Institute of Art Announces New Master of Arts in Art Education Certification Track

In response to increasing demand, the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) announces a new Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) certification track for artists who want to teach grades K through 12, according to a press statement.

This new, accredited hybrid program that begins in fall 2015, combines online and on campus studies with fieldwork. It can be completed in two years, and prepares candidates for professional licensure as highly skilled visual art educators.

Suzanne Canali, director of the Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program, is excited about the new offering.

“As a longtime art educator, it’s very clear to me that there is a need and demand for adding this Certification Track for our MA in Art Education program,” she said. “Our innovative program will provide students with a unique experience – one which they would have a hard time finding anywhere else in the region.”

The MAAE Certification program is ideal for those who have completed an undergraduate degree in art or design, and who can demonstrate proficiency through their application portfolio. Academically rigorous, it is designed to meet the Ed 612.01 content standards for visual art specialists, the mission and goals of the New Hampshire Institute of Art as well as national (InTASC & Danielson) standards and modalities for effective teachers. The new certification combines theory with practice.

During the first year, students will complete courses through distance learning. During the second year, they will undertake a minimum of 110 hours of structured fieldwork experiences in K-12 schools, and through the Student Enrichment Program in the Arts (SEPIA), NHIA’s grant-funded art lab with many community partners, and also meet in on-campus sessions.

For many years, NHIA has already offered the MAAE Studio Track for current art educators, who want to earn a graduate degree that allows them to deepen their studio practice through campus-based summer residencies, while also taking online courses. The new MAAE Certification Track now provides an alternative within the MAAE program for artists who want to train and be certified as K-12 teachers.

NHIA has a longstanding history of preparing future artist educators. Until now, the K-12 Art Education Certificate program has traditionally been offered within the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. The new MAAE Certification Track will better serve current and prospective students’ needs. By delaying the start of their Art Education studies to the end of their BFA studies, students will gain greater personal and professional growth before entering the Certification program.

The new MAAE Certification curriculum is richer, and more focused on the new Ed 612.01 standards for visual art educator training. Curriculum changes include, but aren’t limited to, coursework in studio development, digital methodologies, creativity and the brain, and more time devoted to culminating fieldwork. Additionally, some coursework will bring together Certification candidates with MAAE Studio focus students who are already practicing educators in the field.

Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program may apply into the Art Educator program to become a “Bridge” student, allowing them to complete some graduate coursework during their BFA experience.

“We are excited to launch this new phase of art educator preparation,” said Canali. “We believe it will provide more structure and rigor for our BFA students who aim to earn K through 12 art educator certification, as well as options for people who already have earned an undergraduate degree in visual art and have a desire to become an educator.”

The MAAE Certification Track is approved by the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission, and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Accreditation is pending by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and expected later in 2015.

Application to the MAAE Certification Track program includes Praxis I and Praxis II art content examinations, a portfolio submission, and a personal interview. For fall semester 2015, applications are due by June 15, and are reviewed on a rolling admissions basis.

For additional information, email: graduateadmissions@nhia.edu or call: 603-836-2508