The art education program at Cal Poly Humboldt gives students the tools they need to help others create and appreciate art. Our art education curriculum provides the foundation to successfully teach art in grades K-12 and prepares students to enter California’s mandatory fifth-year, single-subject teaching credential program. The Department of Art offers an approved subject matter waiver program through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
The art education curriculum is a combination of service learning experiences, studio art courses, and art history. The lower division core classes give students a working facility with a wide range of art media, styles, and equipment. This strong foundation is critical for effectively teaching a range of arts. Upper division courses provide students with the opportunity to concentrate in a particular studio area and master the pedagogical skills needed to develop art curricula that engage an increasingly diverse student body.
Art education students learn about the California Visual and Performing Arts Framework, as well as the California Content Standards, in order to help them develop strategies for teaching and lessons for instruction. We also have a service-learning component built into the art education classes. Students have the opportunity to develop curriculum and teach art at the Studio School for children and teens located on campus, as well as in local area schools. Art education students also help to prepare local high school students to serve as docents at local galleries and museums.
Students who enter our fifth-year credentialing program are immersed in education classes and have opportunities to teach with excellent master teachers in Humboldt County. Students must apply for this program and pass a competency assessment of subject matter during the spring semester of their senior year.
Please note: Degree requirements listed here do not include the professional education courses required for the credential. Students earning this degree may waive CSET assessments before entering the credential program. Before applying to the secondary education credential program, students must meet the prerequisite of 45-hours early field experience or enroll in SED 210 /SED 410 . Please notify your advisor at least two semesters prior to applying to the credential program, so that you can clarify state requirement for acceptance.