Fine Arts – Art Education Major

Art Education

The Francis Marion University Art Education program offers our students a comprehensive education, based on quality instruction taught by well-qualified faculty, and non-traditional educational experiences, including opportunities to participate in field trips and community- based service projects. Our Visual Arts program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD).

Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts with K-12 Teacher Certification

The Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts with Teacher Certification is designed primarily to prepare students to become art teachers, certified to teach kindergarten through 12th grade art classes in public schools. Art education majors take art education, education, studio art, art history, and general education classes. Majors also must pass professional exams, produce a graduating art exhibition, and do a student teaching internship.

Students enrolled in the Art Education program enjoy low student-to-teacher ratios and tuition that is among the lowest in the state of South Carolina for a four-year university. Based on the foundation of a liberal arts education, the program focuses on preparing teacher candidates to meet state and national requirements for art education. Public school internships, educational field trips, visiting artists, and community-based service projects complement coursework.

Check with Department for most current Visual Arts and Art Education Program Handbook  

Educational Outlook

Art education is one of the best options for individuals seeking a viable career in the visual arts. While the Department of Labor Statistics only tracks job outlooks for art education at the post-secondary level, the job outlook for education as a whole is better than such visual art careers as graphic design and photography, and with a significantly higher median pay. Most art educators also have benefits and retirement plans that many other art professionals lack. Our alumni are actively involved in the South Carolina Art Education Association, the National Art Education Association and CERRA.

The Art Education program at Francis Marion University has produced numerous alumni who are currently working in the field across the Pee Dee region and beyond. In fact, most of our graduates find employment in the field shortly after graduation. Several of our alumni have gone on to receive awards for outstanding teaching.

In addition to preparing graduates to teach art in public schools, the degree can be a springboard to a number of other careers, including museum education, art therapy, art supervision, and higher education professorial positions.

Art Education Facilities

Francis Marion offers a variety of state-of-the-art facilities for Art Education students, including a photography studio, spacious, high-ceilinged painting studios, professional graphic design labs, and art galleries. Learn more about FMU’s Art Education Facilities.

Beyond the Classroom

The art education faculty are actively involved in research, and have been published in peer-reviewed national and international art education publications, and have exhibited their artwork in juried national and regional art exhibitions. Faculty members have also organized several symposia and one currently serves as the chair of the Poskito: South Carolina Photography and Video Conference, a major university-sponsored event that starting in 2014 will bring leading photographers, videographers, and related professionals and scholars to the university to give talks, participate in panel discussions, and teach workshops exclusively for university students.

Members of the Francis Marion University Student Art Guild and FMU faculty visit art museums and galleries up and down the east coast as time and funding permit. Since 2010, faculty have taken students on University-Sponsored Field Trips to Ecuador, London, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Ft. Worth and many of the major urban areas around the state and region, typically at very low cost for participating students. Likewise, art education majors have also been selected for other university-sponsored field trips offered by visual arts faculty. Students can also apply to the university’s international exchange program, and if selected, they can study abroad at one of the university’s eight partner institutions.

The faculty have also partnered with a variety of regional organizations to provide ongoing community-based experiences for our students. Among these organizations are the Florence Pecan Festival, Francis Marion University’s Arts International Festival, the Florence Museum of Art, Science, and History, the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, the Florence Regional Arts Alliance, the Gail and Terry Richardson Center for the Child, the Timrod Elementary Extended Day Program, and the Pee Dee Boys and Girls Club.

Art Education Alumni have gone on to graduate study as well as successful careers in fields including art education, administration, and museum curation.

Admission to the Art Education Program

Art education majors must be admitted to both the School of Education and the art education program. Please refer to the Francis Marion University’s catalog for specific information regarding admission requirements.

Contact Information

To arrange a visit to campus and the Department of Fine Arts, call admissions at 843-661-1231. For more specific information about studies in Art Education at Francis Marion University, call (843) 661-1385 or contact:

Dr. EunJung Chang
Professor of Art Education
EChang@fmarion.edu