Art Education Teacher Certification Program

The Department of Art & Art History offers a teacher certification program in Art Education, kindergarten through 12th grade, fully compliant with the standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

As a candidate for certification you must also complete 33 credits in additional required coursework. All candidates gain supervised experience student teaching in an elementary and secondary school.

Required courses:

This course explores fundamental issues in the production and interpretation of art. Representation and style, changing ideas of beauty, the artist in society, art and controversy, and the relationship of art to visual culture are studied as the basis for gaining a greater understanding of images.
Using a variety of media, this essential studio course explores drawing as a way of seeing and recording visual information from the world around us. Principles of composition and explorations of personal expression are also introduced.
An introduction to art and architecture in its historical and cultural context from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia and the pyramids of dynastic Egypt to the temples of ancient Greece and Rome, the mosaics of Byzantium, and the illuminated manuscripts and soaring cathedrals of medieval Europe. Attention is paid to skills in critical description and visual analysis.
From Giotto to Giacometti, Fragonard to Frank Lloyd Wright, an examination of the visual and material culture of the Western world from the fourteenth century to the present day. Special attention is paid to aesthetics, economics, gender, and nationalism.
Through the use of traditional sculptural materials- plaster, clay, metal, and wood- this course investigates the art and design of three-dimensional form. Modeling, carving, mold-making, metalworking, and assemblage are introduced as essential sculptural processes.
An introduction to the fundamental elements of art and design. Students work with graphic symbols, theories of visual perception, principles of composition, and color interaction in a variety of studio projects.
This course introduces the physical and visual properties of oil paint. Through a variety of projects, students explore the expressive potential of this medium and learn basic techniques of professional studio practice, such as constructing a painting support and working safely with paint.
Students explore a number of essential ceramic techniques, such as pinch-, coil-, and slab-construction, wheel-throwing, and a range of low-temperature surface treatments. The course focuses on fundamental principles of design, with reference to ceramic history and contemporary uses of the medium.
A survey of major ideas in child development and educational psychology, with an emphasis on classroom applications. Topics include human development, intelligence, language, learning, memory, motivation, social and cultural contexts of development, and assessments.

One of

This course explores the technical and conceptual elements of fine-art, film-based photography. Students are introduced to the operation of the camera, processes of film development and black-and-white printing, compositional and aesthetic principles, and thematic explorations. Single lens reflex camera with manual mode required.
In this course students explore a variety of techniques and approaches central to the history of printmaking, including relief printing, intaglio, collographs, and monotypes. Students also learn how prints are handled and exhibited.

One of

Focusing on the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, this course offers a comprehensive survey of the major monuments, themes, and developments of Renaissance art in Europe. Works by Giotto, Van Eyck, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, D rer, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian, among others, are examined.
This course uncovers the roots of modernism by tracing patterns of change in the art of France, Spain, England, and the German states from the 1780s to the 1860s. Painting and sculpture are examined in the context of political unrest, urban and industrial expansion, colonialism, the lure of the Orient, new criticism, and the burgeoning art market.

Three additional ART courses.

Entry into the Certification in Art Education program requires:

  • Completion of a minimum of 48 college credits
  • An overall GPA, after completion of the 48 college credits, of at least 3.0
  • Completion of at least one English composition course
  • Completion of at least one English or American literature course
  • Completion of two college-level mathematics courses
  • Passing scores on these PRAXIS Tests: PPST Reading; PPST Writing; PPST Mathematics.

Certification candidates must also take:

A study of the legal, social, historical and philosophical foundations of American education correlated with a survey of the principles and theories of influential educators. Includes required weekly field practicum (two hours per week minimum). Limited to any student desiring teacher certification in any 7?12 secondary or K?12 content area with an approved PDE certification program or permission of instructor. This course is not open to early childhood or music education majors.
Each student spends an entire semester in an area school under the supervision of a carefully selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or students who are seeking certification only. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required to student teach.
This course will offer comprehensive preparation for teaching art in secondary schools through discussing, reading, writing, and completing art projects through different mediums. As part of this course, students will establish and practice appropriate classroom management strategies; develop and implement appropriate studio organization and assessment strategies; explore and utilize materials, techniques and methods of studio instruction for a variety of populations; read, write and discuss current issues in the field of education, including meeting the needs of students with disabilities; explore and utilize materials, techniques and methods of classroom instruction for a variety of populations including those with disabilities; evaluate student work by creating their own rubrics to assess learning; and use technology effectively as an instructional tool.
A study of the basic principles and procedures for middle school and secondary classroom management and instruction
A continuation of the basic principles and procedures for middle school and secondary school classroom management and instruction.
Students spend an entire semester in an area school under the supervision of a cooperating teacher.
This course is designed to introduce all categories of disability. Specific attention will be given to the potential cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, and language differences in children with disabilities. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, case study discussions, and student presentations.
This course will begin with a historical overview of the field of special education, including key legislation and litigation that drives current practice. Assessment tools for diagnosing disability will be introduced, as well as assessment tools for documenting student progress. In addition, collaboration and communication skills essential for working as a part of the special education team will be practiced and further developed. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, field experiences, and hands-on experience with various assessments.

One of:

This course is designed for the pre-service music, art, language, early childhood education, or middle school educator to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting the education and language acquisition of the diverse language and cultural minority groups of the United States. This course is required under Act 49-2 and may be taken while student teaching.
This course is designed to allow the pre-service music, art, language, or grade 7 - grade 12 secondary teacher certification candidate to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting the education and language acquisition of the diverse language and cultural minority groups of the United States. This course is required under Act 49-2 and may be taken while student teaching.

Note: Students may take ENG 221 or ENG 222 or ENG 225 or ENG 226.

Successful completion of the Certification in Art Education program requires:

  • A passing score in PRAXIS II
  • Successful completion of student teaching K-12
  • A GPA of 3.0
  • Fulfillment of all certification requirements as covered in:
    • SED 430
    • SED 431
    • ELM 440