Bachelor of Arts in Education in
Visual Arts/K-12

About

Pursuing art education as a major gives you the chance to develop and hone art-making skills, pursue a professional education, and build a cultural understanding of visual art.

In addition to studying art, you’ll complete the required Education Core courses, which leads to certification to teach K-12 art in the State of Washington.

Declare the BAE here! For any questions contact:

Jenny Hyde
Art Program Director
Art Education Faculty Advisor
jhyde@ewu.edu

Curriculum & Requirements Curriculum Map

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Visual Arts K–12 Major, Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)

This major satisfies the endorsement for preschool to grade 12.

Students who successfully complete the coursework and other requirements for this BAE degree will be eligible for Washington State Teacher Certification and are eligible to be employed in the public school system as an art teacher.  Teaching art is a highly rewarding career choice with a variety of employment possibilities - not only are art teachers needed in public schools - but they are also employed in museums, community centers, and/or in corporate training venues, etc. Of note, Eastern Washington University’s outstanding art education program strives to produce effective teachers who are working artists. 

All BAE/Art Education students will work closely with BOTH an Art Department advisor and School of Education advisor.  

Art Education students must complete the required Education Core courses plus the following Art courses.

Note: The Art Department recommends all art majors and minors begin their studies with Foundation Requirements courses. Prerequisites may be required for course entry.

Foundation Requirements
ART 201STUDIO I: IMAGE AND TECHNOLOGY5
ART 202STUDIO II: TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS5
ART 213THE VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE5
Core Requirements
ART 225CERAMICS I5
ART 300DRAWING5
ART 303DIGITAL ART5
or ART 305 PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
ART 312ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY5
or ART 313 ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY
ART 355PAINTING5
or ART 356 WATERCOLOR
ART 391FOUNDATIONS OF ART EDUCATION (Note: offered once a year.)5
Visual Culture Elective–choose one5
ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY
ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY
THE BODY IN ART
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTEMPORARY ART
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
Art Elective–choose one from the following 300–level or above5
Experimental courses ART 396 and ART 496 may be included and repeated for credit
ILLUSTRATION
DIGITAL ART
PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CERAMICS II
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
PAINTING
WATERCOLOR
PRINTMAKING
SCULPTURE
FIBER AND TEXTILES
EXPERIMENTAL
DRAWING (may be repeated up to three times)
LIFE DRAWING (may be repeated up to three times)
DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE
PHOTOGRAPHY: ADVANCED PRACTICE (may be repeated up to three times)
ART AND COMMUNITY
ART AS SOCIAL ACT
ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION (may be repeated up to three times)
CERAMICS III (may be repeated up to three times)
PAINTING II (may be repeated up to three times)
PRINTMAKING (may be repeated up to three times)
SCULPTURE (may be repeated up to three times)
Senior Capstone
ART 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
Total Credits60

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2015ART 2025ART 213 (Humanities & Arts BACR 2)5
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 107 or 1705
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Social Science BACR 115Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2255ART 355 or 3565ART 303 or 3055
ART 3005Global Studies - graduation requirement15Diversity - graduation requirement15
Natural Science BACR 115Natural Science BACR 215Visual Culture Elective25
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 312 or 3135ART 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
ART 3915Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
Art Elective35Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective2Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1
 15 17 16
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
EDUC 3033EDUC 386B5EDUC 42612
EDUC 3093EDUC 4275 
EDUC 3413Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5 
EDUC 386A3  
EDUC 4133  
 15 15 12
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Visual Culture Elective–choose one course from the approved list.

3

Art Elective–choose one course, 300–level or above, from the approved list. Experimental courses ART 396 and ART 496 may be included and repeated for credit.

Students who earn a BAE in Art Education-Secondary Focus from EWU should be able to:

  • demonstrate technical skill in a variety of studio art materials, PLO-4;
  • identify works of art within historical contexts, PLO-3;
  • produce a professional quality digital portfolio for art education professionals, PLO-1;
  • use appropriate terminology to evaluate works of art, PLO 2;

Sample Courses

ART 391. FOUNDATIONS OF ART EDUCATION. 5 Credits.

Notes: offered once a year.
Pre-requisites: declared art education major or minor.
An examination and review of significant historical and philosophical thought in the development of contemporary K–12 art education. Also involves sequential curriculum design, assessment of student learning, sharing of art education resources, and art program advocacy. Examines and verifies professional competency prior to student teaching.

Catalog Listing

ART 312. ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ENGL 101, ART 213 (may be taken concurrently); or permission of the instructor.
This critical survey traces the development of art from the beginning of humanity in Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization,” to the global Baroque. Includes the study of Ancient Greek art, the Medieval period, and the Renaissance, with a focus on cultural contact and the trade routes. Emphasis is on situating key works of art in their context. Provides the principles of visual analysis and library research.

Catalog Listing

ART 355. PAINTING. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ART 201 or ART 202 or DESN 100 or DESN 200, or permission of the instructor.
This course is an introduction to oil painting that explores painting techniques, intentional color mixing, and a thorough understanding of value and tonal ranges within a composition. The purpose of this course is to develop technical and compositional skills, a heightened awareness of color interaction, and to create a solid foundation for continued growth and experimentation.

Catalog Listing

ART 225. CERAMICS I. 5 Credits.

This is a beginning ceramic art course that introduces the possibilities for creative expression, aesthetics and techniques using clay. Students will develops skills in ceramic construction and use of surface on ceramic artworks. This course examines historical and contemporary ceramic art and design practices relevant to the use of clay as a creative medium.

Catalog Listing