Prepare to work as an artist-teacher in public and private schools. Combining contemporary art, critical pedagogy, and social justice, this master of arts program will give you the skills to become an innovative educator of the arts.
This program leads to eligibility for New York State initial certification as a teacher of visual arts, all grades (K–12). During your course of study, you must complete one semester of fieldwork and two semesters of supervised student teaching at NYU-affiliated New York City schools.
Official Degree Title
Master of Arts in Art Education, Teaching Art, Initial Certification
Degree
MA
Application Deadline
Fall Start:
January 15
Plan Code
AREI
Credits
30
Format
Full-time or Part-time
Contact
Admissions Requirements
In order to be considered for admission to this program, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
As regulated by the New York State Education Department, you must have the following credits prior to enrollment:
- 30 semester hours in studio art and art history (a maximum of 10 hours can be in art history)
See more on content core requirements.
If any of these requirements are not fulfilled, you will have to take the necessary courses during your first year of graduate study, in addition to the courses required for the master’s degree. This prerequisite course work will not count towards the master’s degree.
We review all applications individually and holistically, but our expectation is that successful candidates for admission to any NYU Steinhardt MA program in teacher education will have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average. Special consideration may be granted to strong candidates with a GPA below 3.0.
How to Apply
These instructions and requirements are for all applicants. If you are not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, please read the special instructions for international applicants.
Your application will require the following items. The following are acceptable document types for uploads: .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .png, .doc, .docx, and bitmap.
1. Prepare Your Application
Résumé/CV
You are required to upload a copy of your most recent résumé or curriculum vitae as part of your application.
Statement of Purpose
Please describe your interest in pursuing art education, your relevant experience, and what you will contribute to the NYU art education community in a 500 word response. Some topics to include in your statement: How have your experiences as a student, teacher, and artist influenced your current goals for graduate school and Initial Certification in Visual Art Education? What do you believe is the role of art and the artist in society today? Why do you feel it is important to teach visual art in PreK-12 schools? Why are you applying to the NYU program in Art+Education? We strongly encourage candidates to include how the NYU Art+Education program philosophy and focus on contemporary art, radical education, and social justice connects to your personal and professional goals.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation. Be sure to request them well in advance of the deadline. Read detailed instructions.
Your recommenders should be academic and professional colleagues related to your background in art and/or education and teaching.
Transcripts
Upload one official copy of transcripts from every postsecondary institution (college/university) you have attended or are attending. Please note: This includes transcripts from institutions where you received transfer credits or did not complete a degree. Make sure to request an official copy of the transcript(s) in advance of the deadline.
Transfer Credits
We understand accepted transfer credits may be clearly listed on your degree awarding institution’s transcript. The Office of Graduate Admissions still requires a transcript from the initial credit-granting institution where you took the course(s). Delay in listing and uploading these transcripts can significantly delay the application review process.
Institutions Outside the US or Canada
If you completed or are completing a degree at an institution outside of the US or Canada, you are required to provide a WES or ECE international credentials evaluation. Please review our requirements for translation and a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts.
GRE or MAT
The GRE or MAT is NOT Required.
Proficiency in English
See testing requirements.
Portfolio
Please upload a visual portfolio that includes 15-20 images of creative work produced within the last 3-5 years. If you have previous teaching experience, you may submit an additional 5-10 images representing examples of teaching projects and student artwork. We encourage you to select a range of artworks that represent your ideas, strengths, and experience as an artist and artist educator. All portfolios must be submitted via your online application.
Your portfolio should be digital and images should be in .jpg, .png, or .gif format, and no larger than 1280 x 1024 pixels (maximum 5MB). .pdfs no larger than 10MB may be uploaded as well.
Each image should have a title, description, size, and medium entered at the time you upload it.
You may upload videos not in excess of 60 MB. Videos can be a compilation of various works, but the total running time cannot exceed five minutes per video. Genres appropriate to video documentation include video art, performance, and kinetic art, but not documentation of sculptures or exhibitions.
Please include an inventory of images/videos in .pdf format with your name in the top right hand corner and a list of images numbered in the order of viewing. Include title, if any, medium, dimensions, and date.
We do not accept PowerPoint or Keynote presentations. You may also upload an optional artist’s statement in the Portfolio section of the online application.
Artist Statement:
Optional. Upload the Artist Statement to the Portfolio section of the online application.
Personal Interview
We invite applicants to interview with us as part of the admission process, either in person, on Zoom, or by phone. This interview is a chance to meet our faculty and an opportunity to ask questions about the program and NYU campus. The Art+Education program will contact you by email to schedule your interview after reviewing your application materials.
2. Apply
Application
After you fill in and upload the required information, you can submit your completed application. Your application must be completed, dated, electronically signed, and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST of the stated deadline.
Application Fee
You will be prompted to pay a $75 application fee, payable by major credit card only. After submitting your payment, you will see your application status change from “saved” to “submitted.” Please print this screen for your records, as it confirms that your application has been successfully sent to our school. If you have problems submitting your payment, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. Learn more about our fee waiver policy.
Mailing Additional Items
If any application materials need to be mailed to our office, mail the materials to NYU Steinhardt, Office of Graduate Admissions, 82 Washington Square East, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-6680. Please do not mail your materials in binders or folders. Any mailed materials must be received by, not postmarked by, the stated deadline. Only completed applications will be considered and reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of mailed materials.
Application Policies
Application deadlines are "in-office" deadlines, not postmark deadlines. It is your responsibility to ensure that all materials are in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the appropriate deadline, and we reserve the right to return any application that arrives after the deadline. Only completed applications will be considered. Should a deadline fall on a weekend, the in-office deadline will be the next business day. We advise you to apply early.
Please check the online system to confirm that you have successfully submitted your application. Due to the volume of applications and related materials received, the Office of Graduate Admissions will only contact you if your application was successfully submitted and is deemed incomplete because of missing required materials. Otherwise, you will hear from us when the admissions committee has made its decision.
Deferral policy: NYU Steinhardt does not allow deferrals. Applicants who wish to be considered for a future semester must reapply by submitting a new application with all supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, by the application deadline.
3. Receive Your Admission Decision
Decision
You will be notified about your decision by email. Typically, decisions will start going out in late November for Spring semester enrollment and in late March or early April for Summer or Fall enrollment. You may learn of your decision before or after this timeline.
Financial Aid
The Art + Education Programs offer merit and need-based scholarships. In order to be eligible for any financial aid you MUST complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The deadline to submit the FAFSA is March 1 for Fall enrollment. Do not wait to be accepted. You can use tax forms from the previous tax year to submit.
For more information please visit the NYU Financial Aid website, Steinhardt Graduate Financial Aid site, and the NYU Steinhardt Office of Admissions Paying for Your Education site.