School of the Art Institute of Chicago
36 South Wabash
Chicago, IL 60603
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is committed not only to the education of emerging artists and designers, but also to ensuring the future of the arts through arts education. SAIC offers two unique Master of Arts programs that prepare artists, designers, scholars, and teachers to communicate and impart their knowledge on future generations: Master of Arts in Arts Education (MAAE) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).
Master of Arts in Art Education
The MAAE program is an individualized, 36-credit-hour program designed for artists, designers, cultural workers, teachers, museum educators, and other arts professionals seeking skills to be effective art/design educators and agents of change.
The program promotes the expansion of the field of arts and design education by preparing candidates for a wide variety of social, cultural, and educational contexts, from the traditional, to the self-organizing. MA in Arts Education students and alumni work within schools, museums, cultural institutions, community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, web-based education, and other formal organizations.
Master of Arts in Teaching
The MAT program prepares students to become critical teachers of art and visual culture and fulfills requirements for the Illinois K-12 Visual Arts Teaching License.
The MA in Teaching curriculum incorporates cultural production, assessment, evaluation, and pedagogical methods for elementary, middle, and secondary education. MA in Teaching students expand their critical skills, creative production, and experience through curriculum development, fieldwork, and research-based forms of inquiry. Students also pursue study through electives in advanced art and design history, studio, or art and design analysis.
Critical Citizenship
MAAE and MAT programs cultivate critical citizenship and social engagement. Students in the program learn to interpret and teach art and visual culture while fostering empowerment and meaningful participation in democratic life for all students—coursework emphasizes actively questioning social, political, and cultural structures and discourses that comprise everyday life. The MAAE and MAT programs activism, advocacy, egalitarianism, professionalism, and social responsibility.
Curricula and Instruction
Guided by some of Chicago’s most influential art educators and practitioners in their fields, MAAE and MAT students pursue a rigorous path involving combinations of scholarly, studio-based, and professional experience:
– MAAE students are situated in a flexible academic environment which encourages them to pursue coursework in architecture, interior architecture, designed objects, art history, arts administration, exhibition studies, fieldwork, historic preservation, liberal arts, visual and critical studies, writing, and various studio-based practices.
– The professional core for the MA in Art Education degree requires essential fieldwork and/or internship that directly links to thesis research and project development, usually associated with one of the many distinguished cultural institutions or community-based organizations in the greater Chicago area.
– MAT students fulfill their degree requirements by applying the skills learned in the program to teaching experiences in Chicago’s public school system. Students are required to complete more than 600 hours of preclinical and clinical teaching experience under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and Department of Art Education faculty member.
Apply Now
Applications for the MAAE and MAT programs are due January 15, 2014. To apply, visit saic.edu/gradapp.
Contact Graduate Admissions at [email protected] with any questions.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to more than 3,200 students from around the globe. SAIC also provides adults, high school students, and children with the opportunity to flourish in a variety of courses, workshops, certificate programs, and camps through its Continuing Studies program. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC’s resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit saic.edu
