Curriculum

Program Rationale:

The Department of Art presently offers a broad-based master’s degree which accommodates specializations in art education and/or studio arts (ceramics, painting, illustration, sculpture, printmaking, or others). Both concepts and technical excellence are stressed. The M.S. in Art Education program is designed primarily to meet the needs of experienced art educators who have completed an undergraduate program in the field. The program does not lead to teaching certification.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Students accepted into the program are expected to:

• Engage in aesthetic inquiry to understand their creative practice and the practice of other artists through the process of creating, looking, reading, and writing about these practices; and
• Increase or develop an understanding of creative idea development, direction, and production by either: a) creating a significant, coherent, highly resolved body of work for exhibition, with accompanying exegesis, (Plan C) or b) writing a traditional thesis that applies methodologies appropriate for art education to examine topics and/or issues within the discipline (Plan A).

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.70 on a 4.00 point scale (where A is 4.00), or its equivalent, and good standing (3.00 GPA) in all post-baccalaureate course work.

In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies, applicants must successfully pass a portfolio review and essay evaluation to be fully admitted into graduate programs in the Department of Art. Interested applicants can contact the Department of Art directly at 860-832-2620.

General Portfolio Requirements for All Applicants:
The portfolio must consist of 15–20 slides or digital images of the applicant’s artwork in a variety of media that demonstrate the applicant’s best studio practice. It is important that no work submitted be copied from photographs or other works of art. Multiple views are recommended for original work in sculpture, ceramics, 3D design and/or crafts.

Master of Science in Art Education Portfolio Requirements:

1. Applicants for Master of Science in Art Education must submit a variety of media that demonstrate their best studio practice.
2. Applicants who intend to focus on a particular studio area, such as drawing, ceramics, or painting, should also include a series of at least five pieces that show a consistent direction, for example, invented figure compositions, portraits, landscapes and/or abstractions.

Graduate Admission Essay

Applicants must submit a completed essay describing their background and interest in the program. On the initial page, an applicant should include his or her name and the program to which he or she is applying (Master of Science in Art Education or Post-Baccalaureate). The essay should be two pages, double-spaced. In the essay, applicants should:

1. Give a brief account of their background in relation to education, occupation, and activities relevant to the field of art and art education;
2. Discuss the reasons for choosing an advanced degree in art, some of the ideas in which they are currently interested, and future areas they would like to explore; and
3. Include a brief discussion of the work that was submitted for the portfolio review.

Where to Submit Additional Application Materials

Instructions for uploading the essay will be found within the online graduate application. The portfolio should be sent directly to the Department of Art:

Central Connecticut State University
Department of Art, Maloney Hall
RE: Graduate Admission Materials
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050

At the same time, the graduate application and official transcripts from each institution are to be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office.

Contact: 860-832-2620

Course and Capstone Requirements:

Note: No more than nine credits at the 400 level, as approved by the graduate advisor, may be counted toward the graduate planned program of study.

Degree Candidacy

After completing 15 credits of coursework, the student must apply for Degree Candidacy. The student must present a resume, statement of purpose, and a portfolio of at least five pieces to a committee of the advisor and two other faculty members selected by the student and approved by the advisor. After 27 credits, the student must undergo a final review, including committee approval of the thesis (Plan A) or exhibition/special project (Plan C). The comprehensive exam option (Plan B) is not available. Please follow the directions on the Policies and Degree Requirements page, linked here, concerning the planned program.