Program Overview
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Location: Guggenheim 101
Telephone: 970.351.2143
Fax: 970.351.2299
Website: https://arts.unco.edu/art/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
Contact the Art office for more information.
The program consists of four parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits
- University-Wide Credits
*For Educator licensure majors, PTEP coursework counts towards the minimum of nine upper-division UNC credits (300-400).
Program Description:
The art education emphasis is a K-12 teacher education program preparing students to teach visual arts in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The art education program requires competency in visual art technique and processes, analysis of the place of the arts in our historical heritage and current community, and the ability to apply the arts to human experience and learning. Satisfactory completion of requirements leads to K-12 art education licensure.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
- It is important to note that the Art & Design major cannot be completed within 2 years. The first year is spent in completing the Foundations courses and requirements. Seniors and transfer students considering applying to the Art & Design program are advised that it is not possible to complete requirements in fewer than four regular semesters.
- Should the number of qualified applicants exceed space available in required courses, the school will admit only those students ranking highest in cumulative grade point averages.
Program Requirements:
- New Art & Design students must complete the Foundations requirements before they can begin their advanced art studies. The Foundations Courses include ART 134, ART 180, ART 183, and ART 184. Students must also successfully complete the Foundations Portfolio.
- Transfer students who have articulated coursework from another institution will only submit artwork completed in courses taken at UNC. Students who have completed ART 134, ART 183 and ART 184 at another accredited university are exempt from the Foundations Portfolio.
- An Exit level PTEP Senior Portfolio review is required prior to graduation. The portfolio consists of work from the student's concentration area. Students are evaluated on their knowledge and successful demonstration of professional portfolio preparation of artwork, art history and cultures, and verbal and written critical analysis. The PTEP Review also evaluates students on their knowledge and successful demonstration of art education pedagogy.
PTEP Program Requirements:
Teacher candidates who complete an approved content degree and the UNC professional teacher education program, as well as pass the appropriate Colorado Department of Education designated PRAXIS exam (if applicable), will be eligible for recommendation from UNC for a Colorado Department of Education teaching license.
If you are seeking licensure in your program area, the following items are required to complete your program.
- Completion of Application for Initial Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Full Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Application for Student Teaching
- Completion of content specific PRAXIS test prior to Student Teaching
- Candidates may not take extra courses with Student Teaching without prior approval from the Program Coordinator and the STE Director.
- All PTEP Field Experiences and methods courses need to be successfully completed prior to Student Teaching.
- Student Teaching outside the supervision of UNC Faculty may or may not be approved.
- Teacher Candidates will not be placed in a school where they were once students or where they have a close relative attending and/or working.
- Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.
Please work with your content advisor to determine when these requirements will be completed throughout your program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 73 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
Select any course to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies, and International Studies — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
ART 181, ART 182, and ART 185 are recommended to fulfill Arts & Humanities requirement and the additional 3 credits required in Arts & Humanities or History or Social & Behavioral Sciences and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Arts & Humanities, History and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 73 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Complete the following four Foundations Courses first
Complete the following courses:
| ART 181 | Ancient Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 182 | Medieval to Rococo Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 185 | Neoclassic to Modern Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 210 | Introduction to Ceramics | 3 |
| ART 231 | Painting I | 3 |
| ART 237 | Introduction to Digital Media | 3 |
| ART 248 | Introduction to Art Education/Art for the Exceptional Child | 3 |
| ART 250 | Introduction to Printmaking | 3 |
| ART 261 | Introduction to Sculpture | 3 |
| ART 265 | Metalsmithing | 3 |
| ART 270 | Graphic Design I | 3 |
| ART 271 | Introduction to Photography | 3 |
| ART 340 | Foundations of Art Education | 3 |
| ART 342 | Curriculum and Instruction in Art: Studio Strategies | 3 |
| ART 345 | Clinical Experiences I: K-12 Art | 3 |
| ART 441 | Cultural Studies in the K-12 Curriculum | 3 |
| ART 445 | Clinical Experiences II: K-12 Art | 3 |
| ART 449 | Current Issues in Art | 3 |
| ART 466 | Visual Arts Student Teaching Seminar | 1 |
Area of Focus (6 credits)
A minimum of six credits of upper-level courses, at the 300-level and above, from the areas of Studio Art, Art History, or Graphic Design, must be completed for an Area of Focus. The Area of Focus must be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor and should result in an intentional and cohesive body of work with thematic unity.
3. Required PTEP — 22 Credits
Choose one of the following courses, based on preferred teaching level:
| PSY 347 | Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| PSY 349 | Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
Complete the following courses:
| ECLD 341 | Content-Based Literacies for Equitable Access to PK-12 Instruction | 3 |
| EDFE 444 | Supervised Student Teaching | 1-15 |
| EDSE 433 | Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom | 2 |
4. University-Wide Credits — 0-3 credits*
*Note: Students must apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum requirements and the major requirements to complete this degree program in 120 credit hours. Students may have up to 3 credits of university wide electives to apply to this degree depending on the number of credits applied to both the LAC and the major. See your advisor for details.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| ART 134 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| ART 180 | Contemporary Art History | 3 |
| ART 183 | 2D Design | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ART 181 | Ancient Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 184 | 3D Design | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 2 – 33 credits
Fall Semester
| ART 182 | Medieval to Rococo Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 210 | Introduction to Ceramics | 3 |
| ART 231 | Painting I | 3 |
| ART 237 | Introduction to Digital Media | 3 |
| ART 248 | Introduction to Art Education/Art for the Exceptional Child | 3 |
| Application for Initial Admission to PTEP | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ART 185 | Neoclassic to Modern Art HistoryLAA1 | 3 |
| ART 250 | Introduction to Printmaking | 3 |
| ART 261 | Introduction to Sculpture | 3 |
| ART 340 | Foundations of Art Education | 3 |
| EDF 290 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| | |
| PSY 347 | Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| or | |
| PSY 349 | Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Year 3 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| ART 270 | Graphic Design I | 3 |
| ART 271 | Introduction to Photography | 3 |
| ART 342 | Curriculum and Instruction in Art: Studio Strategies | 3 |
| ART 449 | Current Issues in Art | 3 |
| ECLD 341 | Content-Based Literacies for Equitable Access to PK-12 Instruction | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ART 265 | Metalsmithing | 3 |
| ART 345 | Clinical Experiences I: K-12 Art | 3 |
| ART 441 | Cultural Studies in the K-12 Curriculum | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | Liberal Arts Curriculum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Checkpoint for Full PTEP is done through ART 345
Year 4 – 27 credits
Fall Semester
| ART 445 | Clinical Experiences II: K-12 Art | 3 |
| EDSE 433 | Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom | 2 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Natural and Physical Sciences with LabLAS1LASL | 4 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Application for Student Teaching | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ART 466 | Visual Arts Student Teaching Seminar | 1 |
| EDFE 444 | Supervised Student Teaching | 1-15 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |