HELP 2009-2010 University Catalog Art Education, MAT Print-Friendly Page

Banner Code: AR-MAT-ARTE

Renee Sandell, Program Director

Phone: 703-993-8562

Web: arteducation.gmu.edu

GRADUATE PROGRAM

The master of arts in teaching in art education is a pre-service degree program that prepares students with a BFA degree, or equivalent, for Pre K–12 art licensure by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Using a studio-based approach to art education and working closely with area public school systems, the MAT degree consists of 30 credits of graduate art education, school practicum experience, and studio work prior to pre service teaching internship and seminar.

The MAT in Art Education Program fosters the quality studio breadth and expertise; comprehensive art historical knowledge; access to contemporary, local, and global art forms and artists; and proficiency in art education theory and practice needed to prepare highly qualified art teachers for a lifetime of professional teaching, learning, and leadership.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general university admission requirements for graduate study, admission to this program is contingent on completion of a BFA in art, or approved equivalent. Also, candidates must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative undergraduate GPA; any exceptions will be considered on an individual basis. Eligibility for the MAT in Art Education Program may demand additional course work to establish proficiency in visual arts. Students lacking a strong background in the visual arts or pedagogy will be required to satisfy prerequisite courses prior to the required graduate courses.

Applications will be accepted for fall and spring semesters. The deadline for receipt of application materials is October 15 and March 15. Each applicant must provide the following materials:

• Completed application form
• Certified copies of all undergraduate transcripts and any graduate transcripts
• Statement of intent and professional goals for entering the field
• Three letters of reference from faculty members or individuals who have firsthand knowledge of the applicant’s academic or professional capabilities
• Official score on Praxis I or SAT equivalent
• TOEFL score, if required by Mason policies
• Portfolio of 15 to 20 images that reflect artistic breadth and depth, including drawing skills of the applicant’s art. The work should be in Power Point format on a Mac-compatible CD. All portfolios must include a written image sheet with the corresponding number, title, date, medium, and size of each work. Incomplete portfolios will not be considered. Applicants’ portfolio items are considered part of the application for admission and, thus, cannot be returned. Please do not send original materials.

The portfolio and all other application materials should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Qualified applicants will be invited to an on-campus interview, portfolio review of original art works, and in-person writing sample.

Diversity among students is another consideration for acceptance into the program. Applicants with degrees in areas other than art are welcome, although they may be required to complete undergraduate core, and studio and art history courses.

MAT matriculants who earned a BFA at an institution other than Mason may be required to take additional undergraduate credits as post baccalaureate core requirements before acceptance into the program. Without equivalent courses, they will be required to take a set of five BFA foundational courses in art education and education: AVT 396, 493 and 494 and EDUC 301 and 302.

In addition, applicants who did not take equivalent undergraduate courses must also take AVT 472 Critical Theory in the Visual Arts and AVT 180 Computers in the Creative Arts, plus any additional studio or art history course work to meet Virginia licensure requirements.

Professional Teaching Portfolio and Qualifications Review

The comprehensive experience for the MAT includes the following: (1) a group exhibition, “The Art of Teaching Art Showcase,” in which MAT candidates display and formally present works of PreK–12 student art completed during the internship, along with exemplars of the MAT candidate’s own artwork, and (2) a culminating review of the intern’s competencies as reflected in a professional teaching portfolio, accomplished during the internship seminar course that accompanies student teaching. All process folios, lesson plans, explanations of projects, visual images, and other relevant materials must be made available for the project committee to review. Artworks and all materials should be exhibited in a manner that reveals the student’s aesthetic accomplishments. This exhibition and review will assess the MAT candidate’s final professional teaching portfolio that may be used at interviews for employment. These requirements will be accomplished during the internship seminar course that accompanies student teaching. A committee of MAT faculty will determine whether the student has mastered the field of study. Students who are unable to successfully complete the full student teaching internship in art education and seminar for student teachers will be terminated from the MAT in Art Education Program.

Academic Policies

Please see College of Visual and Performing Arts  academic policies.