Art Degree, Visual Art Teacher Licensure Program, B.A.

Westfield State University’s educator preparation programs are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Students wishing to be licensed to teach visual art, must complete:

-All the requirements of the Art major.
-An additional 36 credit teacher preparation sequence for either Elementary (pre-K to 8) or Secondary (5-12) licensure as follows:

Requirements

Program Description

Students wishing to be licensed to teach visual art must complete:

All the requirements of the Art major. An additional 36 credit teacher preparation sequence for either Elementary (pre-K to 8) or Secondary (5-12) licensure as follows:

Requirements for Art Majors

One of the following:

Note:

** Students completing Art Teacher Licensure Programs must take ART 0108 Introduction to Computer Graphics as their art elective.

Art majors are required to take ART 0106 and ART 0107, to satisfy the Appreciation of the Arts requirement of the common core.

Art majors must complete a minimum of 27 credits of course work within the Art Department at Westfield State. Students are advised to consult their advisors for information on course sequencing and general core requirements.

Art majors intending to pursue graduate work beyond their major are advised to take additionally recommended studio courses of their choice. It is also advisable to include more than the minimum requirements in Art History.

Professional Preparation Sequence

Elementary Preparation Sequence

Secondary Preparation Sequence

Additional Information:

In addition, during the last semester of their senior year, students must take a 3-credit Practicum Seminar, ART 0326.

  • The field hours are designed to intentionally grow students' competencies over time with specific attention to the essential elements of teaching and learning as identified by the state licensure requirements and the underlying belief structure of the Education Department articulated through five pillars: Critical Engagement with Diversity, Social Justice, Building Community, Scholarship, Inquiry, and an Excitement for Learning, and Critical Reflective Practice. This will match department work and initiatives around anti-racist practices.

Students' progress toward meeting Advanced Standing in Teacher Education is monitored at the end of the sophomore year (57 credits). All students must meet the requirements for Advanced Standing to achieve teacher candidacy. Please see section on Licensure for Teaching under Academic Policies.

In order to be eligible for student teaching, a student must have completed all required course and field work, have an overall GPA of 3.0 (including transfer work) in Art Education Program classes, have an overall GPA of 2.8 (including transfer work) and have a passing grade in the appropriate Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (i.e., Communication and Literacy and subject matter tests). Student teacher placements are limited to within a 30-mile radius of the campus.

Every effort will be made to provide a timely sequence of courses in order to fulfill graduation and teaching licensure courses, but there may be instances where this is impossible.

If any questions arise concerning sequence, time of student teaching, etc., please contact the Program Coordinator, Art Education Licensure.

Additional Graduation Requirements

All students must meet the University Graduation Requirements and complete a common core of studies, distributed among the different academic areas as detailed in the Common Core.

Learning Outcomes

  • Developed capacity for critical, creative, investigative, and conceptual thinking.
  • Ability to identify and solve visual and conceptual problems.
  • Ability to present and communicate effectively, creatively, and critically across a range of form and media
  • Generate a personal focus and contribute an independent voice to the world
  • Be ready to work as professionals in art education; art history; design; fine arts; illustration and animation
  • Refer to the fullest range of historical and contemporary art and design sources from across cultures and time
  • Apply a wide range of research methods and technologies in gathering and analyzing information
  • Engage effectively in individual and/or collaborative approaches to work
Westfield State student teacher with students