The Art Education program is part of the School of Art in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.

Students working with young people at the BGSU Saturday Art Program gives BFA art education students art teaching experience.
  • Bachelors Available
  • Bachelors Available

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Art Education

The BGSU Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education prepares visual arts teachers for pre-K through 12th-grade teaching careers. 

Experience the exclusivity of a private art academy with our low faculty-to-student ratio of 14:1 while enjoying the affordability of a state university.  

BFA students also enjoy some of the best art facilities in the region, including classroom studios for jewelry and metalsmithing, drawing and painting, sculpture (including wood and metals shops), ceramics, glass, photography, printmaking and digital media.  

The School of Art facilities also houses three galleries: the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery; the Hiroko Nakamoto Gallery, a ceremonial Japanese gallery; and the Willard Wankelman Gallery.

Creative Education

A Bachelor in Fine Arts in art education prepares visual arts teachers for working in pre-K through 12th-grade classrooms. Students build a diverse creative knowledge base that gives them adaptable arts-related teaching skills.  

You will learn to employ a wide range of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media and processes, as well as digital art and graphic design. Paired with strong educational theory knowledge, you will become a versatile creative educator, able to work with a variety of student levels on enriching curriculum projects.

The art education major integrates art-making studio practice with art history, art criticism, philosophy of art and social-cultural influences. The degree curriculum offers courses in community arts education, art museum education, and courses from the BGSU College of Education and Human Development.

Stand Out in courses

  • Visual Arts Methods and Teaching Practicum
  • Art Methods for Inclusive Learners
  • Photography for Digital Artists
  • Foundations of Art Education
  • Media and Methods
  • Educational Psychology
  • Intro to Public Speaking

Curriculum

As a key part of the BGSU BFA in art education, you will develop skills in a wide range of art media and processes including: drawing, printmaking, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, glass, jewelry and metals, digital imaging and graphic design.  

Students are required to pass a portfolio review at the end of their first year of study in the School of Art for admission into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

Alongside acquiring these skills, you will see how these media can be used in inspiring and educational classroom projects through educational psychology courses from the College of Education and Human Development.

Art education majors also gain a variety of in-depth field experiences with diverse student populations, as well as embarking on a 14-week student teaching internship.

Graduates of the art education program are well prepared for employment at all grade levels in both public and private schools and nonprofit organizations. BGSU is well-known across Ohio and nationally for the quality of its art teacher preparation.

Students also have the chance to study abroad in Italy, at our sister school in Florence, Italy, called SACI. All courses taken will be given direct BGSU credit. Students who have attended the program all agree: it is a life-changing experience in one of the most beautiful and inspiring cities in the world.

BGSU has the largest undergraduate degree enrollment of any art program in an Ohio public university.

100% graduate job placement record for the past five years throughout Ohio and the nation.

Career

As well as teaching in education from kindergarten through secondary 12th grade, there are many organizations that offer art classes and may provide a source of full- or part-time employment. These include independent cultural organizations and their art education programs, community arts education, public and private galleries, senior centers and nonprofit organizations.

Graduates will be well-prepared for these opportunities as well as further education. Holding a BFA positions graduates to apply to Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in the visual arts as well as Master of Arts (MA) programs in art education.

Average Starting Salary & BGSU Placement Rate

$36,458* — BGSU Art Education graduates average starting salary

100% of Art Education graduates report they're employed, in graduate school or starting a business within six months of graduation

(BGSU data compiled from students who completed the related questions on the graduation survey.)

Go Far in your career

  • Studio art educator
  • K-12 art teacher
  • Community art education
  • Nonprofit program delivery
  • Art museum educator
  • Gallery education
  • Studio artist
An art education BFA student works on a piece of art with a student outdoors in the Ohio sunshine.
BGSU's Art Education is the right choice.

Saturday Art was one of the best experiences that I had throughout the art education program. After this class, I was absolutely positive that I made the right choice in becoming an art teacher.

Lauren Donnelly

Class of 2016

Admissions Information

Admission into the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is selective. Students are required to pass a portfolio review at the end of their first year of study in the School of Art.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in art education will be able to:

  • Examine the relationship and influence of the visual arts in social, historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts;
  • Demonstrate proficiency in technical, conceptual, and critical abilities within studio media;
  • Plan and teach art curricula, based on theories of child development and first-hand experience with individual students, for pre-kindergarten through young adult learners;
  • Design art curricula that reflect the purposes of art education, the breadth of art and the goals of a general education;
  • Demonstrate critical and reflective thinking, oral and written communication abilities and management skills;
  • Exhibit professional behavior when working with students, parents, other educators and community members.

BGSU Arts and Sciences white

The Art Education program is part of the School of Art in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.

Arts Village Learning Community

DANCE. ART. THEATRE. FILM. MUSIC. CREATIVE WRITING.

Open to students of any major, including the BFA art education, the Arts Village is a residential learning community on campus that involves exploring all aspects of the arts and sharing learning experiences with one another and faculty of various disciplines. The community keeps the creative spirit alive and well on a daily basis with on-site classes specifically geared to art students, as well as collaborative projects, activities and social events.  

Student Art Education Association

Students are encouraged to become active in the Student Art Education Association, an organization related to the Student Division of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Through this organization, students organize and conduct workshops for K-12 students, organize art exhibits and field trips, host guest speakers, share studio demonstrations and curricular ideas, and volunteer for special projects and community organizations. This student-led group regularly surveys the interests if its members determining projects for the cross-collaborative professional association.

Facilities

Students and faculty members in the Division of Art Education activate two expansive classrooms and ample storage spaces. BFA students also enjoy some of the best art facilities in the region, including classroom studios for jewelry and metalsmithing, drawing and painting, sculpture (including wood and metals shops), ceramics, glass, photography, printmaking and digital media. The School of Art facilities include lecture halls for art history and three galleries, including the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, the Hiroko Nakamoto Gallery and the Willard Wankelman Gallery.

Accreditation

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.  BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012-2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The BGSU School of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Art Education program is also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

More information on accreditation

Professional Licensure

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. Requirements necessary for Ohio licensure are available in the undergraduate catalog and through the academic advisors.

More information on professional licensure



* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 05/13/2021 12:05PM