even tried to fundraise for my $600 “dream cart” and planned on purchasing it with my supply budget if I couldn’t reach my goal. Soon after I began fundraising, a family member offered a free cart to me. I accepted their offer and fixed it up to make it work. I am so relieved that I didn’t spend all of the extra money and energy on the shiny new cart because I didn’t even end up having to teach on a cart this year. As much as we want to be prepared, sometimes you just don’t know what’s coming. Again, be flexible. I’m trying my best to go with the flow. I am now using my art cart to sort and sanitize supplies!

    Art Classroom Management Tools

    Some helpful classroom management tools, including those used for the flipped classroom model.

    7. Cleanliness is key. This one may not apply for those learning and teaching from home as much, but, for me, this is a biggie. My school doesn’t regulate what to do in terms of supplies in the art room—they just encourage us to follow the CDC guidelines that state students should not share supplies, and they should use individual, sanitized supplies. I decided that I wanted my students to get to use the wide variety of materials that I introduce to them throughout the year. As an elementary art teacher, seeing the joy on students’ faces as they create a watercolor resist for the first time or learn to make a pinch pot is pure magic. I get as much out of the experience as they do—I feed off of my students’ energy! That being said, I really wanted students to use my art supplies instead of bringing in their own, even if it meant having to sanitize my supplies ten times a day. So, I came up with a routine. Each grade level/class uses different materials for different projects each week. I separate the supplies into individual containers for each student. They sanitize their hands before and after use and even wipe down the supplies and their area before they leave. After class, I put all the used supplies into a “dirty” container to be deep cleaned and sanitized at the end of the day.

    8. Gather these “must-haves.” For the past three years, my number one recommendation for art teachers is to purchase a gooseneck tripod. They are around $20, and if you purchase a good one, it should last for years on end. Now that I am teaching virtually, I find myself increasing my use of it, and I even purchased better lighting. Ever wonder how people on social media look so good? It’s usually thanks to a light ring. While this is totally unnecessary to provide an art education, it’s certainly beneficial and fun, even just for a boost of self-confidence while making videos!

    It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!

    It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!

    9. Stay connected. No, I don’t mean spend more time on your phone or social media… but I do mean schedule your regular meetings with colleagues over Zoom. I recently had the pleasure of joining in on two Zoom classes with UF School of Art + Art History professors and students. I loved getting a peek into the current online programs and seeing students actively creating in their own homes while sharing it, just as if they were in their campus studios. They have been able to create the same tight-knit relationships virtually, challenging each other and sharing their ideas. Being an art teacher (and an artist in general) can get lonely, especially if you are the only one in your living space. I find talking to other art teachers and students to be extremely comforting. Finding “your people” to relate to is always important, but especially now! If that means going back to school, so be it! Take the leap.

    10. Keep creating. There is so much going on in the world right now—from social unrest, to politics and the upcoming election, to the COVID-19 pandemic—there is a lot of basis to create upon here! Make the time to create. I love that UF master’s in art education courses involve their students in studio work on top of education, philosophy, and pedagogy. Sometimes all it takes is a group of artists encouraging you to believe in yourself and your purpose as an artist, educator, and human being.

    I’m doing the best I can to follow my own advice, but here I am writing this on a few hours of sleep while simultaneously trying to make a lesson plan. I’ll admit that it’s hard. If my students take away one thing from my classroom, I hope that it’s believing in themselves and their ability to learn. Adults need that reminder too.

    Stay well and keep on creating!

    Kelsi Quicksall
    Art Teacher
    Osceola Elementary School in Ormond Beach, Florida
    UF Art Ed Alumna Spring ’17

  8. UF’s Master of Art in Art Education Program Is Redefining the Studio Experience

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    The University of Florida is known for its excellence in distance education. In fact, they have received top rankings for Best Online Programs from U.S. News & World Report. The online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) is one such high caliber online program that allows students to work while advancing their education and features a dynamic online learning environment.

    It’s no surprise that at a time when we’ve all had to become a little more inventive, the online MAAE has redesigned the studio experience. In lieu of our one week on-campus Residential Summer Studio, we are offering our online students the chance to take part in a two-week, at-home studio intensive.

    This approach will give students the opportunity to foster good studio practice habits at home and will offer help finding a balance between their dedicated art practice and life’s other demands.

    This new format features two different sessions, each providing time to work as a group and independently. During the group studio sessions, students will use virtual platforms like Canvas to work alongside their peers and professors. The extra week we’ve built into the at-home experience gives students the opportunity to live like studio artists, creating new habits they will use for life.

    The at-home studio intensive sessions include:

    Studio A

    “Sketchbook”
    Online Sketchbook

    Sketchbook development is designed to activate the sketchbook as an instrument for making creative connections. Investigations into drawing, collaging and collecting will stimulate curiosity, inform experiments and expand creative habits. Students will explore image making, rehearse non-linear notation and seek creative associations from their quantity of evidence. Through learning lessons on the dynamics of drawing, students will discover habits of the mind by enlisting creative practice. Online demonstrations, exercises, readings, quizzes and self-identified site-specific fieldtrips are required to extend these skills. Students will make mixed media sketchbooks and post to online forums to examine the possibilities for creative sketchbook research—making connections to their developing drawing ability.

    Studio B

    “Animation”
    Online Animation

    Personal technology devices allow ever improving access to explore animatics with analog drawings, dioramas, cut paper, sculptural forms and more in the classroom. Add to this software applications to achieve frame by frame animation, FX magic, typography, and storytelling. The student is screenwriter, producer, set designer, composer, editor, actor and director, all at once. And most importantly, the student is a provocateur for pushing what can be considered contemporary animation in a video rich, social media landscape.

    This course enlists visual technology skills and camera devices to drive creative experimentation in analog and digital animations. Demonstrations, storyboarding, animation history and personal research will drive a number of time-based visual experiments exploring storytelling to online collaboration.

    How We Will Work Together Virtually

    We are inviting students to convert their home studio into a space for ritual, dedicated art practice, directing their studio time to resemble the rigor of the in-person studio experience in Gainesville.

    Students use communication mediums like Canvas, blog post updates, and group discussions to create a virtual studio space and share this experience with faculty and peers in real time. Synchronous, live and online studio work, demos and tutorials will drive our intensive work days across time zones. Students discover how to strike a balance to preserve dedicated art practice, amid life’s other demands.

    Why This Is an Exciting Opportunity

    We have heard from students that the Residential Summer Studio is a life-changing experience. When creating our at-home studio, we put a lot of thought into how to make it equally transformative. We truly believe our students will benefit by working as studio artists at home, developing an invaluable disciplined personal practice. Through this challenging time, the Art Education department at the University of Florida feels fortunate to be able to bring our students opportunities that continue to inspire, and we will continue to look out for the wellbeing of our students.

  9. How Two Former Students Gained the Tools They Need to Educate Others

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    The decision to become an art teacher doesn’t always start early in your college education experience, and while it may seem daunting to switch gears after graduation, there are some considerations to make a transition into an art education career much easier.

    Learning how to become an art teacher without an education degree requires a passion for sharing what you know with others, a love of continuously building your own artistic talent and a commitment to learning. Many states require at least a master’s degree to become a certified teacher, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a bachelor’s in the same field as your master’s. This makes it highly beneficial to combine professional experience in related areas, such as working in a museum or art studio, with the completion of an art education master’s program.

    If your academic and professional backgrounds are in something as vastly different as finance or biochemistry, an art education master’s program can develop the skills you need to become an art educator—whether you want to become an art teacher in a formal education setting or teach art in other environments.

    We recently followed up with two UF online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) graduates, who have no education backgrounds, to discuss how the MAAE prepared them to excel as art educators.

    In this article, Amanda Melanson and Drew Mulligan, share how the online MAAE program has helped develop and shape their professional goals.

    Amanda Melanson graduated in 2018 and is a museum professional at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum in North Carolina and the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.

    Drew Mulligan graduated in 2018 and is an art teacher at Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. Read more about her experience in the MAAE program and view photos from her academic journey on her website.

    Former MAAE Students Share Their Stories: How to Succeed in Art Education

    For Amanda, her desire to become an art educator started while she was working in museums and she realized that despite her experience in curatorial research and collection management, she lacked a connection to the education department.

    “You can excel in this program even if you don’t have a teaching background,” says Amanda. “I came into the program with a background in studio courses and art history, and a goal of learning how to take the information I knew and share it with others.”

    Drew, who has a bachelor’s degree in photography, found herself in a similar position to Amanda.

    “I didn’t start out thinking I would become a teacher, so this program really provided a new perspective in regard to my teaching practice and helped me to become a better educator,” says Drew.

    UF’s MAAE Curriculum Takes Art Education Careers to the Next Level

    Despite their varying academic backgrounds, both Amanda and Drew found a supportive online learning environment at UF that provided them with the tools they need to educate others.

    “I learned to create curricula for museum lectures and field trips, community-based programming, and even exhibition education,” says Amanda, who also recognized the benefit of these lessons for more traditional educators. “All the while, my peers were learning about different techniques for teaching within a school classroom.”

    Drew also benefitted from coursework in curriculum development, saying that because she never studied education before beginning the online MAAE program, she never knew how to write a lesson plan.

    “I knew I had the right components, I just didn’t know how to properly organize them,” says Drew. “The Curriculum in Teaching Art course gave me confidence in writing lesson and unit plans in a way that helped me take these skills and themes to the next level.”

    Meeting Mentors and Colleagues in the Online Master’s Program

    Whether you’re like Drew, living over 700 miles north of UF’s campus, or like Amanda, who traveled throughout the east coast during her time as an MAAE student, the online learning environment still allows for a collaborative culture that leads to a life-long network of art educators.

    “Even though the program is online, I felt very connected with my peers and instructors,” says Amanda. “I left with a network of passionate, intelligent colleagues and mentors that I will continue to connect with long after graduation.”

    Drew also found that not only were her faculty and peers easy to get in touch with, they were also very eager to help bring clarity to her work and provide constructive feedback when needed.

    With a Residential Summer Studio component, MAAE students can form lasting bonds with their peers by meeting face-to-face. Described as “transformative,” these on-campus courses provide fully equipped, collaborative studio settings working in studio spaces.

    The Online Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) from the University of Florida

    The online MAAE program engages students purposefully in art education theory and practice, contemporary art, and their own studio work. Our dynamic online learning environment fosters meaningful interaction among you and your classmates and our world-class faculty. You flourish academically and creatively among a supportive, close-knit community of art educators, artists, cultural workers and scholars.

    Visualize the online MAAE experience and hear from another student through the informative video below.

  10. Cultivating Growth in Cultural Understanding: UF Students and Faculty Visit Guatemala

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    Art educators are constantly discovering new passions and avenues of creativity that inspire them to research further and incorporate into their teaching philosophies. For University of Florida Art Education students, these ideas can be sparked in the classroom, the studio, or across the globe.
    UF Art Education Cultural Exchange
    This Spring, UF graduate and undergraduate students joined M.A. in Art Education professor Dr. Heidi Powell and Center for Arts in Medicine lecturer Jeffrey Pufahl on a cultural exchange trip to Guatemala to learn about how the arts can impact cultural continuity and identity. As part of a community art making experience, the UF students created two alfombras—a type of elaborate, colorful carpet—that were installed in the Museo De las Tradiciones De La Semana Santa history museum for two weeks and a community alfombra in the cobblestone streets near the Casa Herrera Campus for the Procession of Santa Ana.

    The UF students and professors also visited Hospitalito Atitlán where artist Angelika Bauer creates illustrations to visually engage health and wellness for community education; San Antonio Aguascalientes, a women’s community based education project where entrepreneurship and the arts are working hand-in-hand for local education; and Flor Ixcaco Women’s Weaving Cooperative, where women have the opportunity to create income through weaving and teaching weaving.

    We recently talked with Dr. Powell and Online M.A. in Art Education student Kimberly Thomas to get their perspectives on the Guatemala experience.

    UF Guatemala Cultural Exchange – Interview With Dr. Heidi Powell

    You’ve spent a lot of your professional life traveling. What are some particularly meaningful experiences you’ve had in your exploration of art and culture in so many different regions?

    I love being part of our students’ journeys, helping them discover things they didn’t know before, and helping them develop ways of inquiring into the world through art education. Being a good professor or mentor requires navigating the everyday with your students and being a part of their team while giving critical and valuable feedback. Creativity happens much the same way, whether in teaching or making: You see or are inspired by a person, thought, or idea and you navigate through its variations on a path to see what is possible, to see what voice it has along the way, to see transformation. Teaching and being creative is a constant process of becoming. Even when we think something is finished, we may bring something new to it. It’s a way of understanding art education as transformative practice: transforming ourselves, others, and those we connect with.

    What is it like to travel on trips like this with students when compared to when you travel on your own?

    I think travelling individually and travelling with a group is like comparing apples to oranges—they have different flavors and textures. Individual research fosters investigation, discovery, and knowledge that is shared extrinsically from local to international. With students, it’s about their discovery—a plethora of awe, dialogic interaction, and wonder as they see, learn, and uncover things in new ways. It’s a collaborative dynamic and exciting experience, because they are learning and becoming researchers.

    What do you hope students will gain by immersing themselves in the arts and culture of Guatemala?

    Guatemala is such a unique culture, having been colonized by Spain and having a vibrant indigenous community. I hope students cultivate growth in cultural understanding and art practice that focuses on equality, dignity, and self-determination with a respect for themselves and the communities they are immersed in. These then become centerpieces to meaningful learning experiences.

    What were some of the most memorable aspects of this trip?

    I think there were many moments: Making the alfombra installation in the museum, traveling to Hospitalito Atitlán and working with artist Angelika Bauer, going to the women’s weaving cooperative in San Juan de la Laguna, and the culminating project of making an alfombra for the procession of Santa Ana as part of the community in collaboration with Casa Herrera.

    What advice would you give to students considering taking a cultural exchange trip like this?

    My advice is simply: Do it! It will forever change who you are.

    UF Guatemala Cultural Exchange – Interview With MAAE Student Kimberly Thomas

    Kimberly Thomas has a background in studio art and has been teaching art for the last four years. She joined the online M.A. in Art Education to expand her knowledge of curriculum development and theory to better serve her students. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in art education to continue exploring the effects of race in teacher-student relationships in the art classroom.

    What was the most memorable aspect of the experience?

    The most memorable part of this trip for me was learning about becoming a researcher and an artist/activist. I learned what direct research looks like. Participating in conversations and dissecting a day’s work with my peers was a vital part of that growth. I have seen how these lessons have worked their way into my research upon return. I widened my window of understanding.

    What was it like making alfombras for the museum? How does it feel to know your work was on display in an international museum?

    It’s kind of surreal. I have always wanted to have a piece on display at a museum and I never imagined it would be at a museum in another country. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, particularly working together as a group. It’s a lesson I will use with my students.

    What advice would you give to students considering taking a cultural exchange trip like this?

    I had doubts about going, but the experience brought me so much growth. In hindsight, I never would have questioned whether or not I should go on the trip! I learned more in ten days under Dr. Powell’s guidance than I did in most of my undergraduate education. I actually have my subsequent trip planned and some funding in place to continue the research I started.

    How did this experience impact you or change your perspective? What were some specific moments or people who had the biggest impact?

    This experience changed my perspective because it was really my first experience in direct research. Dr. Powell really took time to talk with us. She posed questions to reflect on our time each day and showed us examples of her writing and work while there. She helped us make long term connections so we could continue research if we wanted to come back. She helped us reflect and think about ourselves and our perspectives and find our strengths.

    My favorite experience was riding in a boat across Lake Atitlan with volcanos surrounding us. The water was splashing and the boat was rocking and I genuinely understood at that moment that I was in a very different place in the world. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life.