M.A. in Art Education

The M.A. program offers three options from which students may choose.

Option 1: Art Education

This general degree option is for art education practitioners, including certified art teachers, who want to enhance their knowledge of contemporary and past art forms and advance their skills in areas of teaching and learning in Art Education through advanced coursework. Students may choose to complete coursework only or undertake a thesis or project as a capstone. 

Option 2: Art Museum Education

This concentration is designed to provide graduate students with a broad introduction to teaching and learning about contemporary and past art forms in present-day art museum education settings and knowledge of how research informs practice within the museum setting. Those applying for Option 2, Art Museum Education, also must apply for the Graduate Academic Certificate in Art Museum Education. This option includes internships at art museums as a capstone to their studies. Students may also undertake a thesis or project as part of their culminating coursework. 

Option 3: Art Teacher Certification

This option prepares students to pursue teaching careers in EC -12 teaching environments. Students are prepared for all-level art teacher certification while acquiring a graduate degree in Art Education. Those applying for Option 3: Teacher Certification must have taken at least 24 semester credit hours of studio work and at least 12 hours of art history, of which six must be at the advanced level.

Each of the three options requires applicants to have completed a bachelor's degree in the visual arts or a related field.

Applicants without the recommended background for the option they intend to pursue could be denied admission or accepted on a conditional basis, provided undergraduate coursework in art and/or art education, as assigned at the time of acceptance, be completed before beginning any graduate-level work. 

How to Apply for the M.A. in Art Education

Applying to a College of Visual Arts and Design program is a two-part process. As detailed in steps 1 and 2, applicants must apply to the UNT Office of Admissions and the CVAD Department of Art Education.

Step 1: Apply to the UNT Office of Admissions

Graduate College Requirements 

All prospective M.A. students must meet the general admission eligibility requirements outlined by the Toulouse Graduate School at the University of North Texas. 

Please visit the UNT Graduate Admissions web page for more information and start your application process. 

International applicants have specific timelines and additional requirements including proof of English language proficiency. For more information on fulfilling this requirement, visit the UNT Admissions English Language Requirements web page.

Master's Degree requirements are outlined in the UNT Catalog on the Master's Degree Requirements web page.

If you have any questions about the admissions policies or processes, please contact the UNT Admissions Office directly at GoGrad@unt.edu or call 940-565-2383.

If you have general questions about registering for classes, applying for financial aid, checking financial aid status, ordering transcripts, etc., please visit the UNT Division of Enrollment's One Stop website for the Scrappy Says web page.

Step 2: Apply to the CVAD Department of Art Education

Department of Art Education Requirements

• Have earned a B.A. or B.F.A. degree from a recognized institution, with a minimum of 3.0 GPA in undergraduate-level studies.
• Apply to the Art Education program by sending the following materials, combined into one PDF document, to cvad.ArtEducation@unt.edu.
• Letter/statement of intent. A one-to-two-page statement of intent outlining your reasons for wishing to enroll in graduate school, and in particular, our M.A. program. This should detail the goals that you hope to achieve by obtaining the degree. It should also detail the track of the art education M.A. you want to pursue.
• Sample of writing. A recent research paper is best. If you do not have a research paper in art, you may submit a research paper from a course in another field, a piece of professional writing, or write a completely new paper. Faculty should be able to gauge your interests, writing skills, research skills, and/or potential for advanced work in the field through this sample. There are no minimum or maximum length requirements for this. 
• Professional resume. Should list all relevant work experience, affiliations, etc.
• At least two letters of recommendation. At least two letters should come from faculty members and/or professional associates who can speak to your potential for success in a graduate art education program. These must be on letterhead and submitted directly to the department by the recommender. There is no specific recommendation form required.

Please note that GRE scores are NOT required for admission to the UNT Art Education M.A. program. 

Department of Art Education Priority Application deadlines — to be considered for funding 

Fall admission: Feb. 15. Admission will depend on available space after this deadline. 
Spring admission: Sept. 15. Admission will depend on available space after this deadline.  

Schedule of Classes

Please see the UNT Registrar's web page for a comprehensive list of the Art Education schedule of courses. 

M.A. Art Education Marketable Skills 

M.A. in Art Education Program Handbook

The M.A. Program Handbook summarizes the CVAD Master of Arts Art Education Program. We intend for you to use the procedures outlined here to plan and fulfill all requirements for the M.A. degree in Art Education.

In addition to the M.A. Art Education Program Manual, you are subject to the policies and procedures outlined in the UNT Graduate Catalog. Visit the UNT Catalog online, select the Graduate Catalog for the correct year, and carefully read the policies and procedures.

Note: The Art Education faculty is always willing to assist you with planning and completing your coursework and degree requirements. However, you, the student, are responsible for meeting all CVAD and UNT Toulouse Graduate School requirements for the M.A. in Art Education degree.