Master of Arts in Art Education NSCAD University - Fountain Campus, Canada

The Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) is a 36-credit program that teaches students how to apply their knowledge and talents to become change makers, activists, and catalysts for positive change, going beyond the conventional to reach radical possibilities in art education research and practice.

Our future art educators will be immersed in a theory-rich academic experience, rigorous research training and a hands-on, field-based practicum that reflects current trends and roles that art educators play in diverse professional settings, including community organizations, non-government organizations, museums, galleries, and visitor centres – wherever people welcome the opportunity to learn with, in and through art.

To help develop a unique philosophy of art education, students are encouraged to consider their own life experiences and connect their art and teaching practices with pedagogical theory, conceptual understandings and critical reflection. Courses model and develop socially responsible, exemplary teaching practices in and across art education contexts.

NSCAD University’s MAAE is an approved program towards increasing teacher certification in Nova Scotia.

Who This Program Is For
During the MAAE program, students specialize in one of three program streams that allow exploration of current methodologies relevant to specific art education practices. By balancing this content knowledge with practical teaching and research strategies, students become capable of effectively communicating their specialized knowledge to others.

Program Streams

• Applied Pedagogy In Art Education Stream: Designed for those seeking advanced training in the teaching of art to specific age groups including children, youth, adults, and the elderly in a variety of contexts such as educational institutions, retirement homes, and youth facilities. This stream focuses on the development of best practices associated with human development and well-being.
   
• Museum And Curatorial Stream: Designed for those seeking advanced training in the delivery of art education programming in informal educational settings such as art museums, galleries, and other organizations that offer immersive visitor experiences. This stream expands on conventional approaches to public engagement with collections and emphasizes Indigenous and radical curatorial approaches intended to reach diverse groups of visitors.
   
• Community-Based Practice Stream: Designed for those seeking advanced training in responsive art education pedagogy that is grounded in the needs and experiences of communities. This stream focuses on outreach, activism, and contextualized learning about art and culture in ways that support equitable access to educational opportunities and collaborative program development.

Program Objectives

• Introduce contemporary issues in art education in local, national and international contexts.
• Explore topics that impact personal educational and teaching experiences.
• Examine and develop a critical understanding of current topics of debate affecting the discipline of art education such as effective ways to teach art in an uncertain world, strategies to address diversity and change in educational and cultural institutions, the impact of economics and politics in the delivery of art education in a variety of sectors, the rapid growth of digital, mobile and virtual technologies and the effect of learning and art-making, and current understandings of artistic development.
• Refine critical thinking, speaking, writing and listening skills through in-depth analysis of leading issues in art education.
• Advance appreciation of the role of socio-cultural values and ethical assumptions in art education debates, policy, professional practice and the structures of educational institutions, cultural institutions and community organizations.
• Provide a setting where students from diverse backgrounds and areas of interest may develop heightened sensitivity and multiple perspectives concerning the complex nature of art education.