Art & Art History Major:
Art Education Concentration
The art education concentration provides breadth and depth in studio art and art history, as well as courses in teaching methods and educational theory. Students complete an advanced-level studio sequence for inclusion in the teaching portfolio, and spend a full semester student teaching under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The concentration is certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for K-12 teaching within the public school system. Students who wish to diversify their career choices can prepare for employment as a museum educator by taking Museum Studies (ART 340) and pursuing an internship at an art center or museum.
Careers in Art Education
Graduates of the art education concentration have secured full-time employment at elementary and high schools within the region. For more information visit our page on Careers in Art & Art History.
Art Major Core:
ART 103 Visual Thinking| This course introduces concepts and skills that are essential for artists, art historians, and art educators. The focus is on building foundational principles (such as the visual elements in works of art) and studio art methodologies (such as the creative process, problem solving, and critiques). Students in the course will work individually and collaboratively on a variety of studio projects, will undertake a semester-long creative journaling project, visit galleries and museums in the region, and interact with visiting professional artists and art historians. Prerequisite: Limited to art and art history majors and minors. 3 credits. |
| An introduction to art and architecture from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia and the pyramids of dynastic Egypt to the temples of ancient Greece and Rome, the mosaics of Byzantium to the illuminated manuscripts and soaring cathedrals of medieval Europe. Each artwork and architectural structure is situated within its historical, social, economic, religious, and cultural context. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art). 3 credits. |
| Beginning with the rediscovery of antiquity and concluding with rise of modernity, this course examines the rapid transformation of Western art and architecture. Key stylistics movements include the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Dada and Surrealism. Each artwork and architectural structure is situated within its historical, social, economic, religious, and cultural context. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art). 3 credits. |
| An introductory survey course that focuses on the history, development, and cultural influences of non-Western art. The course will examine the traditions of art and architecture from various regions, including Africa, Arabia, India, China, Japan, the Americas, and Oceania. Geographically, the course moves from Africa through the Middle East and into central Asia, extending both south and east. The course then continues across the Pacific to examine the native North American region and the cultures within South America, including Mesoamerican and Andean. The course finishes with cultures on the western Pacific Rim, including the Australian Aboriginal and the New Zealand Maori. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. 3 credits. |
Required courses:
ART 209 Sculpture I: Material and Form| This course focuses on the principles of three-dimensional design and the properties of various sculptural materials, including plaster, clay, metal, and wood. Students learn techniques of modeling, carving, mold-making, metalworking, and assemblage through a variety of projects in which individual ideas are explored, executed, and refined. 3 credits. |
| This course introduces the physical, visual, and conceptual properties of painting through a variety of projects created in the medium of oil paint. Students learn concepts of color space, paint weight, and pictorial structure by undertaking paintings in genres such as still life, self-portraiture, landscape, and interior. Issues from the history of painting are used to explore the philosophical underpinnings of the medium. Prerequisite: ART 103 or 205. 3 credits. |
| Students explore a number of essential ceramic techniques, such as pinch-, coil-, and slab-construction, wheel-throwing, and a range of low-temperature surface treatments. The course focuses on fundamental principles of sculptural and functional design, with reference to ceramic history and contemporary uses of the medium. 3 credits. |
| For junior or senior students who have completed foundation and intermediate-level courses in studio art and are ready to work independently while receiving faculty guidance and feedback. Working in a medium of one's choice (for example, ceramics or painting or photography), students create and present a resolved body of work. The course can be repeated so that students can undertake different creative projects or work continuously on a sustained project, either one of which is essential for future work as an artist or art educator. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or by permission; limited to art and art history majors and minors. 3 credits. |
| This course prepares art and art history students for future professional work in the visual arts by providing developmental guidance at the critical junior or senior years. Students will explore the various opportunities open to studio artists, art historians, and art educators. Central to the class is the development of a refined art portfolio and/or writing sample that can be utilized in various vocational art fields and within the graduate school application process. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or by permission; limited to art and art history majors and minors. 3 credits. |
One additional course from the following:
ART 205 Drawing I: Material and Form| The primary goal of this course is learning to draw as a way of seeing and recording visual information from the world around us. Students are trained in the techniques of sighting, measuring, and perspective by drawing from objects, interior spaces, and human form. Assignments also require students to create images independently from a variety of sources, in addition to working in a drawing journal for the duration of the course. Charcoal, graphite, pastel, and ink are the primary media. 3 credits. |
| Emphasizing human anatomy and movement, this course teaches important figurative skills for the aspiring artist, illustrator, or art teacher. Important components include proportion, light and shadow, and thematic development in addition to expressive use of various drawing media. Historical and contemporary figurative art is used to illuminate and inspire the development of individual approaches to drawing. Prerequisite: ART 205 or by permission. 3 credits. |
One additional course from the following:
ART 225 Printmaking| In this course students experience a variety of techniques and approaches from the history of printmaking, including relief printing and intaglio, while exploring contemporary graphic aspects of the medium such as hand-made posters and monotypes. Prerequisite: ART 103 or 205. 3 credits. |
| This course introduces students to the foundations of digital photography as an art form. Technical aspects, including lighting, shutter speed, and composition, are developed based on examples from historical and contemporary photography. A variety of subjects are photographed and processed using computer software, with an emphasis on the development of personal motifs and approaches to the art of photography. Digital Single Lens Reflex camera required. 3 credits. |
One additional course from the following:
ART 311 Photography II: Concept/Techn| This course will build upon established principles of composition, light, and technique using film-based and digital photography. Rather than choosing one medium over the other, students will experiment with both film and digital photography, exploring connections between the two and establishing a personal style or approach through one or the other (or both). Topics may include narrative, portraiture, and the development of a personal visual approach to creating images. Prerequisites: ART 211 or ART 231. 3 credits. |
| This course offers an intensive exploration of three-dimensional object making, extending beyond fundamental techniques to more advanced areas of development within the fields of contemporary art and design. Themes include the body, the environment, and performance. Prerequisites: ART 209 or by permission. 3 credits. |
| In this course students continue the development of artistic skills and conceptual approaches to painting. Projects include portraiture, abstraction, and the development of a painted series in which a theme or motif is used as the basis for a consistent group of paintings. Emphasis is on process, technique, and individual conceptual investigation. Prerequisites: ART 219 or 221. 3 credits. |
| This course extends the art medium of ceramics through the development of more advanced skills and ideas. Students pursue an individual style in various projects by developing new concepts and techniques. Students are required to seek out influences through research, and to reference historical and contemporary examples in their own work. Critiques at different stages of each project maximize the potential of each artwork. Students also play a role in the organization and management of the ceramics studio, learning to perform important functions from recycling clay to firing kilns. Prerequisite: ART 223. 3 credits. |
One additional course from the following:
ART 214 History of Photography| This course covers the history of photography with emphasis on the aesthetic elements of traditional and contemporary work. The significance of technical developments, photographic processes, and photographic criticism is discussed. It provides a contextual study of photography, not only as an art form but as a social commentary on culture. Content includes the history of the photography from the early 19th century to the present, including the introduction of color, photography as a form of social documentation, Modernist and Postmodernist approaches to the medium, photojournalism, and the use of photography within popular culture. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art).Writing Process. 3 credits. |
| Focusing on the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, this course offers a comprehensive survey of the major monuments, themes, and developments of Renaissance art in Europe. Works by Giotto, Van Eyck, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, D rer, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian, among others, are examined. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art).Writing Process. Prerequisites: ART 112 or ART 114. 3 credits. |
| This course is a pan-European survey of baroque art and architecture, focusing on artists working in Italy, France, Spain, England, Flanders, and the Dutch Republic. Artworks by Caravaggio, Bernini, Borromini, and Velßzquez in southern Europe, and Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Poussin, and Christopher Wren in Northern Europe, will be highlighted. Students explore such issues as patronage, stylistic difference, the interconnection of art and religion, and the changing political climate of Europe. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art).Writing Process. Prerequisite: ART 112 or ART 114. 3 credits. |
| Covering the period from the American Revolution in 1776 to the controversial Salon des RefusTs of 1863, this course examines the art of Europe and the North America as it undergoes turbulent cultural change. Cataclysmic events such as the American and French Revolution, the economic and technological changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, and the various revolutions in thought and politics, such as The Enlightenment and the rise of Marxism, emerge as key driving agents in the transformation of art and architecture during the period. Art movements under examination include Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art).Writing Process. Prerequisites: ART 112 or ART 114. 3 credits. |
| An overview of modern art and architecture from the 1890s to the rise of postmodernism in the 1970s, including important stylistic movements such as Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Dada and Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Pop Art, and Conceptual Art. The focus will be on the ideas, works, and critical reception of specific artists, widened to include issues of science and technology, race and gender, and related developments in politics and literature. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art).Writing Process. Prerequisite: ART 114. 3 credits. |
| This course explores the cultural and theoretical underpinnings of the contemporary art world. Focusing on the past three decades, the course examines those key elements that define art today, such as the art market, the media, controversy and debate, new modes of practice, and the rising context of the global. By tracing the diverse narratives that inform the art world, the student will understand how contemporary art and architecture generate meaning, and what methods and theories are employed in critiquing emerging forms. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 5 (Literature and Fine Art). Prerequisite: ART 114. 3 credits. |
Required education courses:
SED 115 Intro to Teaching and Learning| This course is designed to provide an introduction to secondary education majors about how people learn and how to successfully use that information in the classroom. It will cover the characteristics of secondary schools and students and the management of teaching and learning resources. 2 hours a week of fieldwork is required. 3 credits. |
| This course will offer comprehensive preparation for teaching art in secondary schools through discussing, reading, writing, and completing art projects through different mediums. As part of this course, students will establish and practice appropriate classroom management strategies; develop and implement appropriate studio organization and assessment strategies; explore and utilize materials, techniques and methods of studio instruction for a variety of populations; read, write and discuss current issues in the field of education, including meeting the needs of students with disabilities; explore and utilize materials, techniques and methods of classroom instruction for a variety of populations including those with disabilities; evaluate student work by creating their own rubrics to assess learning; and use technology effectively as an instructional tool. 4 hours a week of fieldwork is required. Prerequisites: Art/Art History Major or permission. 3 credits. |
| This course will guide preservice students to develop competencies in teaching literacy strategies in their content area subject(s) in middle and high school. Emphasis will be placed on teaching activities, specialized skills, technology skills and study strategies for learning substantive content. 4 hours a week of fieldwork is required. Prerequisite: SED 115. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide preservice secondary education students with the skills to develop an integrated approach to teaching and learning. Students will create lesson and unit plans and develop integrated curricula. 4 hours a week of fieldwork is required. Prerequisites:SED 110, 430; secondary teacher certification candidate; junior or senior status; approval of the instructor; must be taken prior to SED 440. 3 credits. |
| Students spend an entire semester in an area school under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. Prerequisites: A cumulative grade point average of 2.8 and admission to teacher certification candidacy are required. (See Education Department III 1-7.) SED 110, 430, 431; open to seniors or students seeking certification only. 12 credits. |
Additional Certification Requirements
Students seeking teacher certification must also complete a number of additional processed and requirements outlined in the Steps to Pennsylvania Teacher Certification document on the Education Department web page. Along with other requirements, these include a minimum GPA and the following coursework:
1. Completion of one English composition course.
2. Completion of one English or American literature course.
3. Completion of two college-level mathematics courses.
4. Completion of required Special Education coursework:
SPE 250 Cog Devel of Diverse Learners| This course is designed to introduce all categories of disability. Specific attention will be given to the potential cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, and language differences in children with disabilities. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, case study discussions, and student presentations. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. 3 credits. |
| This course will begin with a historical overview of the field of special education, including key legislation and litigation that drives current practice. Assessment tools for diagnosing disability will be introduced, as well as assessment tools for documenting student progress. In addition, collaboration and communication skills essential for working as a part of the special education team will be practiced and further developed. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, field experiences, and hands-on experience with various assessments. 3 credits. |
The following course is required for music education majors and may also be required for students transfering credits into any certification program from other institutions:
SPE 258 Instruct & Behav. Strategies| The focus of this course content will be on (a) behavioral principles and their application in the classroom, (b) literacy development and literacy interventions for students with disabilities, and (c) evidence-based instructional strategies in other content areas, such as mathematics, social studies, science, and the creative arts. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: lecture, case study applications, field experiences, hands-on experience with various literacy programs, and student presentations. Prerequisite: Restricted to Music majors and transfer students. 3 credits. |
5. Completion of one of the following ESL courses:
For early childhood/special education certification: EDU 240 Lang, Diversity, Achiev.: Pk-8
| This course is designed for the pre-service music, art, language, early childhood education, or middle school educator to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting the education and language acquisition of the diverse language and cultural minority groups of the United States. This course is required under Act 49-2 and may be taken while student teaching. Fulfills general education requirement: American Social Diversity. 3 credits. |
For secondary education certification: EDU 245 Lang, Diversity, Achieve: 7-12
| This course is designed to allow the pre-service music, art, language, or grade 7 - grade 12 secondary teacher certification candidate to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting the education and language acquisition of the diverse language and cultural minority groups of the United States. This course is required under Act 49-2 and may be taken while student teaching. Fulfills general education requirement: American Social Diversity. 3 credits. |
K-12 certification (art, languages, and music) candidates may take either course.