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Art Education

Art educators teach young people creative skills that increase their success in every imaginable field. 

Our graduates also raise awareness about important human and societal issues as they teach art in schools, galleries and museums.

As an art education major at Kean, you explore a psychology-based approach to teaching art that helps children and adolescents enhance their creativity, organize their experiences and manage their emotions. Practical classroom internships and rigorous coursework help you build a unique skill set and acquire a competitive edge in the job market.

Kean graduates can be found teaching in New Jersey and beyond, shaping young minds, one student at a time.

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Art Education - Kean student painters

Art education majors have ample opportunities at Kean to hone their craft and exhibit their work.

What You Learn

  • Get comprehensive arts teacher training, faculty mentoring, internship opportunities and a well-rounded liberal arts education
  • Learn studio art techniques and teaching methods for drawing, painting, illustration, sculpture, photography, digital art and more
  • Integrate sensory, emotional, kinesthetic and cognitive processes into effective teaching practices
  • Participate in community-based educational projects
  • Prepare a professional studio art and teaching portfolio that supports your career goals

Through successful completion of courses, fieldwork and the PRAXIS examination, you can earn a bachelor's degree and K-12 art teacher certification.

Admission to the B.A. in Art Education with K-12 Art Teaching Certification is competitive and requires application materials in addition to those required by the University. Interested individuals are strongly advised to schedule an appointment with Joseph Amorino, Ed.D., at: jamorino@kean.edu.

Applicants must provide the following (items 1-3 are submitted on Slideroom):

  1. Respond to any questions in Slideroom
  2. An Academic Writing Sample (a formal paper written for an academic course)
  3. An Art Portfolio (Artwork containing 12-15 images, at least eight of which demonstrate freehand drawing and painting)
  4. Transcripts/Grade Records from high school or previously attended college (already submitted with general application to the University)
  5. Interview with Program Coordinator upon request

Program Information

B.A. in Art Education

This rigorous psychology-based approach to learning and teaching the visual arts prepares students to earn K-12 art teacher certification.

Faculty:

Joseph Amorino, Associate Professor

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At Kean, we believe learning extends far beyond the walls of our classrooms and labs. That's why we encourage you to live on campus, study abroad and pursue internships that will advance your career. Find out more.

Kean trolley at Union Station 30 minutes to NYC

30 Minutes from NYC

Take advantage of the many museums, theatres and spaces in the arts capital of the world, right next door.
The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery at Kean University

Galleries

Showcase your talents and experience a rich and diverse program that regularly features student and faculty work across campus galleries.
Internships are an important part of an education at Kean.

Internships

Studio-labs, clubs, internships and fieldwork provide opportunities to experiment with innovative ways to use materials as artists and educators.
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Kean’s art education program was challenging and exciting. The psychology-based philosophy provided me with a marketable and effective teaching practice, so I'm able to positively help shape my students as dimensional individuals through art."

Michelle Harpster
Artist | Fine Arts Teacher
Art Education Michelle Harpster '14 '16 M.A. Bound and Restricted

Careers

Graduates of Kean's art education program do exceptionally well at obtaining employment, and are highly prepared to address the important needs of young people through advancing artistic learning, fostering emotional management, and igniting creative intelligence and problem-solving in a variety of careers including: 

  • Art teacher
  • Arts administrator
  • Museum educator
  • Illustrator
  • Photographer
  • University lecturer
  • Fine artist
  • Museum curator

Immerse yourself in an arts-based career where you can earn a steady salary while surrounded by the creative energy of children, adolescents and art.

Top 30%

Kean alumni are among the highest-paid teachers in the nation

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Accreditation

Since 1955, Kean’s College of Education has earned accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Notably, only one-third of the schools that produce teachers in the United States and New Jersey earn this accreditation.

CAEP advances equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.

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