Bachelor of Arts in Education in
Visual Arts/K-12

Art
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About

Pursuing art as a major gives you the chance to develop the highest levels of artistic performance, pursue a professional education, and build a cultural understanding and aesthetic appreciation of visual art.

In addition to studying art and choosing a studio discipline in either Digital Art/Photography, Painting/Drawing/Printmaking, or Ceramics/Sculpture, you’ll complete the required Education Core courses, which leads to certification to teach K-12 art in the State of Washington.

For any advising needs contact:

Shelly Shaffer, PhD
Director of Undergraduate Programs
School of Education
sshaffer1@ewu.edu

Jenny Hyde
Program Director
Art Program
jhyde@ewu.edu

Curriculum & Requirements Curriculum Map

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Visual Arts K–12 Major, Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)

This major satisfies the endorsement for preschool to grade 12.

Students who successfully complete the coursework and other requirements for this BAE degree will be eligible for Washington State Teacher Certification and are eligible to be employed in the public school system as an art teacher.  Teaching art is a highly rewarding career choice with a variety of employment possibilities - not only are art teachers needed in public schools - but they are also employed in museums, community centers, and/or in corporate training venues, etc. Of note, Eastern Washington University’s outstanding art education program strives to produce effective teachers who are working artists. 

All BAE/Art Education students will work closely with BOTH an Art Department advisor and School of Education advisor.  

Art Education students must complete the required Education Core courses plus the following Art courses.

Note: The Art Department recommends all art majors and minors begin their studies with Foundation Requirements courses. Prerequisites may be required for course entry.

Foundation Requirements
ART 201STUDIO I: IMAGE AND TECHNOLOGY5
ART 202STUDIO II: TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS5
ART 213THE VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE5
Core Requirements
ART 225CERAMICS I5
ART 300DRAWING5
ART 303DIGITAL ART5
or ART 305 PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
ART 312ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY5
or ART 313 ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY
ART 355PAINTING5
or ART 356 WATERCOLOR
ART 391FOUNDATIONS OF ART EDUCATION (Note: offered once a year.)5
Visual Culture Elective–choose one5
ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY
ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY
THE BODY IN ART
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTEMPORARY ART
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
Art Elective–choose one from the following 300–level or above5
Experimental courses ART 396 and ART 496 may be included and repeated for credit
ILLUSTRATION
DIGITAL ART
PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CERAMICS II
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
PAINTING
WATERCOLOR
PRINTMAKING
SCULPTURE
FIBER AND TEXTILES
EXPERIMENTAL
DRAWING (may be repeated up to three times)
LIFE DRAWING (may be repeated up to three times)
DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE
PHOTOGRAPHY: ADVANCED PRACTICE (may be repeated up to three times)
ART AND COMMUNITY
ART AS SOCIAL ACT
ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION (may be repeated up to three times)
CERAMICS III (may be repeated up to three times)
PAINTING II (may be repeated up to three times)
PRINTMAKING (may be repeated up to three times)
SCULPTURE (may be repeated up to three times)
Senior Capstone
ART 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
Total Credits60

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2015ART 2025ART 213 (Humanities & Arts BACR 2)5
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 107 or 1705
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Social Science BACR 115Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2255ART 355 or 3565ART 303 or 3055
ART 3005Global Studies - graduation requirement15Diversity - graduation requirement15
Natural Science BACR 115Natural Science BACR 215Visual Culture Elective25
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 312 or 3135ART 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
ART 3915Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
Art Elective35Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective2Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1
 15 17 16
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
EDUC 3033EDUC 386B5EDUC 42612
EDUC 3093EDUC 4275 
EDUC 3413Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5 
EDUC 386A3  
EDUC 4133  
 15 15 12
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Visual Culture Elective–choose one course from the approved list.

3

Art Elective–choose one course, 300–level or above, from the approved list. Experimental courses ART 396 and ART 496 may be included and repeated for credit.

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB

General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences

University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List

Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BAE in Art Education-Secondary Focus from EWU should be able to:

  • demonstrate technical skill in a variety of studio art materials, PLO-4;
  • identify works of art within historical contexts, PLO-3;
  • produce a professional quality digital portfolio for art education professionals, PLO-1;
  • use appropriate terminology to evaluate works of art, PLO 2;

Sample Courses

ART 391. FOUNDATIONS OF ART EDUCATION. 5 Credits.

Notes: offered once a year.
Pre-requisites: declared art education major or minor.
An examination and review of significant historical and philosophical thought in the development of contemporary K–12 art education. Also involves sequential curriculum design, assessment of student learning, sharing of art education resources, and art program advocacy. Examines and verifies professional competency prior to student teaching.

Catalog Listing

ART 314. THE BODY IN ART. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: GWSS 303, HONS 303.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 and junior standing.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
Many ideas about race, gender, and sexuality originate in representations of the body. This theme-based survey explores how figurative art has contributed, since prehistory, to shape today’s views. Emphasis in on applying contemporary issues, such as consent and identity, to the study of historical artworks. Includes class discussions and weekly writing assignments about art historical and critical texts that examine the production and perpetuation of cultural attitudes about the body.

Catalog Listing

ART 340. NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: IDST 340.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
This course tells the story of American art from indigenous perspectives. It explores over 4,000 years of artistic practices by the native peoples of North America, from the origins of the Northwest Coast style to contemporary art. Studies the relation between process, rituals, and the meaning of works of art. Also includes discussions of cultural appropriation, the ethics of collecting, and the role of museums in preserving and displaying art.

Catalog Listing

ART 403. DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ART 201 or DESN 216 or FILM 110.
This advanced digital art course focuses on video and time-based art. In addition to a technical focus on video and 2D animation, the expressive use of moving images in the context of fine art is explored. A survey of contemporary artists who use video as their primary medium is included in creative projects.

Catalog Listing