Career Pathways for Artists + Art Historians

The MA in Art and Design Education (Initial Certification) is designed for individuals who seek initial certification in the visual arts to be able to work as artist-teachers in public schools and other educational settings, from prekindergarten through high school. In addition to certification, this intellectually challenging pathway supports research on curriculum design, pedagogical practice, and the historical and contemporary state of the field in art and design education. Through the integration of research and practice, the program contributes to professional renewal, leadership, and innovation. The program can be completed in three semesters.

Teaching + Learning in Art + Design (TLAD) offers graduate students a progressive and dynamic center of inquiry and practice that directly links academic study to engagement with communities beyond campus. TLAD students both explore and contribute to the development of new practices in art and design teaching across an arts learning continuum spanning from kindergarten to college and beyond.

For graduate students interested in pursuing teaching opportunities in higher education, the certificate provides an endorsement of their pedagogical skills—and a meaningful edge as they enter a competitive academic job market. In addition, students who also serve as instructors or co-instructors of Winter session courses earn certificates that officially acknowledge the classroom experience they acquire here.

The Theory and History of Art and Design graduate concentration offers the opportunity to augment an MFA with a 15-credit art history concentration. Knowledge of the histories and theories of art and visual culture is increasingly demanded of artists and designers, and the THAD department has designed the concentration in recognition of this phenomenon and the fact that MFA, MLA, MAT and MID recipients often enter teaching careers in which they are expected to teach history and theory as well as studio classes.

The Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program prepares artists, educators, designers, curators, teachers, organizers, activists and other professionals seeking to be creative agents of change within a wide variety of cultural and educational contexts. MAAE program focuses include social justice pedagogical practices, socially engaged art, collaborative practices, curriculum and project design for school, museum and community settings, creative youth development, museum education, and design and environmental activism.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program educates graduate students to become teachers of art, design, and visual culture while strengthening their own artmaking practices. The SAIC Art Education community supports students in becoming engaged and reflective teachers/artists whose pedagogical work fosters the emergence of more just and joyous individuals and societies. The program fulfills requirements to become a licensed K-12 Visual Arts teacher in the State of Illinois. SAIC's teacher preparation coursework contributes to (and may meet) the teacher licensure requirements for other states and countries.