How to Become a B.F.A. in Art Education Major

The undergraduate program in Art Education welcomes both students who wish to pair a degree and art teacher certification with another degree, such as a B.F.A. in a studio concentration, as well as those who seek the stand-alone B.F.A. in Visual Art Studies.

Requirements

To become an Art Education major for the B.F.A., complete the following requirements. Applying to UNT is your first step to admission to CVAD. You will indicate one of the CVAD programs as your pre-major on the UNT application. 

1. Apply to UNT.
2. Be accepted as a student at the College of Visual Arts and Design.
3. Complete at least 60 hours of college courses.
4. Enroll in ARTE 3753: Art Education: Foundations. Priority admission to this course is based on the successful completion of the following courses.

ART 1600: Foundations: Perception and Translation
ART 1700: Foundations: Space
ART 1800: Foundations: Narrative and Representation
ART 1900: Foundations: Systems and Transformations
ART 2350: Art History Survey I
ART 2360: Art History Survey II
ART 2370: Art History Survey III
ASTU 2101 or 2102: Beginning Ceramics
And at least two from the following.
  ASTU 2201: Beginning Drawing and Painting: Painting I
  ASTU 2300: Introduction to Printmaking
  ASTU 2801 or 2802: Beginning Sculpture
  ASTU 3202: Intermediate Drawing & Painting: Figure Drawing I

Note: Official degree plans will be filed for students enrolled in ARTE 3753. Students will then apply for admission into the UNT College of Education Teacher Education Program in conjunction with a class meeting of ARTE 3753. Admission is not guaranteed.

Required Sequence

The Art Education course requirements must be completed in the following sequence.

Semester 1: ARTE 3753
Semester 2: ARTE 4708
Note: ARTE 3770, 4760, 4785 and 4790 may be taken in either Semester 1 or 2, but must be completed before beginning Semester 3.
Semester 3: ARTE 4750 and ARTE 4101 concurrently with EDEE 4101
Semester 4: ARTE 4780 concurrently with EDCI 4138

Additional Requirements

1. Degree Plan Review/Audit: Review your processed degree plan with your CVAD academic advisor and generate a degree plan audit. You will need this for admission into the Teacher Education Program within the UNT College of Education.
2. Admission to the Teacher Education Program: An additional requirement for the successful completion of the major entails admission into Teacher Education within the UNT College of Education. Students must be admitted into Teacher Education prior to being enrolled in ARTE 4708 Art Education Laboratory School.

a. Admission to the College of Education requires junior status, a 2.75 grade point average (both UNT and overall), and grades of C or better on all art and education courses. There are some limited possibilities for exceptions to this requirement; email the CVAD Art Education Department for more details at CVAD.ArtEducation@unt.edu.

3. Criminal History Check: Students must undertake criminal history checks as required by school district placements in conjunction with the required coursework and as required by the Texas Education Code.
4. District Application for Observations/Clinical Teaching: Students must complete all applications required by school district placements in conjunction with the required coursework and as required by the Texas Education Code.
5. Technology Fee: Students are responsible for a $35 technology fee as required by the Texas Education Agency. The fee will be paid by the student through their UNT account.

Teacher certification requirements beyond the Art Education degree 

1. Successful Completion of State Certification Exams: Students must successfully pass (1) the UNT TExES Success Office practice exam(s), and (2) the TExES official state exam(s) needed for their certification area in order to be fully certified. For more information, email the UNT College of Education TExES Success Office at COE_TSO@unt.edu.

a. TExES Art EC-12 Content Exam
b. TExES Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities (PPR) Exam: Until Fall 2027 for Fall 2027 and previous graduates.
c. Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP): Coming Fall 2027 for Spring 2028 graduates and beyond.

2. Apply for Certification: Students must apply for certification through the Texas Education Agency. For more information, email the UNT College of Education Educator Preparation Office at COE_EPO@unt.edu.
Note: Please be aware that your certification may take up to six weeks after your grades and degree are posted.

Contact

For more information, visit the CVAD Department of Art Education, Art Building, Room 230, or email cvad.ArtEducation@unt.edu.