Art Education (ARED)

Rachel Debuque
Director of the School of Art
Studio and Design Center
479-575-5202

Donal O’Donoghue
Director of Graduate Studies
116 Fine Arts Center
479-575-5202
Email: dodonogh@uark.edu

School of Art Website

Degree Conferred:
M.A. in Art Education (AREDMA)

Program Description: The Master of Arts in Art Education is a two-year, 33 credit, art education program with concentrations in Schools or Community and Museums. The program is designed to enhance student knowledge and practices within the field of art education with a focus on meeting the necessary demands of a diverse and inclusive professional practice. Both concentrations offer a broad range of courses on art and pedagogical theories, visual culture studies, and research methodologies. For the Schools concentration, students will take core research and pedagogy courses as well as electives to build their expertise in an area of interest. The Community and Museums concentration includes the same core courses as well as electives and internship opportunities at local, national, or international museum and community venues. Both concentrations will apply contemporary art education theory, practice, and research as applicable to the students’ goals, whether they be preparation for doctoral study or professional practice. The program content will comply with the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) standards.

This degree will prepare students to advance their professional roles as artists, teachers, researchers, and leaders in various venues, such as schools, museums, community organizations, and institutions. This degree will advance students’ knowledge and professional application in an increasingly diverse, inclusive, and interdisciplinary world serving as a vehicle for community and university cross-disciplinary collaborations including but not limited to—African American Studies; Curriculum and Instruction; Gender Studies; History; Human Development and Family Sciences; Political Science; Psychology; Social Work; Sociology; and World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Requirements for M.A. in Art Education

Application Process

Prerequisites to Degree Program: An earned bachelor’s degree with an art education major or its equivalent. Consideration will be given to applicants without an art major concentration who present evidence of knowledge in art education, art/visual culture, art history, art theory, and/or community art practice. 

Acceptance to the Master of Arts degree program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with a grade point average of 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours of academic coursework OR a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. GRE scores are accepted, but not required for entrance into the program.

Admission Requirements

The application is a 2-step process. Each applicant must complete the following steps:

1. Apply to the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas at application.uark.edu.
2. Submit the following materials to the School of Art using SlideRoom, a web-based system at uarkart.slideroom.com:
   1. A brief statement describing why you are interested in the Master of Arts degree in Art Education (300 words).
   2. A short autobiographical statement outlining your education, experiences, achievements, and goals for graduate study in art education (500 words)
   3. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
   4. Optional writing sample, which could include a curriculum sample designed for K-12 classrooms, museum settings, or community learning sites (Maximum of 10 pages)
   5. If you have a studio background, a portfolio of 10-20 images (up to 5 of which may be close-up images of details of specific works, especially large scale 2 or 3- dimensional artworks) with the title, medium(s), dimensions, and date.  If you are submitting video, provide a website link to sources such as vimeo or YouTube (Size limit 5 MB). SlideRoom has comprehensive instructions for resizing and submitting work online, slideroom.zendesk.com/home.
   6. A PDF of unofficial transcripts from all previous colleges and universities attended.
   7. Three names and contact information for references who will be submitting letters of recommendation. All letters should be from higher education faculty or professionals who are able to write about the applicant’s academic and research ability and potential at the graduate level.
   8. English Proficiency Test Scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE), if necessary. (See Graduate School and International Studies admissions.

Requirements for the Master of Arts in Art Education

ARED 50003	Introduction to Research Practices and Methodologies in Art Education	3
ARED 60003	Philosophical Foundations and Histories of Art Education	3
ARED 50103	Introduction to Critical Theories in Art Education	3
ARED 60603	Curriculum and Pedagogical Theories in Art Education	3
ARED 6980V	Master's Thesis in Art Education	6
Nine graduate credit hours in Art Education (ARED)		9
Three graduate credit hours in any School of Art course outside of Art Education (ARED)		3
Three graduate credit hours outside the School of Art		3
Total Hours		33

Graduate Faculty in the School of Art

Andree, David, M.F.A. (State University of New York), B.F.A. (Minneapolis College of Art and Design), Teaching Assistant Professor, 2015.
Andree, Kara M., M.F.A. (State University of New York at Buffalo), B.F.A. (Minneapolis College of Art and Design), Instructor, 2016.
Blakinger, John, Ph.D., M.A. (Stanford University), B.A. (Wesleyan University), Associate Professor, Endowed Chair in Art History, 2020.
Brown, Kathy, Ph.D. (University of Houston), M.A. (Eastern Michigan University), B.A. (Wilberforce University), , Endowed Assistant Professor of Art Education, 2023.
Cai, Danqi, M.F.A (University of Tennessee), B.F.A. (Maryland Institute College of Art), Assistant Professor, 2023.
Callander, Adrienne, M.F.A. (Rutgers University), B.A. (Reed College), Assistant Professor, 2017.
Callander, Neil, M.F.A. (Rutgers University), B.F.A. (Indiana University at Bloomington), Associate Professor, 2017.
Cassiano Alverez, Renata, M.F.A. (University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth), Instructor, 2019.
Chioffi, David Charles, M.A. (Wesleyan University), B.F.A. (The Rochester Institute of Technology), Professor, 2013, 2019.
Drolen, Rebecca, M.F.A., B.A. (Indiana University, Bloomington), Associate Professor, 2015, 2023.
Edwards, Vincent A., M.F.A. (Herron School of Art and Design), B.F.A. (Indiana University), Instructor, 2016.
Gepher, Henry, M.F.A (PennWest Edinboro), B.S.E. (Millersville University), Assistant Professor, 2023.
Greenhill, Jennifer, Ph.D. (Yale University), M.A. (Williams College), B.A. (University of California, Los Angeles), Professor, Endowed Chair in Art History, 2020.
Hapgood, Thomas Layley, M.F.A., B.A. (University of Arizona), Associate Professor, 2005, 2012.
Hernandez, Gaby, M.F.A. (University of Florida), B.A. (Universidad de Costa Rica), Endowed Associate Professor of Graphic Design, 2021.
Hogan, Adam S., M.A, M.F.A (Washington University in St. Louis), Assistant Professor, 2014.
Hulen, Jeannie, M.F.A. (Louisiana State University), B.F.A. (Kansas City Art Institute), Professor, 2002, 2018.
Jacobs, Lynn Frances, Ph.D., M.A. (New York University), B.A. (Princeton University), Distinguished Professor, 1989, 2016.
King, Sam, M.F.A. (Indiana University at Bloomington), B.F.A. (University of Tulsa), Associate Professor, 2011, 2022.
Lane, Marty Maxwell, M.G.D. (North Carolina State University), B.F.A. (University of Illinois at Chicago), Associate Professor, 2014, 2019.
LaPorte, Angela M., Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), M.A. (Arizona State University), B.S. (La Roche College), Professor, 1998, 2016.
Lee, Oh Mee, M.A. (University of Oregon), Instructor, 2019.
Levenson, Abra, Ph.D., M.A.(Princeton), B.A. (University of California, Berkeley), Assistant Professor, 2018.
Lopez, Linda Nguyen, M.F.A. (University of Colorado-Boulder), B.F.A. (California State University-Chico), Associate Professor, 2012, 2023.
McConnell, Mathew S., M.F.A. (University of Colorado-Boulder), B.F.A. (Valdosta State University), Associate Professor, 2011, 2016.
McMahon, Bree, M.A., B.A. (North Carolina State University), Assistant Professor, 2018.
Mitchell, Marc E., M.F.A. (Boston University), Associate Professor, 2014, 2019.
Place, Alison L., M.F.A (Miami University), Assistant Professor, 2017.
Posnak, Adam, M.F.A (Louisiana State University and A&M College), Instructor, 2010.
Pulido Rull, Ana, Ph.D., M.A. (Harvard University), B.A. (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Associate Professor, 2012, 2018.
Schulte, Christopher M., Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), M.A., B.A. (University of Northern Iowa), , Endowed Associate Professor of Art Education, 2019.
Slone, Ryan B., B.F.A (University of Arkansas), Instructor, 2001.
Springer, Bethany Lynn, M.F.A. (University of Georgia), B.A. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University), Professor, 2006, 2022.
Sytsma, Janine A., Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison), M.A. (University of Denver), B.A. (Arizona State University), Assistant Professor, 2016.
Turner, Aaron, M.F.A. (Rutgers State University), B.A. (University of Memphis), Assistant Professor, 2016, 2021.
Yoon-Ramirez, Injeong, Ph.D. (University of Arizona), , Endowed Associate Professor of Art Education, 2017.