The Art Education program offers a blended 5-year Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Education dual degree in Art Education with New York State Initial Teacher Certification, Birth-Grade 12. Committed to developing well-rounded artist-teacher-researchers, the mission is to prepare students to become practicing artists and knowledgeable, reflective professional educators capable of teaching visual arts in diverse contexts and advancing change in the field. The program blends theory and research with extensive clinical experience practice in area schools and Nazareth’s Saturday Art School. The 5-year B.S./M.S.Ed. program incorporates selected graduate coursework during the fourth year of the program (undergraduate level) for students who have met eligibility and admissions requirements. This enables earlier entry and completion of master’s level coursework.
The university’s Art Education programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The B.S./M.S.Ed. Art Education program is registered with the New York State Department of Education.
Note - Transfer students must complete a minimum of five studio art courses at Nazareth University.
Admissions
Undergraduate students are accepted to the Undergraduate Art Education major at the time of acceptance to Nazareth University. The B.S./M.S.Ed. 5-year dual degree program is designed for exceptionally strong art education students capable of navigating graduate coursework in a compressed period of time. Students can declare their interest in the program upon admission to Nazareth, but must participate in a formal admission review process during their sophomore year, in conjunction with the course AED 305 Psychological Learning in the Arts. During this course students will prove they meet the admissions standards for graduate coursework at Nazareth. Students will be notified by the end of their sophomore year of their admission status. A grade of B+ or better in AED 305, AED 308L, and SPF 204 is required, in addition to the cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
In addition, as part of the formal admissions review process, students must submit two letters of recommendation (one from within the Art Department; one from outside the Art Department). Students will submit their research paper from AED 305, and a writing sample (minimum of 5 pages) from another course taken at Nazareth.
Program leads to: New York Initial Certification in Art Education B-12; upon logging appropriate work/job hours, eligibility to file for New York Professional Certification in Art Education
Standards and Eligibility for Certification
- The Art Education program requires a 3.0 GPA in all Art Education coursework required at the undergraduate level for the major. Prior to beginning graduate coursework, undergraduate GPA’s will be monitored after the completion of 12 credits of major coursework.
- Nazareth’s graduate programs and the Art Education program require a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
- Student overall GPA’s are monitored each semester, and letters of Academic Warning and/or Dismissal from the program will be sent accordingly.
New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
For students meeting the GPA requirements for Teacher Certification, teacher candidates are required to take and pass the following New York State Certification exams:
- Educating All Students Test (EAS)
- Content Specialty Test-Visual Arts (CST)
Additional Certification Requirements
In addition to the Certification exams listed above, prior to student teaching, New York State requires training – satisfied by a series of live and online workshops – in Health Education and Prevention of Violence; Prevention and Intervention Training in Harassment, Bullying, Cyberbullying and Discrimination in Schools; and Bloodborne Pathogen Training.
Filing for Certification
Teacher candidates who have successfully completed the above requirements, program coursework (listed below), and Student Teaching will complete Fingerprinting and a Background Check and pay the fees in effect at the time they apply, using the NYS TEACH system to formally file for their Initial Certification. For more information please see the School of Education section of the catalog.
Additional Support
Additional support may be obtained by contacting the Nazareth University Teacher Certification Office at (585) 389-2591 or by email at tcert@naz.edu, or http://www.naz.edu/education/teacher-certification
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