The program in art education prepares students to teach art in public and private elementary and secondary schools; and for education roles in various other institutions (e.g., museums). Graduates are eligible for licensure in the State of Wisconsin in art education at both the elementary and secondary levels.
All first-year art students begin with the Foundations Program, a series of related studio and lecture courses to prepare them for further study in studio art and design. They learn the fundamentals of art through investigation of formal, technical, and conceptual issues. These interrelated classes are designed to be taken concurrently. Through these shared experiences, first-year students form a peer community that continues throughout their undergraduate careers.
Freshmen majoring in art enroll in two foundational studio courses and one lecture course for each of their first two semesters. The lecture classes expose, broaden, and challenge students' understanding of contemporary art production. The Foundations of Contemporary Art and Current Directions in Contemporary Art courses introduce students to historical, thematic, critical, and theoretical issues, contextualizing and augmenting their studio assignments and expanding their verbal and visual vocabulary.
The Art Education program is divided into four areas of study:
Students not yet eligible to apply to the professional component of the Art Education program may be admitted to the School of Education as Art-B.S. students. Incoming freshmen and transfer students enter directly into the BS-Art program upon admission to UW-Madison. Current UW-Madison students seeking to enter the BS-Art program must apply for admission to the program; a minimum 2.5 grade point average is required. Prospective off-campus and on-campus majors will meet with the undergraduate art program advisor, Julie Ganser, 6241 Humanities Building, 455 North Park Street. Call 608-262-1660 for an appointment.
Undergraduate art majors generally apply to the Art Education certification program in their junior year. Students who possess a BS, BFA, or advanced degree in visual arts and seek certification in Art Education follow the same application procedures.
The Art Education program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison follows admission procedures intended to result in an academically qualified student body as varied as possible in terms of academic strengths, life experiences, and professional experiences. As the population of our nation’s public schools becomes increasingly multicultural, there is a growing need for teachers from diverse backgrounds. The art education faculty encourages qualified applicants from underrepresented groups to apply for admission to the art education program. In addition, the faculty wish to broaden the field of art education; individuals representing a wide range of visual arts and design are encouraged to apply. A diverse cohort of students enriches the Art Education teacher certification program as well as the profession.
Prospective Transfer Students. Prospective transfer students should meet as early as possible with the art program advisor and with an advisor at Education Academic Services (see contact information under "Advising" below). Studio and aesthetics course work taken at another institution may need to be evaluated by the Art Program advisor or a faculty member in the art department. Because students interested in Art Education must meet minimum eligibility requirements and apply within strict deadlines, prospective transfer students should meet with an Education Academic Services advisor as soon as possible.
Pre-admission advising is handled by professional staff at Education Academic Services (EAS) and by the art department. Students entering the Art-B.S. program must meet with the undergraduate art program advisor, Julie Ganser, 6241 Humanities Building, 455 North Park Street, 608-262-1660. Call 608-262-1651 or go to Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street to make an EAS advising appointment (phone appointments are available). It is strongly recommended that students meet with an EAS advisor at least once before applying for admission. Students may also consult an Art Education faculty advisor: Professor Douglas Marschalek, 6121 Humanities Building, 608-263-7326, marschalek@education.wisc.edu; Professor Teri Marche, 6121 Humanities Building, 608-263-7327, tmarche@education.wisc.edu.