Art Education
The BFA in art education prepares students to teach pre-K through 12th grade art in public and private schools, museums and community organizations. This program also prepares students to enter graduate school in art therapy.
For more information, contact Dr. Amanda Allison at a.allison@tcu.edu
See the course catalog for a complete list of course offerings and descriptions.
In our program, you will develop your skills as an artist. You’ll choose an area of studio emphasis — ceramics, new media, painting, photography, printmaking or sculpture —and complete five classes in this area.
You’ll also develop your skills as a teacher. In each of your four art education courses, you’ll be paired with an art teacher to observe and teach alongside him or her for 10 hours. You’ll design and teach an art curriculum to your peers in art education classes, using the latest technologies (Promethean board, document camera, AirMedia, iPad apps, etc.) in a classroom stocked full of every art material imaginable.
You’ll develop your skills as a caretaker for children. You’ll receive training from Alliance for Children in how to recognize and prevent child abuse. You’ll work with dozens of children from various socioeconomic and developmental backgrounds, including children experiencing disabilities.
You’ll have multiple paid and volunteer opportunities to serve your community while developing your professional skills. Many students participate in local elementary school Art Days, VASE judging and are employed as TCU Summer Art Camp counselors. They also give private art lessons and teach art in private schools, daycare settings and homeschool groups.
You’ll join a community of art educators as you and your fellow students attend professional conferences like the Texas Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association.
Regardless of your professional direction, you’ll work closely with an advisor as you begin your senior year to prepare for your job search. We have a 100-percent job placement rate for all art education graduates. This is partly due to the fact that you are mentored for professional work beginning the first semester of your first year.
As an art education graduate, you’ll have access to a robust network of TCU art education alumni. Our art education Horned Frogs are pre-K-12 art teachers that you can observe during your art education courses, museum educators that you can contact and visit, business owners and art therapists who are willing mentors. Members of the TCU network stand ready to answer questions and guide you on your professional path.
K-12 art teaching
When you graduate with a BFA in art education, and pass the Texas teacher exam, you are certified to teach pre-K-12 art in Texas and in the 45 other states with Texas teacher reciprocity agreements. Our graduates teach pre-K-12 art in public and private schools as well as community settings and art museums.
Art therapy
A TCU art education degree will also prepare you for graduate school in art therapy. Experience is valued above all in an art therapy application. At TCU, you’ll gain experience in teaching art to diverse groups and fully understand how to provide a therapeutic art experience to any group.
For the art and psychology requirements, your studio art classes will equip you to assemble a portfolio of art works to submit to graduate school. If you choose to minor in psychology, you will meet the psychology admission requirements.
Through our deep relationship with The Art Station, a local art therapy studio, our students regularly visit and volunteer with this dynamic group of art therapists.