Online Master of Arts in Art Education

Teach the Subject That Shaped You

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Hybrid program

Online Courses, In-Person Fieldwork

NO GRE OR GMAT

NO TEST SCORES TO APPLY

10:1

STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO

Certification prep

NYS VISUAL ARTS PRE-K–12

The Skills, Experience and Credential to Teach Art

A love for art is where every art educator starts. But teaching it well takes a combination of artistic skill, time in real classrooms and a credential New York State recognizes.

Adelphi’s online Master of Arts in Art Education sharpens your skills as both an artist and an educator, places you in K-12 classrooms across New York and prepares you for state certification.

When you graduate, you’ll be prepared for New York State Visual Arts Pre-K–12 teaching certification and ready to teach in schools, museums, community programs and beyond.

Online But Not Hands-Off

Most courses don’t have set class times, so coursework fits around your life. Weekly deadlines keep you moving forward without making you log in on a fixed schedule.

That flexibility is paired with a highly personalized program taught by expert educators. A wide range of electives means the program reflects your goals and fuels your passion. Faculty bring deep experience in art education across all stages of life, and advising is built into the program from start to finish.

Our article “The Intersection of Art and Education” is a good starting point if you’re weighing what an advanced degree can do for your teaching career.

We Find Your Fieldwork and Student Teaching Placements

The hands-on piece of this program is where everything comes together, and it’s fully supported by your Adelphi team.

Our Office of Community Partnerships arranges your placement for you. You’ll complete 100 hours of fieldwork across three courses, where you’ll observe certified art educators in Pre-K, elementary or secondary schools. Placements are available across New York State.

In your final semester, you move into full-time student teaching with a cooperating teacher and university supervisor beside you.

Learn more about the placements and student teaching →

Request Program Brochure

To learn more about Adelphi University’s online Master of Arts in Art Education and download a brochure, fill out the fields to request information or call us at 516.619.2209 to talk with one of our enrollment specialists.

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Why Adelphi’s Online MA in Art Education?

Connection to One of the World’s Great Arts Communities

Our New York roots means access to one of the richest collections of schools, cultural institutions and arts organizations in the world. That depth transfers to your fieldwork, professional network and opportunities available to you after you graduate.

A Master’s Program Built Around You

Our wide range of electives lets you shape the curriculum around your interests. Fieldwork can take place in Pre-K, elementary or secondary schools. And throughout the program, you’ll keep building your own artistic portfolio alongside your teaching one.

Faculty Who Love This Field Like You Do

Adelphi’s art education faculty are practicing artists and dedicated educators who believe in what art does for people: how it builds critical thinking, opens up new ways of seeing and enriches life at every age. That conviction shows up in how they teach and in their investment in where their students are headed.

Adelphi Delivers for Its Students

Adelphi has been named a top-ranked private university on the Forbes Top Colleges list, a ranking that measures lifelong student success, for three consecutive years. Ninety percent of Adelphi’s 2024 master’s graduates were employed, continuing their education or participating in an internship within one year of graduation.

Hear From Students & Faculty

“

I wanted to become an art teacher so I could combine my artistic skills with my desire to help and empower young people. I selected Adelphi for its reputation, flexibility, quality of professors and price. I also appreciated the support and dedication I received from the admissions staff. Clearly, Adelphi was the best choice. Read more

Jae Won Shim

MA in Art Education Alum

“

The art classroom is often the only place in public school where students have the opportunity to engage in problem solving and critical thinking, all of which are crucial skills for after graduation.

Erik Fox-Jackson

Clinical Assistant Professor of Art Education and Educational Theatre, Adelphi University

Curriculum Overview

The MA in Art Education is designed for part-time students and typically takes two years to complete.

Courses follow a weekly schedule with assignments and discussions due each week, but you choose when to log in and do the work. Some courses include informal online sessions.

What Courses Are in the MA in Art Ed?

The curriculum combines required core courses with arts electives that let you shape the program around your interests. A few examples of what you’ll take:

Artistic Development and Creative Growth
Exploring the Arts: Creative Arts for All Learners
Digital, Child or Youth Literacies
Introduction to Special Education
Master’s Seminar in Arts Education
Student Teaching in Art Education: Pre-Certification

See the full course list for the MA in Art Education →

What Will You Be Able to Do in the Art Ed Program?

Understand artistic development across the lifespan and the relationship of the sensory and kinesthetic domains to art making

Awaken and support the exploration of ideas, feelings, experiences and materials

Appreciate the role the arts can play in opening cross-cultural understandings

Maintain a lively commitment to your own artistic practice

Explore the curriculum →

Download a curriculum guide

See the Art Education Degree in Action

Hear directly from faculty and staff about the curriculum, the fieldwork and student teaching experiences and what you can do with your degree after you graduate.

Art Education Master’s: Who Is This Program For?

Our students come to this program from very different places. Your classmates may include:

Working artists who want to bring their practice into the classroom
Certified teachers who want to make art their subject
Professionals from other fields who have always made art a part of their life and who want to make it their work

What all students share is a serious foundation in visual art, demonstrated through a portfolio that showcases depth in one area and breadth across media. They’re here to build a teaching career and to deepen their understanding of what art can do for the people they teach.

See our full admissions requirements →

This Program Prepares You for NYS Visual Arts Teaching Certification

New York State requires Visual Arts teachers to hold certification covering Pre-K through grade 12. This program is designed to get you there, with career planning built into how you learn and how your advisors support you.

Learn more about certification preparation →

Careers in Art Education: What Can You Do?

Most graduates go on to teach visual art in K–12 schools. The field’s top hiring industries reflect this, with elementary and secondary schools leading the way, and junior colleges and colleges and universities also near the top employers.

For those drawn to other settings, the degree also opens doors to museums, community programs, afterschool organizations and art studios as well. Museums alone generated more than 1,500 unique job postings for art educators over the past three years, according to the labor database Lightcast.

Most positions are full time, and in many schools, there is only one art teacher, making the role a stable pillar of the school community.

You’ll find Adelphi art education graduates in:

Public schools
Private and charter schools
Colleges and universities
Museums
Afterschool programs and camps
Art studios
Community-based programs

The Value of an Advanced Degree

Nearly 60 percent of active art teachers already hold or are working toward a master’s degree, according to the Center for the Advancement of Art Education. That number has grown by 10 percent over the past three years.

If your goal is teaching art in a public school, a master’s degree is becoming a must. New York and a handful of other states require one to maintain certification, and roughly 88 percent of major U.S. school districts pay teachers more for holding a graduate degree, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.

In addition to the field moving towards graduate degrees, there is also a jump in earning potential:

Average art education salary: $61,600
With a master’s degree: $70,000
With a master’s degree in the New York metro area: $73,500

Source: Lightcast Labor Analytics

Frequently Asked Questions: MA in Art Education

What can I do with a master’s in art education?

A Master of Arts in Art Education opens doors to roles in and beyond the K-12 classroom. Graduates typically teach art in public and private schools, but the degree also prepares you for work in:

Museums
Galleries
Community arts organizations
After-school programs
Nonprofit education initiatives

Some alumni go on to become department chairs, curriculum specialists or art education consultants, while others pursue roles in art therapy settings, publishing or arts administration.

A master's degree signals advanced expertise that can qualify you for higher pay and leadership roles. For career changers and working artists, it's also one of the most direct ways to earn New York State teaching certification through an approved program like Adelphi's.

Adelphi's program also includes student teaching in New York K-12 classrooms that fulfill New York State certification requirements and give you real classroom experience before you graduate.

You can learn more about specific roles in our guide to career options with an MA in Art Education.

Can I become eligible for a teaching certification with this degree?

Yes. The Adelphi MA in Art Education is an approved teacher preparation program that leads to eligibility for New York State Visual Arts Pre-K-12 initial teaching certification.

The MA in Art Education prepares you for both stages of New York certification. First, it's an approved program that leads to your initial certificate. Second, it counts as the master's degree you'll need later to earn your professional certificate. You can learn more about this on our professional certification page.

The curriculum, fieldwork and student teaching components of the art education master’s program are all built around the state's certification requirements.

After you graduate, you'll apply for certification through the NYS TEACH system and need to pass the required state exams.

If you plan to teach outside of New York, your Adelphi degree and NY certification can serve as a strong starting point, though each state sets its own additional requirements for out-of-state candidates.

Do you need a master’s degree to teach in New York?

You don't need a master's degree to start teaching in New York, but you will need one to continue.

New York State issues an initial teaching certificate to candidates who complete an approved teacher preparation program and pass the required exams, which allows you to teach in public schools for up to five years.

To earn a professional certificate (the credential required for long-term teaching in New York), you must complete a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution that includes at least 12 graduate semester hours in your content area, along with three years of classroom experience.

Adelphi's MA in Art Education is designed to meet both sets of these requirements. The program prepares you for your initial Visual Arts Pre-K-12 certification and fulfills the master's coursework needed for the professional certificate down the road.

What are the art education master’s requirements?

Students must meet the following requirements for admission to the program:

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university including 30 credit hours in art.
A minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA on a four-point scale.

No previous teaching experience and no GMAT scores are required. You will need to provide an artistic portfolio as part of your admission materials. Visit the admissions page for a full list of what you’ll need to provide.

How much does the program cost?

For the most current figures and a full breakdown of fees, visit the MA in Art Education tuition & financial aid page or call an enrollment specialist at 516.619.2209.

Most students don't pay the full price out of pocket. You may qualify for federal financial aid by filing the FAFSA, and Adelphi accepts employer tuition reimbursement, military benefits (including the Yellow Ribbon Program for eligible veterans) and private loans. Employees of organizations in the AllCampus Workplace Network also receive a 10 percent tuition discount.

Our enrollment specialists are here to help you understand what discounts are available. Call 516.619.2209 or email online@adelphi.edu to set up a time to talk.

Visit our FAQ page for a full list of questions and answers or call 516.619.2209 to get your personal questions answered.