Art Education Degrees and Teaching Requirements

An art education degree does not automatically grant teacher registration. Registration, licensure or certification to teach in a school is a separate decision made by a government or an authority it designates, and it usually has its own requirements on top of a degree. This guide explains the difference and what to ask. It does not tell you whether you are eligible to teach anywhere, and it does not promise employment.

Degrees and teaching credentials are different things

Three layers are often confused:

1. An academic degree in art, design or art education, awarded by a university or school (a BFA, BA, MFA, MA, MAT and so on). See BFA versus BA and MFA versus MA.
2. Teacher preparation, such as a postgraduate teaching course or program with student teaching, which may or may not be part of the degree.
3. A credential to teach, called QTS, licence, certificate or registration depending on the country, and awarded by a state, national or other body.

A degree with the words "art education" in the title may include layer 2 and may lead toward layer 3, but only the school can tell you whether it does, and only the credentialing authority can confirm eligibility. A studio degree such as a BFA or MFA is not a teaching credential. Florida Atlantic University lists art educator among the career paths for both its BA and its BFA, but that does not mean either degree alone gives teaching registration.

Example: England and QTS

GOV.UK explains that qualified teacher status is a legal requirement to teach in many English schools: it is required in maintained schools and non-maintained special schools, while academies, free schools and private schools can employ teachers without it, although it is seen as desirable in most schools. Those trained in England have their results reported by their initial teacher training provider, and QTS is recorded if they pass. Teachers trained in Wales are awarded QTS by the Education Workforce Council. Those trained in Scotland or Northern Ireland who want to teach in England must apply for QTS themselves. Teachers trained outside the UK follow separate routes. The page describes the award process; it does not say that a degree subject alone is sufficient, so check teacher-training requirements on the government's own training information.

Example: a US program that is explicit about certification

Teachers College, Columbia University describes a Master of Arts that leads to initial New York State certification in visual arts for Pre-K to grade 12, with a year-long student teaching practicum. The same page does not describe state exams and does not address licensure in other states, and it directs questions to the program director. The program is described as a 40-credit degree with on-campus attendance.

Contrast this with the college's hybrid MA in Studio Practice for Art Educators, a 32-credit program that combines online coursework with two six-week summer residencies. The page we read does not say whether the program leads to teacher certification, and directs applicants to admissions; it says international applicants cannot apply. Two degrees in the same department, two different answers on certification, which is why you must ask each program.

RISD's academics page lists Teaching and Learning in Art and Design with MA and MAT degrees and a certificate. We cannot tell from that page which, if any, lead to a licence in any state; ask the school and the relevant state agency.

What varies by place

In the United States, teacher certification is generally set by each state, so requirements for the same degree differ between states, and moving between states may involve extra steps. In other countries, a national or regional body decides. Common elements, to be confirmed with the authority, can include a minimum degree, an approved preparation program, supervised teaching, exams or assessments, background checks and subject-specific requirements, such as a minimum amount of study in art. We cannot list requirements for any place, and the details change. Always check the official site of the education authority for the place where you want to teach.

Questions to ask a program

1. Does the program lead to a teaching credential, and which one, in which jurisdiction and for which grades or age groups?
2. Is student teaching or a placement included? How long, and where?
3. Which exams or assessments are required, and does the program prepare you for them?
4. What happens if I later want to teach in another state or country?
5. Is the program approved by the authority that issues the credential? Where is that stated?
6. Are there extra requirements for international students, such as visas or fingerprinting? See studying art abroad.
7. What do graduates usually still have to do after the degree before applying?

Questions to ask the authority

• Will my degree be accepted toward a credential, and what else is needed?
• Is a foreign degree recognised, and how is it assessed?
• Are there subject-specific requirements for teaching art?
• Are there routes for people who already hold a degree in art?

Write the answers down and keep the date. Rules change, and an old webpage or a school's recruiter is not the authority.

Teaching outside schools

Teaching art in universities, colleges or community settings often follows different rules from school teaching. Employers set their own requirements: some ask for an MFA or a doctorate, some for experience, some for a teaching qualification. We do not claim that any degree qualifies you for a given post. Read the job listings and employers' pages for the roles you want.

How we label programs

On this site we only say that a program "leads to" certification or registration when the school's own page says so, and we record the jurisdiction. Otherwise we state that the page does not say. See choosing an art school for questions to put to any school.