Master of Arts in Art Education

The M.A. program in art education is administered by the School of Art and Art History in cooperation with the College of Education. Students make application for admission to the School of Art and Art History. The purpose of the program is to prepare highly qualified teachers of art for elementary and secondary schools and community colleges. The strong academic emphasis of this program assists teachers who are themselves creative artists to become highly literate in the history and language of art.

Doctor of Philosophy in Art Education

The Doctor of Philosophy in art education is administered by the College of Education with the cooperation of the School of Art and Art History (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences).

Our program prepares college teachers and researchers in art education, community-based art learning programs, galleries, museums, state departments of education, and school systems. It provides students with an opportunity to continue inquiry in art history, education, and studio art. We are especially interested in students who possess the following: a strong background in studio arts, community outreach, scholarly experience, as well as teaching experience in the K-12 education system in the United States or abroad.

The program emphasizes the role of productive imagination (idiosyncratic meaning, intentional symbolization and artistic causality) in creating, criticizing, and transforming human understanding.

The program’s three themes:

Contexts for Visual Arts Research: visual arts as a culturally grounded area of artistic and educational inquiry.

Visual Art Making Practice Philosophy: the philosophical underpinnings of art making as a theoretical area of inquiry and cultural critique .

Visual Art Making Research Practices: a range of strategies and approaches to planning and carrying out visual arts research.

Art Education Admissions

Applicants must submit to the School of Art and Art History a one-page paper that states their purpose and three letters of recommendation that assess their potential for graduate study.
Applicants to the M.A. program in art education must submit a term paper or other example of ability to write in the field and a selection of slides or photographs of their creative work in two studio areas.

For admission to the Ph.D. in art education, students must meet the Graduate College's general admission requirements for doctoral students and must have an M.A. degree in art education from The University of Iowa or an equivalent degree from an accredited college or university. Students who have course work deficiencies must register for pertinent courses. Candidates must have completed one year of successful teaching experience in an elementary or secondary school to be eligible for the doctoral degree.

Application to the Ph.D. program must be accompanied by a representative portfolio of the candidate's work, consisting of 12 colored slide reproductions of art work and two examples of written work, which may consist of previously written papers or new work. The portfolio should be submitted to the Art Education Office. Complete application materials for graduate admission in art education must be on file in the School of Art and Art History by March 1 for summer or fall admission; by October 1 for spring admission.

Visit the University of Iowa General Catalog On-line for more information about Teacher Education Programs.

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