The Master of Arts degree in art education is offered through the School of Art for advanced study of teaching and learning in art. This research-oriented degree focuses on contemporary issues about the understanding of art in a cultural context (art history, criticism and aesthetics), the construction of meaning through the production of art and issues that might arise within or outside a traditional school setting.

Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area offer many opportunities for multicultural and cross-cultural research. Each area of study emphasizes scholarship and the highest standard of academic work. The faculty in these areas work closely with graduate students and are recognized nationally in their respective areas of specialization.

Application deadline

If applying for scholarships, fellowships or assistantships, the application deadline is Jan. 15. Otherwise, art education reviews applications through April 1, for admissions the following semester.

Application requirements

To be eligible for the program, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major of at least 45 semester hours in art, including 12 hours of art history and six hours of art education. You must have a GPA in undergraduate art education and course work during the junior/senior years of at least a 3.0.

Applying to ASU Graduate Education

Review ASU Graduate Education requirements and apply through the Graduate Education website.

Graduate record exam and miller analogy test

If your junior/senior GPA is below 3.0 (on a 4 point scale), art education requires either the Graduate Record Exam or the Miller Analogy Test. Scores must be official and sent directly from the testing agency to ASU Graduate Education.

Required application materials

• Statement of intent: The statement of intent should address your reasons for applying to graduate program in general and the Herberger Institute School of Art in particular, as well as professional goals. It should not exceed two typed pages. Please submit with your application to Graduate Education.
• Research paper: You should submit a formal research paper for review. The Formal Art Education Research Paper is a term paper or equivalent on art education, art history, an artist or other art topic. The body of the paper should be a minimum of four pages. This paper may have already been written or may be specifically written for this application. The paper must be typed, double-spaced and must contain full bibliographic references to all cited sources. It is recommended that quotations comprise only a small portion of the body of the paper. All quotes, paraphrases or directly attributed ideas should be referenced in any one of several standard formats (such as APA, Turabian, Campbell, Chicago, or you may model after a published scholarly article). Please submit with your application to the Graduate Education.
• Letters of recommendation: Art education requires two letters of recommendation from professionals in the field and/or from faculty with whom you have studied. Please follow the instructions for letters of recommendation and submit with your application to Graduate Education.
• Resume: Submit a current resume; be sure to highlight your academic success and submit with your application to Graduate Education.
• International students: Please refer to international student information on the ASU Graduate Education website.
• Transfer credit: A limited number of transfer credits taken prior to admission (or after admission) to the MA in art education program may be included in your program of study. Transfer credits are not included among the classes leading to the 15 hour review.
• Regular admission: If you qualify under regular admissions, you have no conditions to meet and are eligible for assistantships and scholarships. The minimum number of hours for an assistantship is six and the minimum number of hours for a scholarship is nine.
• Regular admission with deficiencies: If your grades, test scores or portfolio are at an acceptable level but do not have the undergraduate background expected by the academic unit and the university, you may be required to complete courses to remedy deficiencies. In such cases the letter of admission specifies the courses that must be completed before you are awarded a graduate degree. In the School of Art these courses must be completed with a grade of B or better during the first year of study. Any extension beyond one year must have the approval of the temporary advisor and the chair of the graduate studio committee. Deficiency hours may not be applied toward the minimum hours required for the degree program.
• Provisional admission: If you do not meet minimum academic standards, but have counterbalancing evidence to suggest the potential for success you may be admitted on a provisional basis. You will be reviewed by area faculty following 12 hours of graduate study, at which time the School of Art will recommend to Graduate Education either a change to regular admission or withdrawal from the program.