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For art teachers like yourself, your sense of pride and accomplishment swells as your students’ works take shape. And no matter how many times you observe the creative process, your mind is still blown by how they interpret the assignment and all they can do with the tools at their fingertips. Yet, getting here requires guidance — through techniques and history, plus an understanding of art’s therapeutic effects.
As you look to nurture your own professional progress, Mizzou Online's master of education (M Ed) in learning, teaching and curriculum program with a concentration in art education helps you foster everyone’s potential from a place of knowledge and compassion. As you engage with your calling, you’ll understand how to help your students discover and cultivate theirs. Beyond brush strokes, you learn to infuse lessons with historical context, design equitable classrooms for schools and community organizations, and connect expression with empowerment.
The master’s in art education program has two tracks. The non-certification program allows currently licensed teachers to enrich their pedagogical foundation and weave new strategies into their lesson plans. The certification track, ideal for individuals ready to pivot to a new career path, covers similar concepts and further equips them to pursue art teacher certification.
About the Online Master's in Art Education Program
Perhaps you started drawing at a young age with supplies found at home, before being steered toward formal art lessons. Or a teacher noticed your talent in an elementary or middle school art class. In these and more contexts, you found a space that embraced your ingenuity and supported your development. As a teacher, you’re now in the position to facilitate environments where others uncover or stoke their spark.
To help you advance as an instructor, the online master’s in art education program:
- Meets the scheduling needs of full-time educators thinking about how they can better serve their students.
- Looks beyond classroom walls to explore art as a medium for expression, social justice and personal wellness.
- Factors in your own artistic development, encouraging you to assess and refine your skills and how you inspire your students.
- Expands your perspective of art education and curriculum development, delving into contemporary concerns, studio experiences and research methods.
- Examines the intersection of art, visual literacy, socio-emotional learning and art therapy.
- Prepares you to design creative spaces in school and community settings that welcome all identities.
Quick facts
Official name
Master of education in learning, teaching and curriculum with an emphasis in art educationCampus
Program type
Master's degreeAcademic home
College of Education & Human Development | Department of Learning, Teaching and CurriculumDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
30Estimated cost
$16,854.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Go wherever creativity flourishes to develop impactful lessons that holistically introduce students of all ages to the visual arts — from drawing with pencils and pens to period-specific techniques defining classic to contemporary works.
For art teachers, you’ll find opportunities in K–12 schools, nonprofit and community organizations, museums and art therapy programs, along with other creativity-driven settings. Potential job titles include:
- Art curriculum specialist
- Arts administrator or coordinator
- Cultural educator
- Elementary, middle or high school art teacher
- Independent studio owner
- Museum educator
- Teacher-in-residence
Program structure
The online master’s in art education program requires 32 credit hours regardless of track. The program is structured as follows:
Non-certification track: Students complete 11 credit hours of core courses in art education, plus nine credit hours of foundation requirements and 12 credit hours of electives.
Certification track: Honing their skills in curriculum planning, pedagogy and art history, students take six credit hours of core courses in art education and nine credit hours of general College of Education requirements. They then split the remainder of the program between two to four art education certification courses (each is one to three credit hours) and electives.
No campus visits are required, and all courses are semester-based. Students typically take two classes each semester and finish in two years.
Course work includes
All students take courses exploring:
- Current issues affecting art educators and recent developments
- Art education curricula for elementary and secondary students
- Research methodologies and studies focusing on art education pedagogy
- Teaching culturally, economically and politically diverse classrooms
Review all requirements for the online master’s in art education program.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
2 yearsTypical course load
2 classes per semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
MPER Early Career Scholars Program
If you are a first-, second- or third-year teacher, and teach in an MPER partner school district, you might qualify for a 50 percent tuition sponsorship from the College of Education and Human Development.