master's thesis in art education

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Masters Research Projects in Art Education

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School of Art

• Graduate Programs
• Master of Art Education

School of Art Master of  Art Education

Master of art education.

The Master of Art Education (MAE) Program prepares members of the discipline to 

A) thrive within a variety of educational environments; 

B) use art for creative endeavors, the production of meaning, the investigation of the world and care and wellness;

C) contribute divergent insights that respect diversity; and 

D) take on leadership roles in the field through the contribution of innovative ideas.

Program Highlights

The program encourages creative endeavors linked to interdisciplinary activity, culture, care and compassion, and exploratory models of teaching and learning. It uses coursework, the utilization of cultural resources and technological innovations, and the facilitation of community initiatives. Students will also develop networks for shared practices and establish research agendas that enable the production of knowledge in the field of art education, museum and community-based art programs and wellness studies that relates to artistic practice, diverse people, social responsibility, care, and ethical conduct.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

ad mission s

The deadline for fall admission is January 15th and for spring admission is October 15th . 

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Please include a letter of intent, a sample of writing such as a research paper, a portfolio of personal artwork, a portfolio of student artwork if applicable, and three references as part of your application in the portal. Please note those who are seeking certification need to take and pass the PACT examination as part of their application. Certification students are best served being on site in Lubbock because they will need placement in schools for observation hours and student teaching.

FUNDING, SCHOLARSHIPS & ASSISTANTSHIPS

Please note that if you are looking for potential funding, you must submit an application for this by January 15th. Part‐time graduate study scholarships may be available along with partial summer scholarships for study during summers. Paid teaching assistant or graduate assistant positions on the main campus in Lubbock may also be available for full-time students.

CERTIFICATION

Please note those who are seeking certification need to take and pass the PACT examination as part of their application. Certification students are best served being on site in Lubbock because they will need placement in schools for observation hours and student teaching.

TUITION ESTIMATOR

• TTU Tuition Estimator

Curr icu lum

The MAE degree program is composed of a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate credit. Two options are available to students seeking the Master of Art Education degree. Focus Area I is for students seeking to advance their knowledge of art making, contemporary social practice, and theory and practice in art education classrooms, art museum spaces, and community environments. It is designed for practicing teachers, artists, and museum and community educators interested in enhancing their expertise and combines theory, practice, creative endeavors, and research in an effort to develop leaders as artists-researchers-teachers in the field. Focus Area II prepares students for careers in art education, with state certification and requires additional credit hours that include student teaching and College of Education courses. Focus Area I and II have a thesis, research report, exhibition with research report, and portfolio options as a capstone experience.

MASTER OF ART EDUCATION HANDBOOK

• Master of Art Education Handbook

COURSES INCLUDE

• Contemporary Art Practices
• Visual Culture
• Popular Culture
• Gender Studies
• Spaces and Places
• Therapeutic Art Practices
• Museums and Educational Practices
• Community-based Art and Educational Practice
• Arts-based Research

FOCUS AREA I AND II

COURSE OFFERINGS

During the fall and spring semesters, classes are offered online and on the main campus in Lubbock, Texas. During summer, short term classes in art education and studio art are offered at various campuses and art sites. The deadline for fall admission is January 15th and for spring admission is October 15th. Please note that if you are looking for potential funding, you must submit an application for this by January 15th . Part‐time graduate study scholarships may be available along with partial summer scholarships for study during summers. Paid teaching assistant or graduate assistant positions on the main campus in Lubbock may also be available for full-time students.

ONLINE CATALOG INFORMATION

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• TTU Graduate Poster Competiton

PROFESSIONAL PROJECT

Candance Printz Professional Project  

Quest ions?

Contact the coordinator.

Rina Little, Ph.D. Associate Professor & MAE Program Coordinator

Master of ART EDUCATION faculty

Rina K. Little, PhD Associate Professor & MAE Program Coordinator

Andrés Peralta, PhD Associate Professor

Maia Toteva, PhD Assistant Professor

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Masters Thesis

Crafting resilience in the printmaking and ceramic studios during covid-19 at teachers college by lindsey jones, evaluating the impacts of museum programs on novice adult art learners by yuqing zheng, engagement of massive open online course (mooc) in museum education field: a perspective from museum stakeholders by shiyao wei, difference and otherness: teaching about cultural representation in museums by qilin zhao.

Program Director : Dr. Judy Burton

Teachers College, Columbia University 444 Macy Hall

Phone: (212) 678-3360

Email: artofc@tc.columbia.edu

ADVISORY: All of Halifax Peninsula, including NSCAD’s three campuses, are currently under a boil water advisory until further notice. All water must be boiled for at least one minute if it will be used for drinking or any other activity requiring human consumption.

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Masters of Arts in Art Education (MAAE)

Division : Art History and Contemporary Culture Degree : Master of Arts Program : Master of Arts in Art Education

Program Length : 2 years (see Degree Requirements), part-time optional

Campus: Fountain Campus

Students specialize in one of three program streams* that allow exploration of current methodologies relevant to specific art education practices.

Applied Pedagogy in Art Education

Museum and curatorial, community-based practice.

• *Unstreamed: In consultation with the Program Director, students may select a combination of courses from the above stream areas that support their thesis research

NSCAD University’s Master of Arts in Art Education is an approved program towards increasing teacher certification in Nova Scotia.

Program Requirements

Full-time or part-time study.

Please visit the Academic Calendar for a description of all courses available at NSCAD University.

Graduate Research

Through comprehensive research and thesis components, this program will play an essential role in revitalizing scholarship in the area of art education. In turn, the information produced through graduate research and practice will help to inform regional arts teaching strategies (including development informed, community outreach, museum), professional development, and the activities of cultural and public institutions.

Thesis Component

A thesis is a substantive and independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member. An MA thesis is a systematic inquiry into some theoretical, or practical issue in art education.

All students in the MAAE program complete a merit-reviewed research-based thesis as part of their course of study. Students may choose from four types of theses:

• scholarly thesis: a conventional monograph;
• research-creation thesis: a significant, unified body of work with supporting written component that extends existing studio practice;
• teaching-based thesis: an in-depth teaching project with supporting written component
• curatorial-based thesis: an in-depth curatorial project with supporting written component.

Thesis Definition

The thesis is:

a document presenting original research; a demonstration of familiarity with previous work in the field including theoretical constructs, paradigms and methodologies, the ability to carry out research, organize results or present conclusions, and the defense of the work or approach in accordance with scholarly and disciplinary norms. A conventional Master’s thesis is usually between 80-100 pages in length, but not more than 150 pages (including title page, abstract, table of contents, contribution of authors/preface, acknowledgements, bibliography/reference list, and appendices). Typically, such a thesis involves the collection and analysis of empirical data and the use of secondary sources through appropriate scholarly methods.

Thesis Evaluation

To graduate, students must successfully defend their thesis projects before a committee of experts. The committee assesses the thesis project (including written, classroom-based, and exhibition components) according to the following criteria:

• mastery of theories and concepts in the field of art education
• mastery of methods of inquiry
• quality of writing
• originality and potential contribution to the discipline.

Students also complete a six credit, 240-hour practicum with an educational institution, arts/cultural organization, not-for-profit, museum, gallery, visitor center, library, faith-based organization, community centre, or equivalent. During this placement, students may design, implement, or extend art education initiatives for specific age cohorts; plan and curate arts-based events; develop technical studio skills and produce a body of work or art intervention; and contribute to the outreach, administrative, and financial activities of the host organization. Students write and submit, for approval by the program director, faculty supervisor, and site mentor/host, a practicum proposal, which describes and defines the working relationships between the student and the host organization, the student’s learning objectives, as well as the needs and opportunities of the host organization. To formalize the placement and to register for MAED 6505: Practicum, students must complete the practicum form in the Forms Portal .

Previous practicum host organizations include Wonder’neath, Youth Art Connection, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, Guelph Arts Council, Ed Video, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Art Gallery of Ontario, Heist, WildBrain, and various faculty research projects.

Faculty members are accomplished artists, scholars, educators and leaders in their craft. Dr. April Mandrona is the Director of the Master of Arts in Art Education program. For a list of full faculty, click the button below.

April Mandrona Director

Art Education, M.A.

College of Arts and Sciences

Advance your art education career with a master's degree program that features a non-thesis track for certified art teachers and a thesis track designed for students continuing their education into a doctoral program.

Gain new skills for inspiring young artists through advanced instruction, workshops and conferences. Flexible courses allow you to choose an area of focus, including education, art education, studio and humanities. A thesis track is available for teachers who wish to continue on to a Ph.D. program.

Program Highlights

Notable faculty.

Learn from award-winning artists, scholars and educators with teaching and research expertise across areas.

Interdisciplinary Studies

Gain a broad view in the field of art education through an interdisciplinary and flexible curriculum.

Growth Opportunities

Form close professional relationships in our vibrant student chapter and during professional development opportunities.

Relevant Research

Join award-winning research among a diverse faculty across a variety of research areas and opportunities for scholarship.

What You’ll Study

Learn to make art using two and three-dimensional materials appropriate for use with different age groups. Write arts instruction units on relevant themes with learning outcomes that match assessment. Gain expertise in curriculum development and lesson planning, plus motivational strategies for teaching. Core courses and electives are flexible to meet your interests.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

Communication

Exchanging information and ideas through speaking, writing or other means of expression

Foster learning by conveying knowledge, skills and concepts to students

Inspiring and guiding others to achieve common goals and reach their full potential

Cultural Awareness

Learning about and respecting diverse cultures and beliefs

Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems

Critical Thinking

Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats , a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

• Art Educator
• Art Museum Educator
• Community Art Teacher
• School Administrator

Job Titles of Alumni

• Art Teacher
• Drama Teacher
• Theatre Arts Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Arts Education and Organizations Director
• Fine Arts Department Head

Average Alumni Salary

Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $64,951

Workplace Settings

• Lexington County School District One
• Greenville County Schools
• University of South Carolina
• South Carolina Arts Commission
• Saluda River Academy for the Arts
• The Atlanta Opera

I gained a good grasp on the type of educator I aspire to be and feel prepared to strive for that with the knowledge and skills I gained here.

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MA in Art Education Curriculum & Courses

Curriculum overview.

Working closely with the Director of the MAAE Program and other faculty, students identify and focus their research interests and career goals to design a curriculum that aligns with their anticipated completion of the program and unique professional pathways. Required core Art Education courses focus on contemporary cultural production, social and civically engaged art practices, curriculum design, social justice pedagogical practices, audience advocacy, museum education, exhibition development and interpretation. 

Students may also pursue electives in studio practice, art history, arts administration, architecture, interior architecture and designed objects, exhibition studies, historic preservation, liberal arts, visual critical studies, and writing. Throughout the program, visiting professionals present diverse perspectives representing expanded ideas of art and design education. Each student’s curriculum culminates in a final thesis project. 

MAAE Program Guide 2023-24

Balancing Reflection and Action

Engaging contemporary art theory in core program seminars is balanced with opportunities to work in various communities through internships and fieldwork. Thus, students have many opportunities to develop arts-based projects by teaching art and interpretation, developing arts-based curricula, or facilitating cultural programming. Individually designed fieldwork experiences support the research for final innovative thesis projects.Throughout the program, visiting professionals share diverse perspectives and experiences about their innovative strategies for combining arts experiences, community engagement, and social activism.

A key aspect of the MAAE degree is students engaging in significant experiences and research in their focus area. A minimum of one Fieldwork course is required. Fieldwork usually occurs in the third semester of study. Sites for fieldwork include museums, community organizations, arts education organizations, or other related sites. In the Fieldwork course, students gain professional experiences and deepen their pedagogical and artistic practices. These individually designed practicum experiences combined with research form the basis for final innovative thesis projects.

Students may choose between two different types of fieldwork experiences: either independently identifying and choosing a site or area of study in consultation with the Fieldwork faculty or MAAE Director; or working at a site located and approved through the SAIC Career and Professional Experience Office (CAPX) and approved by the MAAE Director.

In Graduate Thesis Fieldwork (6105 001), each student designs their own fieldwork experience; including the area of study or site selection, work plan, and advising schedule. The Fieldwork faculty member works on an individual basis with each student to develop and revise plans and support the student’s progress throughout the semester. 

In a Graduate CAPX Elective Internship (6105 002), students are offered supervision of off-site internships by Art Education faculty members in conjunction with SAIC’s office of Career and Professional Experience (CAPX). Students are obligated to meet the requirements of their internship site for course credit. Such requirements may include a minimum number of hours at the site, a criminal background check, drug testing, the submission of immunization records, CPR training, etc. Off-site internships are not a requirement of degree fulfillment but are highly encouraged for candidates who are seeking to deepen their professional experience.

In recent years, students have engaged in fieldwork and internships in various departments at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Public Schools, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, Detroit Institute of the Arts, Harold Washington Library, SAIC at Homan Square, Hubbard Street Dance, LGBTQ+ Center on Addison, Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Next.cc, Project Onward, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, South Side Community Art Center, Storycatchers Theater: Yollocalli, Marwen, The Museum of Surgical Science, Youth Development Organization, Street-Level Youth Media, and Young Chicago Authors, as well as many other community cultural organizations and public and alternative schools. 

In addition to internships within the greater Chicagoland area, students are also able to coordinate internships in other cities during summer and winter interim semesters.

International students meet with SAIC International Student Services to complete authorization paperwork before registering for off-campus fieldwork.  

Fieldwork and internships are the basis of researching, developing and mobilizing a MAAE thesis project.  

Thesis Project

Students’ course of study culminates in a thesis project that combines a written component with other media or experience-based work. The thesis project proposals are developed through a sequence of courses (Thesis I, Fieldwork, Thesis II). During the first year of the MAAE Program and with the support of faculty, students identify, expand, and deepen their research focus. In their final semester, each student works individually with an advisor to develop their project and written thesis. The completed thesis project is presented in a public forum in which students share their projects and frame the significance of this work for the field and for communities.  

Each graduating student works with an advisor and reader to develop the penultimate draft of their completed thesis project and identify any final changes needed to ensure the rigor and accuracy of the work. After final revisions are made, an advisor-approved thesis is submitted to the Art Education Department and the Flaxman Library. 

SAIC Art Education theses can be viewed in the  John M. Flaxman Library as well as the Ryerson and Burnham libraries. Search for “theses.”

Additional Graduation Requirements

Professional public presentation, advisor-approved completed thesis, thesis defense panel, and advisor-approved professionally edited thesis submitted to the Art Education department for submission to the Flaxman Library.

* Focal area electives are chosen in consultation with the MAAE program director during advising. 

* Undergraduate courses must be at the 3000-level or above. Art History courses must be at the 4000-level or above. Courses at 1000- and 2000-level need permission from the MAAE Director.

Degree Requirements, Specifications, and Courses

• Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
• Thesis in Progress: Students who have not submitted a finished thesis for review and approval by the end of the final semester of enrollment are given a Thesis in Progress grade (IP). All students with a Thesis in Progress grade (IP) will be charged the Thesis in Progress Fee in each subsequent full semester until the thesis is completed and approved and the grade is changed to Credit (CR). If the statute of limitations is reached without an approved thesis, the grade will be changed to No Credit (NCR).
• Transfer credits: A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed in residence at SAIC. Up to six transfer credits may be requested at the time of application for admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
• Curriculum: The Master of Art in Art Education program is designed to be a full-time program completed in three or four semesters.
• Enrollment: Nine credit hours constitute full-time enrollment although as many as 15 credit hours may be earned in any semester. A minimum of six credit hours per semester is required of part-time students for continued enrollment in the program. Electives, internship, and thesis are subject to the approval of the MA in Art Education program director.
• Undergraduate courses  must be at the 3000-level or above; Art History courses must be at the 4000-level or above. Courses at the 1000 and 2000 level need permission from the department chair.
• Thesis presentation: All MA in Art Education candidates are required to publicly present their completed thesis project to a thesis advisory committee in order to graduate.
• Fieldwork/Internship Requirements: This MAAE program requires students to complete an internship(s). Students are obligated to meet the requirements of their internship site. Such requirements may include a criminal background check, drug-testing, the submission of immunization records, CPR training, etc.
• Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 9 credit hours.

Course Listing

• Winter 2024
• Spring 2024
• Summer 2024

Take the Next Step

Visit the  graduate admissions website or contact the graduate admissions office at 312.629.6100, 800.232.7242 or [email protected].

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EdM & MA in Art Education

We offer two Master's-level degrees in Art Education. Both are designed for students who want to engage in a broad and critical intellectual exploration of contemporary questions and debates in arts and education. While the Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education involves coursework and a thesis, the the Master of Education in Art Education (EdM) degree involves coursework but no thesis.

EdM in Art Education

The Master of Education in Art Education degree is designed for students who want to engage in a broad and critical intellectual exploration of contemporary questions and debates in arts and education. It provides students with advanced professional preparation as teachers and curriculum supervisors. It involves coursework but no thesis.

At the University of Illinois, faculty and graduate students build a vibrant community of inquiry within the context of a Research 1 university. This community, including faculty whose breadth of interests span topics including contemporary art and visual culture in education, formal and informal learning, cultural policy and urban studies, and teacher training and identity, provides an intellectually stimulating environment for graduate students to stretch themselves intellectually and prepare for the possibility of future doctoral study.

The minimum length of study for the EdM is one academic year (two semesters). Students complete graduate art education courses and have the opportunity to elect courses from studio art, art history, and any other program offered at the university that is complementary. For students seeking teacher certification, at least one additional academic year is required. This includes at least one additional semester of coursework plus one semester of student teaching.

Some master’s degree students receive funding and support as teaching assistants. Funding includes a tuition waiver, a salary, health insurance, annual conference funding, plus many opportunities to gain competitive grants. Funding is conditional upon students’ academic standing.

The University of Illinois Art Education Program satisfies the educational requirements for the Primary Educator License in the state of Illinois. The University of Illinois has not made a determination as to whether the Art Education Program meets the educational requirements for a Primary Educator License in any of the other 54 U.S. states and jurisdictions. Specific requirements for a Primary Educator License in Art Education vary from state to state. In some cases, you may need to take additional coursework or exams to meet individual state requirements and/or you may need to complete background checks. Please review your state’s teaching license requirements, resources, and contact information .*

*Note: This disclosure is being made in compliance with federal regulation 34 CFR §668.43 and the State Authorization and Reciprocity Agreements Manual.

MA in Art Education

The Master of Arts in Art Education degree is designed for students who want to engage in a broad and critical intellectual exploration of contemporary questions and debates in arts and education.

At Illinois, faculty and graduate students build a vibrant community of inquiry within the context of a Research 1 university. This community, including faculty whose breadth of interests span topics including contemporary art and visual culture in education, formal and informal learning, cultural policy and urban studies, and teacher training and identity, provides an intellectually stimulating environment for graduate students to stretch themselves intellectually and prepare for the possibility of future doctoral study.

Some master’s degree students receive funding and support as teaching assistants for the normal length of the program, three semesters. This funding, which is conditional upon academic standing, includes a tuition waiver, a salary, health insurance, annual conference funding, plus many opportunities to gain competitive grants. Students complete four art education courses and have the opportunity to elect courses from studio art, art history, and any program offered at the university that is complementary.

• At our major comprehensive research university, students have access to the broadest possible range of elective courses.
• Visual Arts Research is a scholarly, refereed journal and has been published through the Art Education program for over 40 years. It is edited by Art Education faculty.
• The Everyday Arts Lab offers an excellent local site for graduate research for those interested in arts and social practice.
• With a total of 14 million titles the University of Illinois Library houses the largest collection of any public university in the world. The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art has 120,000 titles and 33,00 serials.
• The Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory is a program that promote conversations among a range of departments in the humanities, social sciences, and performing arts by organizing lectures, panel discussions, and conferences, as well as the Modern Critical Theory lecture series.
• The Krannert Art Museum includes an archive of over 8,000 works of art and rotating exhibitions of traditional and innovative art works.
• The Spurlock Museum highlights the diversity of cultures around the globe.
• Illinois is host to the  International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry . Our students and faculty host a large contingent of art education scholars during their visit for the ICQI.
• Regular visiting speakers from other institutions including Kevin Tavin, Amelia Kraehe, David Darts, Olivia Gude, Luis Camnitzer, Matthew Goulish, Marjorie Manifold, and Stephanie Springgay.
• Devoted room for Art Education PhD students including carrels for your use.

Faculty Research Interests

• Arts-based research
• Community arts education
• Conceptual art practices and theory
• Creative cities
• Cultural globalization
• Emerging curriculum theory
• Performance studies
• Psychoanalysis
• Social practice
• Socially engaged art
• Teacher identity
• Urban education
• Visual culture
• Youth studies

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Ready to learn MOORE about your future in art and design?

Click here to request information and start the conversation!

Master’s in Art Education and Post-Baccalaureate Program

Choose from three one-of-kind programs, designed for future art education leaders.

At Moore, we believe the art classroom should be an accessible creative space for everyone. We offer three distinctive and field-leading Art Education programs, designed for aspiring and seasoned educators of all genders, in both full-time and part-time tracks:

MA in Art Education with an Emphasis in Inclusive Practices + Pre-K–12 Art Teacher Certification

Ma in art education with an emphasis in inclusive practices.

• Post-Baccalaureate Pre-K–12 Art Teacher Certification

Whether you aim to inspire students in traditional Pre-K–12 art classrooms, engage communities through art programs or educate young visitors to museum settings, Moore has a program tailored to your personal ambitions.

Our coursework includes training and research on crucial topics such as equity in the arts, disability studies in art education, anti-racist pedagogy, universal design for learning strategies, best practices for LGBTQIA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, differentiation techniques for gifted students, and therapeutic approaches in art education. Click  here for a full list of Graduate thesis titles and abstracts from 2016 to 2023.

100% of Moore Art Education MA graduates since 2016 are employed on a full-time or part-time basis* and working in a range of fields, including:

• Pre-K, Elementary, Middle School & High School Art Education
• Higher Education
• Special Education
• Museum and/or Community Arts Education
• Art Therapy
• Professional Development Facilitator

Read on to find out which Art Education program is the best choice for you.

*Percentage based on an 85% survey response rate in 2024.

WHY CHOOSE MOORE?

Graduates often go on to become award-winning art educators, earning distinctions from the National and Pennsylvania Art Education Associations, and elsewhere.

Graduate Degree Programs

Designed for those who are already certified or who do not intend to teach full-time in a public school. This degree can also advance the careers of teaching artists, museum educators and arts administrators.

• Four (4) semesters on a hybrid schedule (in person during the summer, online/asynchronous in the fall and spring)
• Complete your degree in just 15 months

Core Curriculum

• *Contemporary Practices in Art Education - 3.0 credits
• *Studio Intensives: Independent Studio - 3.0 credits
• *Intersectionality in Visual Arts Curricula - 3.0 credits
• STEAM in Special Education - 3.0 credits
• Research Methodology - 3.0 credits
• Assessment Strategies - 3.0 credits
• Independent Field Research for Thesis - 3.0 credits
• *Legal Perspectives in Special Education - 3.0 credits
• *Contemporary Art 1989–Present - 3.0 credits
• Thesis - 3.0 credits

TOTAL CREDITS FOR DEGREE: 30.0

*Indicates the in-person, on-campus summer courses

Designed for those who wish to obtain their graduate degree and become state-certified to teach in Pre-K–12 art classrooms.

• Seven (7) semesters on a hybrid schedule (in person during the summer, online/asynchronous in the fall and spring)
• Internship certification track available for those who are already teaching full-time or who plan to secure a full-time art teacher position while attending the program
• Complete your degree in 2.5 years
• Intersectionality in Visual Arts Curricula - 3.0 credits
• Studio Intensives: Independent Studios - 3.0 credits
• Art Methods and Curriculum Development I - 3.0 credits
• ELL through Art Education - 3.0 credits
• Lab Experience and Practicum - 1.5 credits
• Impact of Behavioral Sciences - 3.0 credits
• Art Methods and Curriculum Development II - 3.0 credits
• Art in Special Education - 3.0 credits
• Engaging Students in Community Arts - 3.0 credits
• Contemporary Practices in Art Education - 3.0 credits
• Legal Perspectives in Special Education - 3.0 credits
• Student Teaching & Student Teaching Seminar - 9.0 credits
• Contemporary Art 1989 – Present - 3.0 credits

TOTAL CREDITS FOR DEGREE 58.5

Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education Pre-K–12 Art Teacher Certification

Evening and weekend courses designed for working professionals seeking Pennsylvania Teaching Certification who also require flexibility, spread out over three or four semesters.

• Three to four (3–4) semesters, depending on start time and previous experience, during nights and weekends
• The Pennsylvania Pre-K–12 Art Teacher Certification is transferable to 45 other states
• Complete your certification in 1.5–2 years
• Emerging Patterns in Education - 3.0 credits
• Lab Experience & Practicum - 1.5 credits

TOTAL CREDITS FOR DEGREE: 31.5

See What Our Alumni Are Doing

Drissel teaches Art K-5 at Pine Road Elementary School, part of the Lower Moreland School District. Their thesis, “Addressing Confidence in Elementary Art by Modifying Language We Use About Abilities,” focused on examining how the practice of using authentic language and observation influence experiences of confidence and resiliency in young learners. Drissel presented this work at the 2022 Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) conference and is expanding this research further. Drissel was nominated for PAEA’s 2023 Art in Special Education Award for their work in creating an inclusive and accessible program for their students.

San Valentin graduated from Moore with their MA in Art Education with certification in 2019 and now teaches at Moore as an adjunct instructor. They are a lead teacher at William Penn Charter School, where they help students find their love for learning through a Reggio-Emilia inspired Pre-K program. They use their experience in art and education to explore the intersections of self-identification, collaboration, play and creative projects. They are a member of Philadelphia art collective Space 1026 and co-captain of the Mummers Comics brigade Vaudevillains NYB. In addition to teaching and making, San Valentin has a Buddhist meditation practice and is a certified meditation instructor.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EXPANSIVE ART EDUCATION FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

Ceramics Studio

Our brand-new studio, located in the VAULT, has nine throwing wheels, a wedging table, slab roller, electric kilns, a gas reduction kiln and a dedicated glaze room

Get comfortable with everything you need for metal work, using MIG welders, a TIG argon arc welder and oxy-acetylene welding, as well as sheet metal roller, drill press, anvils and forging equipment 

Two saw-stop table saws, five band saws, two compound miter saws, a scroll saw, combination disc/belt sander, panel saw, drill press, router, planar, jointer, air compressor for pneumatic tools, various hand tools and a dust collection system

Plaster & Mold-Making Studio

Equipped with all the necessary tools for plaster work, including molding, making and casting

In addition to a brand-new risograph, you’ll have access to two etching presses that can be used to make drypoints, etchings, monotypes and relief prints, and a darkroom with light exposure units, a spray sink and a vacuum table for screenprinting. 

Your future favorite place on campus, featuring a laser cutter/engraver, 3D scanners/printers, CNC Router, ceramics decal printer and a digital embroidery machine

Special Opportunities for Graduate & Post-Baccalaureate Students

Earn up $15,000 for student teaching in pennsylvania.

Starting in the 2024–2025 academic year, all Pennsylvania student teachers are eligible to receive up to $15,000 for their student teaching work! Students must agree to remain in Pennsylvania and teach art education for a minimum of three years. All student teachers in the program will receive $10,000 and those who do their student teaching in a “high needs” area may be eligible for a $5,000 bonus. Click here for more information on this program!

Summer Housing Now Available

Take advantage of our convenient and affordable apartment-style off-campus housing, just a 20-minute walk from Moore’s campus! Seven weeks starts at just $2,200. Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Get Your MA at Moore in Our 4+1 and 4+2 Programs

Are you a BFA student at Moore and already thinking about what’s next after college? Why not continue on at Moore and get your Master's degree in Art Education? Students who declare their intent to apply to either of these programs are eligible for up to $20,000 in scholarship funding!

The 4+1 Program is available for:

• BFA Art Education students who want to obtain their MA in Art Education degree
• BFA students in other programs who would like to obtain their MA in Art Education degree but who do not intend to become state-certified Pre-K–12 art educators. This degree can be beneficial for those who want to become teaching artists, higher education faculty, museum educators and even arts administrators.

The 4+2 Program is available for:

• BFA students in any program besides Art Education who would like obtain their MA in Art Education degree PLUS a Pre-K–12 Art Teacher license.

Click here to learn more about the 4+1 and 4+2 programs and how to apply as a senior!

Professional Development Events

Moore’s Art Education Graduate program hosts multiple events each year, open to all MA and post-baccalaureate students, which attract art educators from across the country and from around the world.

PLUS: Check out Moore’s annual Summer Artist / Educator Residency program, which takes place at Moore every June! Take your studio practice to the next level while accruing up to 40 PA Act 48-eligible professional development hours and three (3) graduate-level credits!

Click here for a link to all professional development events hosted by Moore’s Graduate program since 2015!

ART EDUCATION NEWS & STORIES

Read up on the latest updates from the program, students and alumni.

Christina Kimmel MA ’15 Celebrates Years of Dedication to Education with Lindback Award for Distinguished Teachers 

• Our Stories

Before she was a graduate and advisory Board member of Moore’s Art Education master’s program, Kimmel saw potential in Moore’s unmatched resources.

The Faculty Five: Lauren Stichter, Director and Associate Professor of Art Education 

As a practicing ceramicist and an award-winning art educator, Stichter weaves inclusivity and passion for the arts into her curriculum.

Let It Feed You: Sarah Kolker MA ’15 in Conversation with Lauren Stichter 

Read the full version of Let It Feed You: Sarah Kolker MA ’15 in Conversation with Lauren Stichter that appears in the Fall/Winter 2022 issue of Moore Magazine.

Mary Jennings ’88 and Kendyl Boyd ’21, MA ’23 On Supporting Art Educators 

• Moore Magazine

Read the full version of Mary Jennings ’88 and Kendyl Boyd ’21, MA ’23 On Supporting Art Educators that appears in the Fall/Winter 2021 edition of Moore Magazine.

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University of Florida

Art Education

Program information.

Master of Arts degree in Art Education: The School offers the M.A. in art education. In addition to meeting requirements of the Graduate School for admission, prospective students should:

• Hold a degree in studio art, art history, design, or art education
• Send up to 10 images of original works of art (on CD or in slide form) and a research paper, article, or other sample of academic writing
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities previously attended
• Statement of professional goals for attending graduate school and earning an M.A. degree in art education
• Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Submit three current letters of recommendation.  

The M.A. in art education requires a minimum of 36 credit hours.

To be admitted to candidacy, students must pass a comprehensive examination at the beginning of the second year. The program culminates in an oral examination on the thesis or project in lieu of thesis.

Degrees Offered with a Major in Art Education

• Master of Arts

Requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

School of Art and Art History Departmental Courses

College of the Arts Courses

Art education (MA)

SLO 1     Professional Behavior    Demonstrates how the project is personally relevant and contributes to the field of art education.

SLO 2     Knowledge         The student describes and executes the project proposal, making appropriate adjustments as necessary.

SLO 3     Skills      Synthesizes knowledge obtained in art education literature courses in planning and executing the project.

SLO 4     Skills      Explains and supports their thesis or project and the project's underlying ideas.

SLO 5     Professional Behavior    Connects the thesis or capstone project to current or past art education scholarship.

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Course Catalog

Art education, ma.

for the degree of Master of Arts in Art Education

The program of study leading to the degree of Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education is designed to provide advanced level professional study for students who are interested in research in art education. It can serve as preparation for a variety of careers, such as museum education, community arts, arts advocacy, arts policy formation; professional development for art teachers and supervisors in the public schools; and as preparation for the doctoral degree.

In addition to required courses in art education, students can choose electives from studio art, art education and art history, and any other graduate courses offered by the university that complement their studies or professional aspirations. Specific course selection is determined in consultation with the student's adviser. Students may simultaneously study for teaching certification but graduate credit is not usually granted for such study. A thesis is required for the MA degree.

Applicants for admission must hold a bachelor's degree in art education or a related field from an accredited institution. Admission is determined by a review of transcripts, letter of recommendation, resume, personal statement, and a writing sample.

Admission Applications are considered for Fall Semester admissions only. International applicants need to submit a recent English Proficiency test score of 96 (TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS), or an exemption, for admissions.

Graduate Teaching Experience Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience for master and doctoral students.

Facilities and Resources Resources for graduate students in art and design include the Krannert Art Museum’s excellent permanent collections and changing exhibitions; the Ricker Library of Art and Architecture, one of the largest art and architecture libraries in the nation; the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; School of Art and Design facilities, which include extensive computer laboratories, digital photography and video editing equipment, wireless networking, ink-printing facilities, ceramic, woodworking, and metal shops, rapid prototyping and laser cutting, black/white and color darkrooms, shooting studios, and a wide selection of production and presentation equipment via reservation and checkout facility. A variety of lectures, symposia, musical programs, dramatic productions, and other cultural events associated with a large and progressive university complement the Art and Design Facilities.

Financial Aid Fellowships, assistantships, and tuition and service fee waivers are awarded each year on a competitive basis, with consideration given to the applicant’s grade point average and, in the case of applicants for the M.F.A. programs, quality of creative work.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate studies requirements and the Graduate College Handbook . 

Other Requirements

The MA program provides advanced-level study for art educators. The program’s objectives are to enable participants to:

• Become familiar with key debates and concepts in art education
• Develop the capacity to reflect on and to analyze their own practices in art education
• Gain a deeper insight of the role of art and visual culture in education and everyday life
• Develop a critical understanding of both theoretical and practical perspectives on art education and general education
• Develop the ability to contribute to informed development of policy and practice in arts education and general education 
• Preparation for a variety of careers, such as museum education, community arts, arts advocacy, arts policy formation
• Professional development for art teachers and supervisors in the public schools
• Preparation for future studies at the doctoral level

School of Art & Design School of Art & Design Art & Design Faculty School Director: Alan Mette Director of Graduate Studies: Terri Weissman 138 Art and Design Building, 408 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820 Graduate Office: (217) 333-0642

Graduate Studies Advisors: MA; PhD in Art History: David O'Brien MA; EdM; PhD in Art Education: Laura Hetrick MFA in Studio: Ryan Griffis and Emmy Lingscheit MFA in Industrial Design: David Weightman MFA in Design for Responsible Innovation: Stacey Robinson

College of Fine & Applied Arts College of Fine & Applied Arts

Admissions Ellen de Waard Graduate College Admissions Requirements

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2024-2025 Catalog (PDF)

A copy of the full 2024-2025 catalog.

Art Education: Master's Thesis Projects

• Last Updated: May 30, 2024 3:53 PM
• URL: https://libguides.academyart.edu/art-education

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Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

36 semester hours of graduate coursework must be completed

Where will I take classes?

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

Please note: This degree program is currently not accepting new students as of Fall 2024.

Admissions Deadlines

Art education, m.a. ed..

Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design

[email protected]   404-413-5221

The Georgia State University Master of Art Education (M.A.Ed.) is   an advanced degree in art education structured to build a community of collegial professionals who demonstrate disciplinary expertise, including knowledge of the content of art education, skill with sound pedagogical strategies, understanding of current scholarship and issues in the field and the ability to affect student learning positively. Emphasis is placed on teaching diverse learners in urban and metropolitan settings.

Specific objectives for students completing the M.A.Ed. program include:

• Expanding their skills and understanding in studio art production and contemporary art concepts;
• Developing their pedagogical skills and strategies as master teachers;
• Empowering them to integrate theory and best practices in their classrooms;
• Fostering their critical thinking skills and life-long learning as members of a professional community;
• Developing their leadership and advocacy skills to have an impact on students, classrooms, communities, schools, districts and professional organizations.

VIEW CATALOG INFORMATION

The Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design features an internationally active faculty and a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for professional careers in art and design. The programs foster critical thinking and dynamic artistic production in an interdisciplinary environment. The school offers an M.A. in Art History, M.A. in Art Education, M.A.T. and M.A.Ed. in Art Education and an M.F.A. in Studio Art with concentrations in Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textiles.

MEET THE ART EDUCATION FACULTY

• M.F.A. degree that is NASAD accredited.
• M.F.A. students receive full tuition waivers and monthly stipends as part of assistantships and numerous M.A./M.A.Ed. research assistantships are granted with equal benefits.
• Graduate assistantships are available for students in the M.F.A. Studio programs, M.A. in Art History and M.A.Ed. programs.
• Students are eligible for competitive fellowships, including the premium Welch fellowships. The fellowships fund students for the entire three years of study, in addition to the students' regular stipend and full tuition waiver.
• Admissions Requirements
• Goals & Outcomes

Description

Applicants for the M.A.Ed. and M.A.T. degree must submit the following items:

• Three letters of recommendation.  No form is required.
• Statement of Intent:  A one-to-two-page statement of purpose describing academic interests, proposed area of specialization and long-range career goals. The statement should also explain how the graduate program will serve those interests and goals.
• The letters of recommendation and the statement of intent should be uploaded with the other application materials.
• Portfolio:  A successful portfolio demonstrates creativity and commitment in a cohesive body of work. The portfolio should contain two- and three-dimensional work. It should reflect basic skills in drawing and design and sufficient advanced skill in one area. Twenty images should be submitted if the applicant is not a practicing art educator. If the applicant is a practicing art teacher, a minimum of 10 images of personal studio work and up to 10 images of student work are acceptable. Under no circumstances should more than 20 images be submitted.
• Examples of work by the applicant's students should represent a variety of media and reflect quality in design, craftsmanship, originality, complexity and historical or cultural content.
• Submission guidelines for the statement and portfolio preparation are the same as the M.F.A. degree (listed below).

Specific admission requirements for the M.A.Ed. degree include the following:

• An undergraduate major appropriate to the intended major.
• A high standard of overall undergraduate achievement, usually a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
• Proof of Tier 4 teaching certification (from Georgia or other state).

Master of Art Education (36 hours)

Course of study.

• Three hours of art history coursework (non-Western preferred)
• Nine hours of coursework in a studio concentration
• Nine hours of 8000 level art education coursework
• *EPY 7080 The Psychology of Learning and Learners (3)
• EPY 7090 The Psychology of Learning and Learners: The Young Child (3)
• EPSF 7100 Critical Pedagogy (3)
• EPSF 7110 Multicultural Education (3)
• *EPSF 7120 Social and Cultural Foundations of Education (3)
• *EPRS 7900 Methods of Research in Education (3)
• EPRS 7910 Action Research (3) (preferred)
• EPRS 7920 Classroom Testing, Grading, and Assessment (3)
• Six hours of AE 8999, Thesis Research.

*These specific education courses are offered online and are aligned with the low-residency M.A.Ed. cohort program structure.

The thesis in art education may concentrate solely on an art education issue or explore a studio or art history-oriented problem that is tied to an art education issue. Research in art education may focus on action research in the candidate’s own classroom as well as other research methodologies

Each academic school in the College of the Arts offers opportunities for students who have been accepted into one of the graduate degree programs to work as assistants. Graduate assistants work as tutors, aid faculty members in research projects, supervise laboratories and teach undergraduate courses. Assistantships normally are awarded only to students enrolled full time in their degree programs. For the expected level of enrollment, see “Courses and Course Load” in section 10100 below. Students interested in graduate assistantships should contact the director of graduate studies in their school for specific information.

Students receiving assistantships as well as financial aid should be aware that receiving an assistantship can reduce the amount of financial aid awarded.

Goals and outcomes upon completion of an M.A. Ed. program include:

• Expanding skills and understandings in studio art production and contemporary art concepts.
• Developing pedagogical skills and strategies as master teachers.
• Empowering and integrating theory and best practices in their classrooms.
• Fostering critical thinking skills and life-long learning as members of a professional community.
• Developing leadership and advocacy skills to have an impact on students, classrooms, communities, schools, districts and professional organizations.

The graduate programs at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design prepare students for competitive careers in contemporary art, art education, design and art entrepreneurship.

Highlights include one-on-one mentorship with an internationally acclaimed faculty, access to art institutions and creative publications, networking with high-profile artists, scholars and businesses, experience from conference to international art fair participation, artist residencies, as well as assistantships to develop practical skills and garner learning experience.

The graduate program leads students to career paths such as graphic, interior and Web designers, multimedia artists, curators, gallery directors, museum and non-profit arts managers, art administrators, K-12 art teachers, art educators, art historians and writers, creative directors at advertising and marketing firms, props and set design fabricators, and art appraisers, among others.

Graduate Coordinator Wesley Harvey [email protected]

Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design 10 Peachtree Center Avenue SE 117 Art & Humanities Bldg. Atlanta, GA 30303

The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs .

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Home > Fine Arts and Communications > Visual Arts > Theses and Dissertations

Visual Arts Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2014 2014.

A Maoli-Based Art Education: Ku'u Mau Kuamo'o 'Ōlelo , Raquel Malia Andrus

Accumulation of Divine Service , Blaine Lee Atwood

Caroline Murat: Powerful Patron of Napoleonic France and Italy , Brittany Dahlin

.(In|Out)sider$ , Jarel M. Harwood

Mariko Mori's Sartorial Transcendence: Fashioned Identities, Denied Bodies, and Healing, 1993-2001 , Jacqueline Rose Hibner

Parallel and Allegory , Kody Keller

Fallen Womanhood and Modernity in Ivan Kramskoi's Unknown Woman (1883) , Trenton B. Olsen

Conscience and Context in Eastman Johnson's The Lord Is My Shepherd , Amanda Melanie Slater

The War That Does Not Leave Us: Memory of the American Civil War and the Photographs of Alexander Gardner , Katie Janae White

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Women and the Wiener Werkstätte: The Centrality of Women and the Applied Arts in Early Twentieth-Century Vienna , Caitlin J. Perkins Bahr

Cutting Into Relief , Matthew L. Bass

Mask, Mannequin, and the Modern Woman: Surrealism and the Fashion Photographs of George Hoyningen-Huene , Hillary Anne Carman

The End of All Learning , Maddison Carole Colvin

Civitas: A Game-Based Approach to AP Art History , Anna Davis

What Crawls Beneath , Brent L. Gneiting

Blame Me for Your Bad Grade: Autonomy in the Basic Digital Photography Classroom as a Means to Combat Poor Student Performance , Erin Collette Johnson

Evolving Art in Junior High , Randal Charles Marsh

All Animals Will Get Along in Heaven , Camila Nagata

It Will Always Be My Tree: An A/r/tographic Study of Place and Identity in an Elementary School Classroom , Molly Robertson Neves

Zofia Stryjeńska: Women in the Warsaw Town Square. Our Lady, Peasant Mother, Pagan Goddess , Katelyn McKenzie Sheffield

Using Contemporary Art to Guide Curriculum Design:A Contemporary Jewelry Workshop , Kathryn C. Smurthwaite

Documenting the Dissin's Guest House: Esther Bubley's Exploration of Jewish-American Identity, 1942-43 , Vriean Diether Taggart

Blooming Vines, Pregnant Mothers, Religious Jewelry: Gendered Rosary Devotion in Early Modern Europe , Rachel Anne Wise

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Rembrandt van Rijn's Jewish Bride : Depicting Female Power in the Dutch Republic Through the Notion of Nation Building , Nan T. Atwood

Portraits , Nicholas J. Bontorno

Where There Is Design , Elizabeth A. Crowe

George Dibble and the Struggle for Modern Art in Utah , Sarah Dibble

Mapping Creativity: An A/r/tographic Look at the Artistic Process of High School Students , Bart Andrus Francis

Joseph as Father in Guido Reni's St. Joseph Images , Alec Teresa Gardner

Student Autonomy: A Case Study of Intrinsic Motivation in the Art Classroom , Downi Griner

Aha'aina , Tali Alisa Hafoka

Fashionable Art , Lacey Kay

Effluvia and Aporia , Emily Ann Melander

Interactive Web Technology in the Art Classroom: Problems and Possibilities , Marie Lynne Aitken Oxborrow

Visual Storybooks: Connecting the Lives of Students to Core Knowledge , Keven Dell Proud

German Nationalism and the Allegorical Female in Karl Friedrich Schinkel's The Hall of Stars , Allison Slingting

The Influence of the Roman Atrium-House's Architecture and Use of Space in Engendering the Power and Independence of the Materfamilias , Anne Elizabeth Stott

The Narrative Inquiry Museum:An Exploration of the Relationship between Narrative and Art Museum Education , Angela Ames West

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Portable Art Gallery: Facilitating Student Autonomy and Ownership through Exhibiting Artwork , Jethro D. Gillespie

The Movement Of An Object Through A Field Creates A Complex Situation , Jared Scott Greenleaf

Alice Brill's Sao Paulo Photographs: A Cross-Cultural Reading , Danielle Jean Hurd

A Comparative Case Study: Investigation of a Certified Elementary Art Specialist Teaching Elementary Art vs. a Non-Art Certified Teacher Teaching Elementary Art , Jordan Jensen

A Core Knowledge Based Curriculum Designed to Help Seventh and Eighth Graders Maintain Artistic Confidence , Debbie Ann Labrum

Traces of Existence , Jayna Brown Quinn

Female Spectators in the July Monarchy and Henry Scheffer's Entrée de Jeanne d’Arc à Orléans , Kalisha Roberts

Without End , Amy M. Royer

Classroom Community: Questions of Apathy and Autonomy in a High School Jewelry Class , Samuel E. Steadman

Preparing Young Children to Respond to Art in the Museum , Nancy L. Stewart

DAY JAW BOO, a re-collection , Rachel VanWagoner

The Tornado Tree: Drawing on Stories and Storybooks , Toni A. Wood

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

IGolf: Contemporary Sculptures Exhibition 2009 , King Lun Kisslan Chan

24 Hour Portraits , Lee R. Cowan

Fabricating Womanhood , Emily Fox

Earth Forms , Janelle Marie Tullis Mock

Peregrinations , Sallie Clinton Poet

Leland F. Prince's Earth Divers , Leland Fred Prince

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Ascents and Descents: Personal Pilgrimage in Hieronymus Bosch's The Haywain , Alison Daines

Beyond the Walls: The Easter Processional on the Exterior Frescos of Moldavian Monastery Churches , Mollie Elizabeth McVey

Beauty, Ugliness, and Meaning: A Study of Difficult Beauty , Christine Anne Palmer

Lantern's Diary , Wei Zhong Tan

Text and Tapestry: "The Lady and the Unicorn," Christine de Pizan and the le Vistes , Shelley Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

A Call for Liberation: Aleijadinho's 'Prophets' as Capoeiristas , Monica Jayne Bowen

Secondhand Chinoiserie and the Confucian Revolutionary: Colonial America's Decorative Arts "After the Chinese Taste" , Kiersten Claire Davis

Dairy Culture: Industry, Nature and Liminality in the Eighteenth-Century English Ornamental Dairy , Ashlee Whitaker

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Navajo Baskets and the American Indian Voice: Searching for the Contemporary Native American in the Trading Post, the Natural History Museum, and the Fine Art Museum , Laura Paulsen Howe

And there were green tiles on the ceiling , Jean Catherine Richardson

Four Greco-Roman Era Temples of Near Eastern Fertility Goddesses: An Analysis of Architectural Tradition , K. Michelle Wimber

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

The Portrait of Citizen Jean-Baptiste Belley, Ex-Representative of the Colonies by Anne-Louis Girodet Trioson: Hybridity, History Painting, and the Grand Tour , Megan Marie Collins

Fix , Kathryn Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Ideals and Realities , Pamela Bowman

Accountability for the Implementation of Secondary Visual Arts Standards in Utah and Queensland , John K. Derby

The Artistic and Architectural Patronage of Countess Urraca of Santa María de Cañas: A Powerful Aristocrat, Abbess, and Advocate , Julia Alice Jardine McMullin

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MA in Art Education

NOTE We are not currently accepting applications to the graduate program in Art Education. We expect to reactivate our recruitment efforts in Fall 2025 and welcome a new cohort of graduate students for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The graduate Art Education program offers a rigorous and highly regarded master’s degree plan that is distinctive in its options for curricular focus. A comprehensive set of core courses provide a foundation in general arts instruction that is enhanced by focused study in one of three areas: Art Education in Schools (certification/non-certification), Art Education in Museums, or Art Education in Community-Based Programs.

When entering the program, students elect one of these options and explore its professional realm in-depth through specific coursework and at least one professional internship. All students ultimately conduct significant research on a topic in art education that culminates in a written thesis.

Program Tracks

Option A — Schools (Non-Certification) For students wanting to enhance their knowledge of art education at the elementary and secondary school levels

Option B — Museums For students interested in learning about and working in the field of art museum education

Option C — Community For students desiring to investigate and conduct professional activities in community-based art organizations

Option D — Schools (Plus Certification) For students interested in enhancing their knowledge of art education at the elementary and secondary school levels and leading to Texas all-level (P–12) art certification. *Note: additional Texas SBEC certification requirements include passing state certification exams, background check and fingerprinting.

Coursework Requirements

Completed by all program tracks (options a, b, c, d).

• AED 381G: Foundations of Art Education (3 credit hours)
• AED 381K: Contemporary Issues in Art Education (3)
• AED 382G: Introduction to Research in Art Education (3)
• AED 382H: Thesis Proposal and Preparation (3)
• AED 386: Internship and Field Study (3)
• AED 698A/B: Thesis A/B (6) –  or – AED 382L: Applied Project (6)
• Approved Art Education elective (3)
• Approved non-Art Education electives (6)

Additionally completed by Option A — Schools (Non-Certification)

• AED 384: Art in Public Places (3)
• AED 384: Curriculum Development in Art Education (3)
• AED 384: Objects, Spaces, and Meanings (3)
• AED 388D: Art and the Creation of Meaning 
 (3)

Additionally completed by Option B — Museums

• AED 383J: Museum Education: History and Theory (3)
• AED 383K: Museum Education: Practice and Application (3)

Additionally completed by Option C — Community

• AED 387C: Case Studies in Community-Based Art Education 
 (3)
• AED 387D: Program Development in Community-Based Art Education 
 (3)

Additionally completed by Option D — Schools (Plus Certification)

• EDC 331 (3), EDC 332 (3), and EDC 350E (3)  

Course Descriptions

Aed 381g: foundations of art education.

Required core course for all first-year graduate students

This class explores some of the foundational writings and beliefs that comprise the field of art education. Through readings, lecture, and discussion, students are introduced to past literature, perspectives, and understandings that make up this professional area of study. The course examines various purposes and practices of art education in the United States from the colonial period until the mid-1960s, with particular focus on the origins and changes of art education within the public schools of the United States. Art education is examined within the contexts of school and society, as a way to recognize the role this subject has played within these larger educational and social frameworks. Attention is directed toward looking into the lives of prominent people and noted historical events within art education, as well as considering some overlooked occurrences in art education and “invisible” art educators from the past.

AED 381K: Contemporary Issues in Art Education

A variety of current issues within the field of art education are explored in this course, enabling students to recognize the dynamic role art education plays in both education and society. Topics and issues investigated may include technology, multiculturalism, gender studies, contemporary art, visual and material culture, interdisciplinary connections, media studies, and community-based art education.

AED 382G: Introduction to Research in Art Education

Since World War II, art education researchers have investigated a variety of topics utilizing an array of research methodologies. In this introductory course, students explore a range of research methods art educators currently use to investigate art learning. Students gain an understanding of diverse approaches for conducting research in a host of settings. In the class each student learns about past and emerging directions of graduate research, the many aspects of art education that can be investigated, the viability of various research methods, advocates and practitioners of each research method, and the types of questions different methodologies can answer.

AED 382H: Thesis Proposal and Applied Project Preparation

This graduate course provides the opportunity for students to initiate and complete work on a thesis proposal in art education. Much of the course centers on discussion of the work students undertake as they engage in the process of writing a thesis proposal. Specific weekly assignments help students develop a well-grounded thesis proposal by the close of the semester. Small group discussion and class conversation aid in the development of each student's research direction and thesis proposal. Guest speakers contribute to the students' understanding of expectations necessary for conducting scholarly research and writing a thesis.

AED 388D: Art and the Creation of Meaning

Required course for Option A / Schools track

This class centers on meaning-making in the visual arts. Throughout the course, students are engaged in discussion, analysis, and hands-on use of materials, techniques, and processes used to create artwork. Attention centers on the “whys” of studio art instruction and dialog about art, and the utilization of art-making and critique situations to explore significant and meaningful outcomes within the world of artmaking and responding to art.

AED 384: Curriculum Development in Art Education

This class is intended for students interested in exploring a range of ways art curriculum can be designed for use within a variety of instructional settings, including elementary and secondary school art classrooms, community centers, and art museums. The class is directed toward moving beyond traditional art curriculum formats of focusing instruction around elements of art and principles of design and art media. Instead, this class centers on how Big Ideas, themes and concepts, as well as works of art and designed objects can become catalysts for art learning and art making, and viewed as central features within the art curriculum.

AED 383J: Museum Education: History and Theory

Required course for Option B / Museums track

Museum education practice is framed within a context of culture, history, and theory. This issues-based course examines topics related to the educational mission of the museum. Topics include the shift in theories of object interpretation, the historical and contemporary struggle between education and entertainment, the diverse nature of the museum audience, personal meaning-making, understanding galleries as learning environments, and ever-changing approaches to teaching and learning in the museum. Visits to area museums occur as they provide a lens for examining issues under discussion.

AED 383K: Museum Education: Practice and Application

Students in this course explore, through direct experience, the practice and application of museum education within the context of contemporary art museums. Practical assignments in museums give students opportunities to investigate new directions in museum education. Prerequisite: AED 383J or consent of instructor.

AED 383L: Issues in Museum Studies

Survey of major issues in the field of Museum Studies.

AED 387C: Case Studies in Community-Based Art Education

Required course for Option C / Community track

Students review examples of community-based art programs to understand their histories, philosophies, purposes, organization, funding, operation, evaluation, and redevelopment; and discuss issues affecting the successful creation, preservation, and development of such programs. Students observe and participate in a community-based art program and create studio examples to facilitate qualitative art experiences in their chosen program. Students keep journals during their observation period and write a critical paper on the program observed.

AED 387D: Program Development in Community-Based Art Education

Students examine the process of establishing an exemplary community-based art program; conduct ethnographic research and write grant proposals toward the creation of an ideal community-based art program or the improvement of an existing program; and develop operational activities and explore various approaches to art production to prepare for implementing a program.

AED 384: Objects, Spaces, and Meanings

Objects and spaces are central to people throughout the world. Given the importance of these “things” and environments in our lives, students investigate meanings of objects and spaces that surround us, focusing attention on a range of objects residing both inside and outside the museum, and structures and constructed environments that make up our lives. This examination of diverse objects and spaces is accomplished through an investigation of literature, ideas, and research methodologies within the field of material culture studies. In this course, class members investigate a range of ideas, objects, and spaces in an attempt to perceive their various contextual meanings and social/cultural significance.

AED 384: Art in Public Places

This course is designed to provide students with avenues for the exploration of art in public places. Students investigate the processes involved in the production, acquisition, and display of art in public places. The issues of funding, management, and utilization of art in public spaces are discussed. The social, cultural, and economic significance of art in public places within the micro community and macro society is examined.

AED 384: Multicultural Art Education

This course introduces students to the subject of multicultural art education. The course focuses on the genesis of multiculturalism as a paradigm, the definition of multicultural art education, and the proposed methods of implementing multicultural art education. Scholars have written and said much about the need to diversify the art curriculum through multicultural art education. In this course, students explore the benefits of multicultural art education, and examine various academic assumptions and contradictions surrounding the subject.

AED 388C: Art Instruction through Arts-Based Research

Students observe teaching and learning styles in early childhood through grade twelve art classrooms and review and evaluate their observations using class discussions, journals, creative reports, and other arts- based research techniques.

AED 388E: Art and Critical Discourse

Focuses on personal and professional critiques of artifacts and artistic products. Students explore and justify their responses to artwork in written and verbal discussion.

AED 385: Independent Study in Art Education

Faculty approval must be given prior to registration

Student initiated studies are proposed with a specific member of the Art Education faculty. The designated faculty member guides students in their work through scheduled periodic meetings.

AED 398T: Supervised Teaching in Art Education

Teaching under the close supervision of the course instructor for one semester; weekly group meetings with the instructor, individual consultations, and reports throughout the teaching period.

AED 386: Internship and Field Study

Required course for students in all Program Track options

This internship is designed to give each student in the program the opportunity to experience and investigate a specific environment of art education related to their professional objective, or to explore a site that contributes to the student’s understanding of the range of possibilities available for educating people in the visual arts. It is intended that students in Option A of the Art Education Program fulfill an art education internship within a public or private school environment; students in Option B of the Program complete an art education internship within a museum setting; students in Option C undertake an art education internship at a community-based arts location. The purpose of the internship is to provide the student with on-site experience that contributes to their individually-focused professional development, and expands the student’s understanding of art education. For more complete information see the document: “Guidelines for AED 386 Internship and Field Study in Art Education.”

AED 698A: Thesis A

Required course for students in all Program Track options if on thesis track

AED 698A Thesis A does not meet as a regular class throughout the semester. In AED 698A, students receive credit for work completed on the thesis. The goals of Thesis A are to, (a) complete a successful Thesis Proposal Presentation early in the semester; (b) submit and have approved a proposal for thesis research (IRB proposal) from the Office of Research Support (if warranted by this specific research); (c) determine a reasonable and manageable work schedule and timeline for completing work on the thesis at the conclusion of AED 698B (Thesis B); and (d) collect research data for the thesis. Students enrolled in Thesis A are expected to complete a one-day thesis research and writing workshop sponsored by the AED faculty and held on a Friday early in the semester.

AED 698B: Thesis B

AED 698B Thesis B does not meet as a regular class throughout the semester. In AED 698B, students receive credit for successful completion of the thesis. Students must enroll in AED 698B in the semester they complete work on the thesis and graduate from the program. This will require re-enrollment in AED 698B, if a student does not complete the thesis in the semester they are enrolled in Thesis B. Students enrolled in AED 698B meet one-to-one with their Thesis Chair regularly throughout the semester, leading to completion of the thesis. Students enrolled in Thesis B are expected to complete a one and one-half day thesis research and writing workshop sponsored by the AED faculty and held on a Thursday evening and Friday early in the semester. Prerequisite: Completion of written thesis proposal and oral Thesis Proposal Presentation with student’s Thesis Committee. (See multi-page description in the Program Handbook.)

AED 682L: Applied Project in Art Education

Required course for students in all Program Track options if NOT on thesis track

AED 382L Applied Project in Art Education does not meet as a regular class throughout the semester. This course is repeatable and it is expected that students will register for this course in both fall and spring of their second year. In AED 382L, students receive credit for work completed on an applied project, which must be approved by their faculty committee. The goals of this course are to determine a reasonable and manageable work schedule and timeline for completing work on the applied project. Students enrolled in this course are expected to complete a one-day thesis research and writing workshop sponsored by the AED faculty and held on a Friday early in the semester.  

Portfolio Programs

Students may also wish to apply to one of the university’s graduate portfolio programs , an opportunity to obtain credentials in a cross-disciplinary academic area of inquiry while completing the requirements for a master’s or doctoral degree in a particular discipline.

Program Handbook

• Current Graduate Students

Graduate Research

View presentations from the annual Art Education Graduate Research Symposium.

2023 2022 2021

Program Newsletter

Read issues of Scope , the newsletter of the Art Education graduate program.

Tuition Waivers

The faculty’s goal is to award Tuition Waivers to all out-of-state and international students that forgive the non-resident portion of tuition . Therefore, it is very likely that each admitted student will only be charged resident (in-state) tuition for both years. Accepted non-resident applicants, as well as continuing non-resident students, are automatically considered for this waiver.

Fellowships

A limited number of recruitment fellowships are offered by the Department of Art and Art History, the College of Fine Arts, and the Office of Graduate Studies. All applicants are automatically considered for these fellowships based on their application materials and do not need to apply for these directly.

Additionally, admitted students may be eligible for need-based departmental fellowships. Therefore we strongly recommend that all U.S. applicants apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), thereby making them eligible for consideration for these need-based fellowships.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching Assistants (TAs) provide support to faculty members in classrooms and/or monitor open periods in labs. All students can apply for TA appointments during their second year of study on campus. Appointments are based on institutional need and available funding, and are made on a semesterly basis (rather than annual). The department does not guarantee TA support during a student’s course of study.

Travel Awards

The department has limited funds to support conference attendance and research travel. These grants are awarded in the fall semester of both years of study, based on a written proposal.

FAQ Visit Apply

Program Contacts

Rowan Howe Graduate Program Coordinator

Dr. Christina Bain   Graduate Advisor

Home > College of the Arts > School of Art and Design > M.A. A&D

Master of Arts in Art and Design Theses

The Master of Arts in Art and Design prepares leaders in artistic industries with embodied professional practice and pedagogy, as well as local and global engagement. Students engage in collaborative inquiry with disciplinary experts to solve problems at an advanced level. This interdisciplinary/integrated degree mirrors our desire to break free of the limits of discipline-specific constraints.

Graduates of this degree program demonstrate competencies in: critical inquiry, research and creative practice; innovative techniques and technologies to work in art and design; transferring skills and knowledge base across disciplines to think critically and to connect research to problem-solving in creative activity; diverse historical, contemporary culture and contexts; and collaborate on core values for the development of personal narrative that intrinsically values art.

Need to Submit Your Thesis? Submit Here!

Theses from 2022 2022.

THE REHABILITATION OF FULTON BAG & COTTON MILLS: A Case for a Unique Public-History Site and Open-Air Museum , Nina Elsas

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND CURATORIAL PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1902-1967 , Katie Hegebarth

An Ethnography of Voodoo Tourism and Heritage Sites in New Orleans, Lousiana , Bryant Long

HUMAN REMAINS IN MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS: LAWS AND POLICIES , Cassidy Steele

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Course - master thesis in arts education - did3910, course-details-portlet, did3910 - master thesis in arts education, examination arrangement.

Examination arrangement: Master thesis Grade: Letter grades

Course content

This course consists of work with the Master’s thesis.

The Master’s thesis is an independent academic research project that is carried out as the final activity within the Master’s degree, under the supervision of research staff. The Master’s thesis should be original, critical, ethical, methodical, informed, and clearly articulated, connected to an arts educational theme.

The research topic and research question for the thesis is decided by the student in consultation with the supervisor.

The research project can be theory driven or practice-led, but the result that will be evaluated is a written Master’s thesis.

All students are entitled to conduct the Master’s thesis individually. In certain cases, it may be appropriate to write the thesis in pairs. This is determined in consultation with the course coordinator and supervisor and should be noted within the research proposal offered by the students.

The master's thesis has a scope of 45 credits, equivalent to 1.5 semesters of full-time study.

Learning outcome

The student

• has advanced and specialized knowledge of relevant theories and current research within the chosen arts education field
• has thorough understanding of academic thinking, research methods, research ethics, and specialized knowledge of the chosen research method(s) applied in the thesis
• has advanced knowledge of academic writing and dissemination in arts education research
• has advanced knowledge about different, written and multimodal possibilities in arts education academic formats
• has thorough understanding of reference systems and the formal requirements for academic texts
• can conceptualize and execute an independent research project aligned with research ethics and formal requirements under supervision
• can independently employ relevant methods for arts education research
• can locate relevant scholarly literature and critically assess various analogue and digital information sources
• can confidently present research findings and theorize around practice-led or theory-driven research through academic writing on Master’s level
• can choose among available theoretical options, read research material with theory and critically reflect on how theory informs choices during the research and writing processes
• Use referencing systems in accordance with the existing standards

General competence

The student can

• Apply academic knowledge and skills to address arts education issues
• Disseminate independent research using the field's expressions and characteristics
• Engage in professional and educational discussions, initiate developmental processes, and contribute to innovation within arts education
• Benefit from supervision

Learning methods and activities

The learning methods consists of seminars, presentations, individual work and supervision.

Students’ collaborations with arts educational institutions of relevance for the own master’s project must be arranged by the students themselves.

Supervision is mandatory when working on the Master's thesis and is carried out in consultation with the appointed supervisor.

For collaborative writing, students must have a written agreement (a specific form) beforehand. The agreement involves both students and the supervisor. The thesis must include a process document detailing the collaborative process, including responsibilities and work distribution. This process document is taken into consideration by the examiners of the thesis.

Compulsory course work

There are four compulsory assignements:

• Midway seminar
• Final seminar
• Supervision
• Presentation

Students shall attend both seminars, during which they present the advancement of their master`s thesis project and give a peer-review to one of their fellow students.

All compulsory assignments must be approved in order to submit the master’s thesis.

Compulsory activities

Individual and collective work and preparations for the compulsory assignments

Compulsory assignments

• Participation mid-seminar
• Participation end-seminar

Further on evaluation

The master's thesis is evaluated individually on a grading scale of A-F, where A-E denote passing grades, and F indicates fail

The Master's thesis is assessed by an external and internal examiner.

In the case of collaborative writing, the process document is part of the assessment criteria. While the thesis is jointly assessed, the grade is individual, and students have individual appeal rights.

The thesis's length is 25,000-35,000 words for an individual thesis and 35,000-45,000 words for a collaborative thesis. Additional sections such as cover page, preface, summary, table of contents, bibliography, tables, and appendices come in addition.

All other courses at the study program must be completed and approved before submitting the master's thesis.

Specific conditions

Requires admission to the study program: Master of education (MDID) - arts education

Admission to a programme of study is required: Education (MDID) - some programmes

Recommended previous knowledge

All first-year courses in the Master of Education program, arts education, should be completed before starting this course.

Required previous knowledge

The course requires admission to the Master in Education program, arts education. The compulsory requirements in DID3005 To become a researcher in arts education must be approved, but the exam does not have to be passed.

Course materials

Individually chosen reading material in agreement with the supervisor

Any art materials for the master's project that are not available at the Department of Teacher Education must be purchased and paid for by the student.

Version: 1 Credits:  45.0 SP Study level: Second degree level

Term no.: 1 Teaching semester:  AUTUMN 2024

Term no.: 2 Teaching semester:  SPRING 2025

Language of instruction: English, Norwegian

Location: Trondheim

• Aesthetic Studies
• Pedagogical knowledge
• Polina Golovatina

Department with academic responsibility Department of Teacher Education

Examination

Examination arrangement: master thesis.

Release 2024-11-18

Submission 2024-11-25

• * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

More on examinations at NTNU

Peer-reviewed article

Journal for Research in Arts and Sports Education Vol. 6 | No. 3 | 2022 | pp. 121 – 137

Doing arts-based master’s thesis supervision/writing in teacher education: A new materialist approach to supervision

Sofia Jusslin * & Gunilla Eklund

Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Arts-based research has been proposed to be a new paradigm in teacher education, but research on supervising arts-based educational research in master’s theses in education remains scarce. Recently, researchers have begun re-thinking supervision with relational, more-than-human ontologies, acknowledging that it encompasses doings and relational becomings produced by a multiplicity of human and non-human bodies. However, little attention has been given to the becoming for both student and supervisor, and this research has been limited to doctoral supervision. Originating through a student–supervisor relationship, the study explored the entangled supervision/thesis writing processes to produce an understanding of arts-based educational master’s thesis supervision in teacher education. The analytical questions were: (1) What doings make a difference when supervising and writing an arts-based educational master’s thesis, and (2) what are their opportunities and challenges for teacher education? A diffractive analysis produced doings of thinking-together with/in theory and arts-based educational research practice, be(com)ing-teacher and be(com)ing-supervisor, and be(com)ing-with-the-thesis. The doings focused on the master’s thesis project but extended its boundaries. The doings drew on the past concerning previous experiences and knowledges, were fueled by present mutual interests, and affected future teaching practices. The study holds implications by providing valuable insights into arts-based educational research supervision in teacher education.

Keywords: teacher education; master’s thesis; arts-based educational research; new materialism; supervision

Received: October, 2021; Accepted: June, 2022; Published: August, 2022

* Correspondence: Sofia Jusslin, e-mail: [email protected]

© 2022 Sofia Jusslin & Gunilla Eklund . This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/ ), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.

Citation: S. Jusslin & G. Eklund . «Doing arts-based master’s thesis supervision/writing in teacher education: A new materialist approach to supervision» Journal for Research in Arts and Sports Education, Special issue: Postperspektiv på pedagogik och konst, Vol. 6 ( 3 ), 2022 , pp. 121 – 137 . http://dx.doi.org/10.23865/jased.v6.3538

Introduction

This study addressed the supervision and writing of an arts-based master’s thesis in class teacher education. It originated through a student–supervisor relationship between supervisor Sofia (author 1) and student teacher Anna (pseudonym) at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) in Finland. Anna conducted arts-based research using a relational ontology when investigating digital dance-integrated teaching in a Grade 3 classroom. This study started in a speculative middle (Springgay & Truman, 2018 ); a middle not known in advance but awakened by intriguing questions that arose in the entangled supervision/thesis writing processes. The processes raised questions about the supervision of student teachers doing arts-based educational research positioned within a relational ontology and how teacher education can support students in such complex methodological and theoretical endeavors. These questions intrigued us and set this study in motion.

Arts-based research has been proposed to be a new paradigm in teacher education; it can foster becoming a teacher and learning to teach (Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ). Arts-based educational research addresses educational questions by actively using art forms in both research processes and products (Barone, 2006 ; Sinner et al., 2006 ). An underlying rationale for this study is that conducting arts-based educational master’s theses can, with its practice-near and explorative features, be valuable for student teachers’ future teaching practices. The use of arts-based educational research in doctoral dissertations has increased (Sinner et al., 2006 ), but research about supervising such research remains scarce (e.g., Barone & Eisner, 2012 ; Forinash, 2016 ). To our knowledge, there is little to nonexistent research-based knowledge of supervising arts-based educational master’s theses in teacher education. Knowledge about this phenomenon is needed to provide supervision and support in students’ thesis processes that use arts-based educational research.

Education often relies on humanistic values (Bayley, 2018 ), and supervision has primarily been studied from a human-centered approach (cf. Fullagar et al., 2017 ). Although supervision and thesis writing can be understood as distinguished phenomena, the current study’s underlying assumption is that both processes influence each other by be(com)ing entangled in different ways. New materialism (Barad, 2007 ) moves beyond a human-centered ontology towards a more-than-human, relational ontology and provides a conceptual framework for studying the entanglements produced in the supervision/thesis writing processes. It changes educational thinking, practice, and research by accounting for how humans are related to non-humans in educational settings and reframing learning and teaching as always in-becoming (Bayley, 2018 ; Lenz Taguchi, 2012b ). Relational ontologies have recently been used to re-think supervision from beyond a human-centered perspective (Fullagar et al., 2017 ; Grant, 2018 ). However, little attention has been given to the becoming for both student and supervisor, and this research has been limited to doctoral supervision. Building on previous research, the current study understands the student–supervisor relationship as being more-than-human rather than human-centered. It encompasses doings and relational becomings produced by a multiplicity of humans (e.g., student and supervisor) and non-humans (e.g., theories, texts, investigated practice; Fullagar et al., 2017 ; Grant, 2018 ). In arts-based research, artists affect and work upon different materials, while the materials also affect and work upon them (e.g., Jusslin & Østern, 2021 ; Rosiek, 2018 ). Therefore, supervising arts-based educational research needs to consider a multiplicity of humans and non-humans to guide arts-based research processes. A new materialist approach can thus provide valuable insight into supervising arts-based educational research.

The current study explored the entangled supervision/thesis writing processes to produce an understanding of arts-based educational master’s thesis supervision in teacher education. Notably, a relational ontology resided both as the theoretical framework for the current study and as part of the investigated master’s thesis project. This study problematized doing master’s thesis research in education differently, the supervision of arts-based educational research positioned within a relational ontology, and the knowledge generated through the supervision/thesis processes. The study was speculative as it problematized supervision rather than sought a solution to a problem (Springgay & Truman, 2018 ). The analytical questions were: (1) What doings make a difference when supervising and writing an arts-based educational master’s thesis, and (2) what are their opportunities and challenges for teacher education?

The role of the master’s thesis in research-based teacher education

Research-based teacher education in Finland has been university-based for decades (Sitomaniemi-San, 2021 ) and aims to qualify professional and reflective teachers who can base their teaching on research principles and use these to address practical challenges in the profession (Hansén et al., 2015 ; Niemi & Nevgi, 2014 ). Teacher education includes specific research activities, and the master’s thesis is a central part of the program. Studies have highlighted various challenges in research-based teacher education, showing that the role of research is somewhat unclear and that teachers find it difficult to apply the knowledge gained in education to the practice of their day-to-day work (Afdal & Spernes, 2018 ; Puustinen et al., 2018 ). Hence, balancing research-based activities, including the master’s thesis, in a way that promotes teachers’ professional development, is challenging (Antonsen et al., 2020 ; Eklund et al., 2019 ; Ellis et al., 2019 ) and can be linked to the well-known dilemma of integrating theory and practice (Randi & Corno, 2007 ). Successful research-based activities must facilitate active and independent student participation and be connected to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019 ; Flores, 2018 ; Nikolov et al., 2020 ).

Despite a long tradition of research-based teacher education, there is still a debate in Finland concerning the function of research and especially of the scientific thesis within teacher education (Eklund et al., 2019 ). Previous studies have shown a two-sided view of research, and a more critical approach has been raised (Puustinen et al., 2018 ). Generally, student teachers appreciate research-based education but find a weak relation between scientific theses and the teaching profession (Eklund et al., 2019 ). This result aligns with previous studies, in which student teachers found it difficult to relate research-based activities to knowledges and skills they need for teaching practice (Afdal & Spernes, 2018 ; Baan et al., 2020 ). Recent evaluations of research-based learning activities in an international perspective showed that student teachers considered research projects to be quite unnecessary and irrelevant for their future teaching profession (Nikolov et al., 2020 ). Despite the critique, ratings were more positive when student teachers were active and had the freedom to investigate their teaching and topics in which they had a personal interest.

Everton et al. ( 2000 ) have concluded that research evidence, in general, is valued when the results deal with activities in the classroom and particular aspects of learning and teaching. To enhance student teachers’ motivation for research-based activities, their scientific theses could be connected to educational practices (Baan et al., 2019 ; Ulvik & Riese, 2016 ). Research in practice further supports teachers’ development of an integrated view of theory and practice and enhances their ability to develop teacher practice systematically and reflectively (Lillejord & Børte, 2017 ). However, studies have shown that to succeed, practice-related scientific theses require tight collaboration between research-based studies and practice (Dimmock, 2016 ; Flores, 2018 ; Jakhelln & Pörn, 2018 ). In developing students’ master’s theses in this direction, it is thus valuable to try different approaches in teacher education.

Supervising arts-based educational research

Research on master’s thesis supervision is limited compared to doctoral supervision, but seemingly increasing (e.g., Harwood & Petrić, 2020 ; de Kleijn et al., 2016 ; Marnewick, 2020 ). A commonality in previous research is recognizing the value of investigating the supervisor and student perspectives, as does the current study. However, supervising arts-based educational research requires consideration of aspects more specifically connected to the methodology. Forinash ( 2016 ) identified four main issues of supervising arts-based research. First, the supervisee and supervisor need to decenter traditional ways of knowing to disconnect from previous ways of researching and understanding and instead embrace artistic knowing and the legitimacy of arts-based research. Second, the intelligence of artistic inquiry relates to the awareness of the studied topic. Third, supervisors need to balance when to trust the process and when to challenge it, which also refers to trusting and challenging the supervisee. Finally, a challenging aspect of supervising arts-based research concerns understanding and evaluating the results. From the students’ perspectives, Guyas and Keys ( 2009 ) emphasized that mentorships in arts-based educational research included co-learning and the provision of theoretical protection as well as practical and conceptual guidance.

A crucial consideration concerns what knowledge of the arts student teachers and supervisors must have. Some argue that only formally trained artists can do arts-based research (e.g., Piirto, 2002 ), while others argue for the opposite (e.g., Barone & Eisner, 2012 ; Leavy, 2018 ). Leavy ( 2020 ) argued that one can learn the used art form if one has no formal artistic training. She maintained that there is no rigid set of skills that arts-based researchers must exhibit: “even when a project necessitates particular skill sets, we can still begin from where we are, learn as we go, and improve over time” (2018, p. 11). However, Ewing and Hughes ( 2008 ) argued that working with arts-based educational research in teacher education requires that teacher educators develop an understanding of the nature of the arts.

Student–supervisor relationships in arts-based educational research can be described to encompass different in-betweens that problematize the boundaries between the student and the supervisor (Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ; Fox & Geichman, 2001 ). What and how teachers teach—or supervisors supervise—cannot be distinguished from the developed relationship (Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ). Fox and Geichman ( 2001 ) posed the question of “do our graduate students really extend beyond us? What is the distance between our students’ work and our own?” (p. 39). This perspective resembles new materialism, since both arts-based educational research and new materialism reject a separation between the knower and the known (Barad, 2007 ; Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ).

Supervision as doings and becomings

New materialism aligns with an ontological turn, suggesting that being (ontology) and knowing (epistemology) cannot be separated as they are mutually constituted and entangled. Barad ( 2007 ) termed this onto-epistemology, arguing that knowing does not happen at a distance but with direct engagement with the world. This rejects a representationalist view that the reality exists independent of the researcher. Being and knowing are profoundly relational and entangled, and the worlds with their humans, non-humans, and entanglements are always in-becoming. New materialism also rejects other dualisms, such as theory/practice, discourse/matter, and researcher/researched. These are instead intra-active becomings of the world. Barad ( 2007 ) separated the concept of intra-action from interaction, which requires the existence of independent entities. Intra-actions happen in the midst, in the in-betweens, thereby not separating subjects and objects (e.g., the student and the thesis). The focus is turned towards relations and what the relations produce. This notion also challenges the assumption of humans as active and materials as passive. Both humans and non-humans matter in knowledge-creation.

These theoretical notions are relatively new in educational sciences, albeit gaining ground in different educational levels and being used to understand learning, teaching, and supervision differently (e.g., Bayley, 2018 ; Lenz Taguchi, 2012b ). Fullagar et al. ( 2017 ) referred to doing supervision and perceived supervision as relational processes of knowledge-creating. They re-thought “supervision practices as productive of a ‘relational becoming’ where both students and supervisors learn and unlearn, engage in knowing and importantly unknowing as an on-going process” (p. 8). Similarly, Grant ( 2018 ) discussed the notion of becoming-supervisor , where the supervisor is entangled with other humans, affects, objects, practices, spaces, and forces. For Fullagar et al. ( 2017 ), supervision is a multiplicity and improvisation where academic dilemmas and possibilities are negotiated and performed anew. This study adds to this strand of research within the context of master’s theses in teacher education. It addresses several research gaps by contributing knowledge from a new materialist perspective on the supervision of arts-based educational master’s theses in teacher education.

Methodological engagements

Study context.

To provide an understanding of the study context, we present the student teacher and the supervisor, how the supervision process was structured, and a brief account of how the master’s thesis came to be.

Anna 1 was a student teacher in the class teacher education program at ÅAU. She had a significant interest in dance as she had been a dancer and dance teacher for many years. However, she had no formal training in dance. Anna had insight into how Sofia had worked with arts-based research and dance in literacy education since she observed a dance lesson in Sofia’s doctoral research project (Jusslin, 2020 ). She had announced her interest in working with dance in the master’s thesis to Sofia two years before the thesis process started. As Anna’s supervisor, Sofia had previous experience in new materialism, arts-based research, and dance integration. She had extensive experience teaching academic writing but did not have long experience supervising theses. Further, Gunilla (author 2) was responsible for master’s theses in the teacher education program and thus had extensive experience working with and supervising research-based master’s theses.

Master’s theses constitute a small-scale research project (30 ECTS) as part of the research-based activities at ÅAU. In the master’s thesis, Anna collaborated with a dance teacher, and the thesis was part of a dance residency project. 2 The project had chosen arts-based educational research as the methodological approach when Anna entered the project. Notably, Anna was not familiar with arts-based educational research or relational ontologies before the thesis writing process, indicating that these perspectives were entirely new for her. Anna and the dance teacher planned and implemented lessons with digital dance-integrated teaching in Swedish and literature via Zoom in parallel with supervision discussions between Anna and Sofia. The supervision meetings were held mainly in Zoom, sometimes also face to face, and the supervision and feedback were provided orally and through email conversations or comments to Anna’s manuscript drafts.

Research materials

The student–supervisor relationship was not intended to be researched initially. The study began in a speculative middle (Springgay & Truman, 2018 ), which meant that there was no predetermined research question when starting the supervision/thesis writing processes. The study explored in-depth a limited context by assembling a broad range of materials to provide different angles on the studied phenomenon. We “engage[d] in the ongoing process of assembling data through the intra-action (mutual constitution) of researchers, participants, material objects, and cultural discourses within particular places and times” (Ellingson & Sotirin, 2020 , p. 7). The research methods were a practice of being inside the researched phenomenon (Springgay & Truman, 2018 ). Because the student–supervisor relationship was understood as more-than-human, the study considered humans and non-humans as equally important in the knowledge production (Nordstrom, 2018 ).

The materials were produced through the supervision/thesis writing processes. Written materials from the ten-month-long supervision/thesis writing processes included the manuscript drafts in-becoming, the email conversations providing feedback and guidance, the supervisor’s comments in the manuscript drafts, and the master’s thesis. During the supervision process, Sofia kept a logbook about her perspective as the supervisor. After the thesis had been examined, Sofia and Anna discussed the supervision/thesis writing processes and the arts-based educational research project in retrospect to address Anna’s work with the theories and the methodology, the multi-professional collaboration, and the thesis project’s relevance to Anna’s teaching profession. The conversation was used to think with (Jackson & Mazzei, 2012 ) the processes Anna and Sofia had undergone together. Materials also included living material as embodied data (Ellingson & Sotirin, 2020 ), with Sofia’s embodied participation and presence in the thesis process as the supervisor. The materials, together with the study context, was understood as a research-assemblage (Fox & Alldred, 2015 ) that included the student and the supervisor, the used research strategies, the produced materials, evaluative dialogues with Gunilla, and the broader material-discursive context of writing and supervising a master’s thesis in teacher education. Using different materials helped us think with our analysis, as these materials were entangled with and produced through the supervision/writing processes. We chose these materials—and they chose us—as they were already there in the student–supervisor relationship (cf. Ellingson & Sotirin, 2020 ).

Diffractive analysis

Thinking with theory refers to putting theories to work in empirical materials instead of concentrating on interpreting materials through reductive coding, categorization, or thematization (Jackson & Mazzei, 2012 ). It does not expect something to be found in the analysis. Instead, “it is something that is to come; something that happens, paradoxically, in a moment that has already happened; something emergent, unpredictable, and always rethinkable and redoable” (Jackson & Mazzei, 2018 , p. 717). Theory and materials constitute each other, constantly producing something new in the process of thinking and (un)making. A diffractive analysis is a specific way to think with theory (Mazzei, 2014 ). Diffraction, which is an optical and physical phenomenon, can be explained as waves that bend, spread, and change in new ways when encountering obstacles (Barad, 2007 ). A diffractive analysis involves reading theories and materials through each other to study how differences make a difference (Barad, 2007 ; Lenz Taguchi, 2012a ). Our diffractive analysis explored doings in the supervision/thesis writing processes, what differences were produced, and what became the differences’ effects. We discuss the doings’ opportunities and challenges for teacher education in the discussion.

The analysis produced agential cuts that enabled investigation of doings and their differences that made a difference. The cuts separated differences in the supervision/writing processes while simultaneously entangling the analysis onto-epistemologically with/in the studied doings. In other words, enacting agential cuts in the diffractive analysis encompassed embodied engagements with the research materials: “a becoming-with the data as researcher” (Lenz Taguchi, 2012a , p. 265). We put the theoretical concepts of doing, becoming, intra-action, and entanglement to work in the research materials to make and (un)make sense of the supervision/thesis writing processes. We moved back and forth between the different materials and theories, reading them through each other. Sofia enacted the analysis in dialogue with Gunilla; we made the cuts and were agential parts of the research materials in different ways, with Sofia as an active participant in the student–supervisor relationship and Gunilla as co-author. Three cuts were produced because they stood out in the diffractive thinking-with-theory-and-materials.

The analysis produced three doings that made a difference in the supervision/thesis writing processes. These doings entangled the-student-and-the-supervisor and made them move in different directions in the supervision/thesis writing processes.

Thinking-together with/in theory and arts-based educational research practice

One doing encompassed a collaborative thinking-together about and beyond the arts-based educational research project. The supervision happened with/in the thesis process, the student had her goal set on a thesis product, and both revolved around an arts-based educational research practice.

Sofia clearly remembered the introduction of relational ontologies (more specifically, intra-active pedagogy) when Anna talked about how different “things” (e.g., the dancing, the Covid-19 pandemic, the dance teacher, screen recordings in Zoom, or the children) made her (re)consider and re-think parts of the planning in the arts-based educational research project. Anna and Sofia discussed how, possibly, different human and non-human bodies produced something that made a difference, making Anna twist and turn and move back and forth—sometimes even doubt—in the arts-based, practical work. This thinking-and-doing made a difference and challenged Anna to embark on an intra-active theoretical approach. For Anna, the theories felt difficult and overwhelming. It also challenged Sofia to (re)connect with her entry into intra-active thinking to support Anna in the initial meeting with previously unknown theories and concepts.

I noticed the struggle with the theory. How a humanistic language from the teacher education was deeply embedded in Anna (e.g., humans do something to the materials). We discussed the language use, and I offered discussions about the theories and a fast response during the writing process when she wrote about how she understood and used the intra-active pedagogy in her thesis. I told her how I had struggled with the theories. (Sofia’s logbook)

The struggle produced differences in the supervision/thesis writing processes. It enabled and required Anna and Sofia to (re)read and (re)discuss theories in relation to the arts-based educational research practice and its human (e.g., the children and their class teacher) and non-human bodies (e.g., the dance studio and Zoom). Sofia placed particular emphasis on providing feedback on the theoretical section in the thesis and reminded Anna to relate the theory to her arts-based educational research practice. Anna felt that it was not enough to stay at home, merely reading the theories. In a way, that created a dis/entanglement between the theory and arts-based educational research practice for Anna.

And like maybe, I need to get to both read about it myself and hear somebody else talk about it, like I need to take part in how someone else has done it to understand. Because it did take a good while before I understood what it was really about. (Anna in retrospect conversation)

I had maybe thought, but maybe I did not have like, like more in-depth aspects, I came to think of such only after coming home [from teaching with the dance teacher] and sitting down and writing. (Anna in retrospect conversation)

This pointed to how the doing in arts-based educational research practice enabled thinking with theory, but that Anna’s in-depth thinking happened in the writing process after engaging with the practice, sometimes also in connection to supervision meetings. The thinking-together that made a difference revolved around entanglements of thesis process/product/practice, with neither one separated from the other. However, the collaborative thinking-together with/in theory and arts-based educational research practice was also set in motion through Sofia’s previous experiences with thinking with relational ontologies in similar arts-based contexts. This doing made a difference with Anna’s thesis process/project/practice intra-acting with Sofia’s previous knowledge and experience of similar research.

Be(com)ing-teacher and be(com)ing-supervisor

Another doing encompassed personal/professional be(com)ing for Anna and Sofia. Doing a master’s thesis project in an arts-based educational research practice made a difference in Anna’s be(com)ing-teacher. Anna experienced that the thesis had affected her and that she, in her first job as a teacher, inevitably thought about how her pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning were affected by what she had learned in the thesis. For example, Anna taught dance early in her new class when she started her first teaching job and considered how non-human bodies became agential in her teaching. The thesis seemed to have influenced how she reasoned and acted as a teacher in her first teaching job. Anna did not expect the thesis to influence her as a teacher, but as a newly qualified teacher, she could not dis/entangle herself from the process/product/practice. In retrospect, Anna and Sofia discussed:

Anna: I think that there is, this climate that a master’s thesis is something you do and then never think about again. And maybe I have felt like that somewhat too, but this has affected me so much that it is not something that I will hide away or never think about again, like some others perhaps do. Indeed, I will always remember what I have written and how I went about it. Sofia: So where is the relevance for the teaching profession then, or is there a relevance? Anna: Yes, I think so. Like it is very developing for yourself as a teacher and as a person.

Similarly, supervising Anna and her master’s thesis made a difference for Sofia in her be(com)ing-supervisor of arts-based educational research. The supervision/thesis writing became a process of (un)learning. For Sofia, it felt like an improvisation (cf. Fullagar et al., 2017 ), drawing on how her supervisor had guided her into doing arts-based educational research and thinking with relational ontologies.

The professional be(com)ing became entangled with personal interests. Anna’s professional role in the project intra-acted with her previous experiences from and interest in dancing and being a dance teacher for children. Arts-based educational research was new to Anna, but she enjoyed the explorative freedom the methodology gave her.

[Arts-based research] was also unfamiliar, but at the same time, I thought it was very interesting, instead of using any of the conventional [methodologies], and it felt like one was given more freedom. […] I have to say that I liked working in that way. Because this thing again, the freedom it provides and when it is close to yourself, so I thought it was rewarding to do it. (Anna in retrospect conversation)

Nevertheless, prior to the teaching, Anna felt it was challenging to decide what to teach and how to teach in the arts-based educational research practice. Having previous experience of the methodology, Sofia was in a process of be(com)ing-supervisor when drawing on her previous personal/professional experiences when supervising Anna, trying not to steer her practical process too much, but to encourage Anna to make her own decisions. This opted Sofia to (re)experience and re-turn to her arts-based work. Still, it was challenging to verbally convey previous experiences of being bodily engaged and entangled with/in an arts-based practice. At times, they discussed and (re)experienced the social and material realities of Sofia’s arts-based teaching in her doctoral project (Jusslin, 2020 ), which Anna had observed several years before the master’s thesis process started. Altogether, the doings of be(com)ing-teacher and be(com)ing-supervisor made a difference as the supervision/thesis writing extended beyond the master’s thesis project—before and after the project.

Be(com)ing-with-the-thesis

The third doing encompassed Anna’s movement towards entangling herself with/in the thesis text. During a supervision meeting after the practical part had ended, Anna asked Sofia about how she was allowed to be visible in the thesis. She knew that arts-based researchers were involved in and affected the process, but the question of “am I allowed to write ‘I’ in the thesis and where am I allowed to do it?” remained strong in her, drawing on previous knowledge of academic writing and conventional (quantitative and qualitative) research.

How she had begun to learn what qualitative research was and should be was firmly embedded in her. I problematized arts-based educational research and intra-active pedagogy and explained that there are different opinions about arts-based research belonging to qualitative research or if it can be counted as something of its own. I started from what she had read in Lenz Taguchi ( 2012b ) and Østern et al. ( 2019 ) and especially Barad’s ( 2007 ) critique of knowing happening at a distance. I emphasized how arts-based educational research does not need “to excuse itself” because the researcher is embodied, affective, and active WITH the research. The researcher needs to be visible in the text and the process. I asked her to trust the process and herself. (Sofia’s logbook)

Sofia problematized how the self, the researcher’s voice, was allowed—and encouraged and required—to be visible in text and grounded the explanations in the theories and methodologies that Anna used. This affirmative discussion became agential and made a difference for Anna, who also remembered this event from the supervision meetings.

Well, it was, I almost think it has been, it was really, really weird at first […] Because you have never been allowed to be visible, you have always had to be a “writer” and not like “Anna.” Very objective often. But now, afterward, I liked writing in that way, and I almost believe that it strengthened me as a writer because I do not feel that I am a very strong writer, that I got to bring myself into the process and the thesis. (Anna in retrospect conversation)

After this discussion, something let go in Anna, and the text became something else; something new was created. She allowed herself to be-in-the-text and to be-in-the-thesis.

The personal interest in the study and in dance made the methodology very suitable in that the arts-based researcher is very close to what is being investigated by being actively involved in all research phases, as emphasized by Østern ( 2017 ) and Kara ( 2020 ). The eagerness to move forward and reach answers to the analytical questions fueled the study. The holistic approach where practice and theory are intertwined in arts-based research (Leavy, 2009 ) meant that the study was conducted through a larger perspective, and several different aspects and approaches were investigated to arrive at a result. (Anna’s thesis)

After discussing the presence of the researcher’s voice in the thesis, for Sofia, it seemed like Anna allowed herself to be more explorative, experimenting, and wondering in the text. She started writing herself into and acknowledging her role in the thesis. Anna stated that she experienced growing together with what she wrote. Accordingly, what made a difference was that Anna started be(com)ing-with-the-thesis, actively involving herself in the text.

This study explored arts-based educational master’s thesis supervision/thesis writing in teacher education by thinking with a new materialist approach. Similar to previous research on doctoral supervision (Fullagar et al., 2017 ; Grant, 2018 ), the study suggests that arts-based educational master’s thesis supervision produces and is produced by doings that intra-act with different human (e.g., student, supervisor, dance teacher) and non-human bodies (e.g., dance, theories, classrooms, texts). The doings focus on the master’s thesis project but extend its boundaries. The doings draw on the past in relation to previous experiences and knowledge, are fueled by current mutual interests, and affect future teaching practices.

The analysis indicates that thinking-together with/in theory and arts-based educational research practice has the opportunity to emphasize the entangled relationships between theory/practice, which holds implications for teacher education where integrating theory and practice has been proven to be somewhat difficult (Afdal & Spernes, 2018 ; Puustinen et al., 2018 ; cf. Randi & Corno, 2007 ). However, it also poses challenges as it seems demanding for the student on multiple levels. The relational ontologies’ complexity and the movement beyond humanistic notions of education—which education has traditionally leaned upon (Bayley, 2018 )—requires a re-thinking of learning, teaching, and research. The onto-epistemological approach disrupts the Cartesian view of the all-knowing subject and the dichotomization of mind and body, which has dominated Western views of knowledge for centuries (Lenz Taguchi, 2012b ). Such an approach to pedagogy and research was new for the student teacher, and the supervisor and student teacher had to think-together to reach an understanding that could fuel the arts-based educational master’s thesis. However, an onto-epistemological stance influences many levels of doing arts-based educational research, ranging from paradigm, ontology, and epistemology to method, researcher position, and analysis. We maintain that aspects of ontology and epistemology can be challenging for students at the master’s level. For example, the student teacher felt that the theories were overwhelming. This points toward a need to support students by, for example, addressing such aspects in methodology and/or philosophy courses in teacher education and encouraging students to relate to difficult and complex theoretical and methodological issues (Hansén et al., 2015 ; Niemi & Nevgi, 2014 ).

Discussing the theories in relation to the arts-based educational research practice becomes productive in the thinking-together in the student–supervisor relationship. The doing of be(com)ing-supervisor draws on previous experience and knowledges about arts-based educational research practices and dance-integrated teaching and matter in the student–supervisor relationship, because it can guide the student teacher in how others work within similar research endeavors. Accordingly, the analysis highlights the agential role of the supervisor when it comes to thinking-together with the student, discussing theoretical nuances, and providing practical and methodological protection and guidance. In comparison to doctoral supervision (Forinash, 2016 ; Fullagar et al., 2017 ; Grant, 2018 ; Guyas & Keys, 2009 ), the supervisor’s guiding and supportive role might be even more essential in arts-based educational research at the master’s level because students are often unexperienced in research and the master’s thesis is often the first (and last) larger research endeavor. Therefore, Fox and Geichman’s ( 2001 ) question of what the distance is between the student’s and the supervisor’s work is highly relevant and simultaneously poses opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the supervisor’s area of expertise become agentic in the supervision process, possibly also steering the student’s work. On the other hand, supervising arts-based educational research requires an understanding of such research (cf. Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ). Accordingly, supervising arts-based educational research requires awareness of the influence one might have as a supervisor.

The doing of be(com)ing-supervisor produces and is produced by entanglements between humans, practices, spaces, and forces (cf. Grant, 2018 ), and the analysis gives rise to questions of what kind of knowledge and experience a supervisor needs to supervise an arts-based educational master’s thesis using relational ontologies. Leavy ( 2018 ) stated that one can learn while being within the process, but what it means for the supervision process if the supervisor does not have such experience becomes critical. Not having experience in arts-based educational research can make it challenging to fulfill Forinash’s ( 2016 ) four aspects deemed necessary in supervision. It can be challenging to trust the supervisee’s process if the supervisor has not experienced a similar process. Thinking-together with theory with/in an arts-based educational research practice also requires knowledge of the used theory from the supervisor or the supervisor to be immersed with the theory together with the student. Therefore, we stress the need to be critically aware of how supervisors’ experiences can affect students’ theses, whereas it can also be vastly valuable in order to provide the theoretical and methodological guidance that students need.

As regards the student’s be(com)ing-teacher and future teaching practices, the analysis points at multiple opportunities and challenges (see also Antonsen et al., 2020 ; Eklund et al., 2019 ; Ellis et al., 2019 ) . Using arts-based educational research and thinking with relational ontologies simultaneously enable and demand student teachers to think, teach, and conduct master’s thesis research differently. The creative freedom that the methodology provides can simultaneously be liberating and challenging for student teachers investigating their own teaching practices, and it seems to have a relevance for the future teaching profession (see also Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ). The fact that the student teacher was personally involved and chose a topic she deemed relevant for her future teaching practice promoted be(com)ing-teacher and be(com)ing-with-the-thesis (Nikolov et al., 2020 ). Notably, the supervision process became agentic in these processes of becoming. The student could not dis/entangle herself from the knowledge learned in the master’s thesis, but it seemingly affected her teaching practice as a newly qualified teacher (Lillejord & Børte, 2017 ). Based on the analysis, we argue for the arts-based educational master’s thesis’ relevance for the teaching profession, as it can promote the integration of theory and practice, foster be(com)ing-teacher and learning to teach, and prompt an analytical approach to the students’ teaching and teacher role (Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ; Lillejord & Børte, 2017 ; Ulvik & Riese, 2016 ). Conducting arts-based educational master’s theses can support students, as the topic can be meaningful for them and later brought into their future teaching practices (Afdal & Spernes, 2018 ; Baan et al., 2020 ; Everton et al., 2020 ).

Therefore, we recognize that arts-based educational research has implications for teacher education with its practice-led logic. When doing arts-based educational research, students need to dare to deviate from what they have learned about conventional research and become active agents themselves in their research processes (Baan et al., 2019 ; Nikolov et al., 2020 ). This pushes the student–supervisor relationship towards collaborative (un)learning (cf. Fullagar et al., 2017 ) and a re-thinking of how master’s thesis research can be done. This can be understood as a relatively new way to conduct the master’s thesis in education, thus hinting at a paradigm shift (cf. Ewing & Hughes, 2008 ), especially when it comes to practice-based research, where the students are actively involved in and part of the research (Dimmock, 2016 ; Flores, 2018 ; Jakhelln & Pörn, 2017 ).

This study has contributed knowledge of arts-based educational supervision/thesis writing in teacher education through a new materialist perspective. This small-scale study does not claim to provide a prescriptive understanding of best practices in teacher education. More research is still needed to further the knowledge of how teacher education can support student teacher’s doing arts-based educational research. Nevertheless, the study raises awareness of how doings produce opportunities and challenges that matter in supervision/thesis writing processes in teacher education. Arts-based educational supervision/thesis writing encompasses a mutual becoming for both student teacher and supervisor in teacher education; a becoming-with the investigated process/project/practice. The knowledge gained provides valuable insights that can be used to promote and develop the master’s thesis within research-based teacher education.

Acknowledgments

The residency project Dance in School was funded by KulturÖsterbotten/SÖFUK. The authors especially thank Charlotta Hilli for constructive readings of the manuscript.

Author biographies

Sofia jusslin.

, Ed.D., is Postdoctoral Researcher and University Lecturer in Swedish (L1) and Literature Education at Åbo Akademi University, Finland. Her research interests include literacy education, academic writing, as well as arts-based approaches to teaching literacy, literature, and language.

Gunilla Eklund

, Ed.D., is Docent and works as Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies at Åbo Akademi University, Finland. Her research concerns research-based teacher education and teachers’ professional development.

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• Jackson, A. Y., & Mazzei, L. A. (2018). Thinking with theory. A new analytic for qualitative inquiry. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (5th ed., pp. 717–737). Sage.
• Jakhelln, R. E., & Pörn, M. (2018). Challenges in supporting and assessing bachelor’s theses based on action research in initial teacher education. Educational Action Research, 27 (5), 726–741. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2018.1491411
• Jusslin, S. (2020). Dancing/reading/writing: Performative potentials of intra-active teaching pedagogies expanding literacy education [Doctoral dissertation]. Åbo Akademi University.
• Jusslin, S., & Østern, T. P. (2020). Entanglements of teachers, artists, and researchers in pedagogical environments: A new materialist and arts-based approach to an educational design research team. International Journal of Education & the Arts , 21 (26), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.26209/IJEA21N26
• Kara, H. (2020). Creative research methods in the social sciences: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Bristol University Press.
• Leavy, P. (2009). Method meets art: Arts-based research practice . Guilford Press.
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• Lenz Taguchi, H. (2012a). A diffractive and Deleuzian approach to analysing interview data. Feminist Theory , 13 (3), 265–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464700112456001
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• Marnewick, A. L. (2020). A supervision approach to facilitate learning during the master’s research journey. Teaching in Higher Education . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1811223
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• 1 Anna gave informed consent to participated in the study and accepted the manuscript before publication.
• 2 The thesis was part of a collaborative project between Åbo Akademi University, The Regional Dance Center in Ostrobothnia, and The Ostrobothnian Children’s Culture Network BARK.

Thesis and Dissertation Toolkits

Toolkits for seven distinct thesis/dissertation scenarios

The toolkits contain templates, planning tools, the ProQuest publishing agreement that binds all completed Iowa State University theses and dissertations, as well as shared consent agreements for co-authored journal article chapters.

Review the scenarios below to determine which best fits your thesis or dissertation project, and then navigate to the custom toolkit to download all the resources you need to produce a high-quality manuscript. 

Master's - Traditional

Best for master's students completing a traditional, research-based thesis with no chapters formatted as journal articles. This toolkit contains:

• Traditional Thesis/Dissertation Template
• Thesis Planning Tool
• ProQuest Publishing Agreement

Master's - Traditional Toolkit

Master's - Journal Articles

Best for master's students completing a research-based thesis with two or more chapters, with at least one chapter formatted as a journal article. This toolkit contains:

• Journal Article Thesis/Dissertation Template
• Shared Consent Forms (2 options)

Master's - Journal Articles Toolkit

Master's - Single Journal Article

Best for master's students completing a research-based thesis with only one chapter, formatted as a journal article. This toolkit contains:

• Single Journal Article Thesis Template

Master's - Single Journal Article Toolkit

Master of Fine Arts - Nontraditional

Best for master's students completing a creative thesis with nontraditional formatting, such as short story collections, poetry collections, scripts and screenplays, and more. This toolkit contains:

• Nontraditional Thesis Template

MFA - Nontraditional Toolkit

Ph.D. - Traditional

Best for doctoral students completing a traditional, research-based dissertation with no chapters formatted as journal articles. This toolkit contains:

• Dissertation Planning Tool

Ph.D. - Traditional Toolkit

Ph.D. - Journal Articles

Best for doctoral students completing a research-based dissertation with at least one chapter formatted as a journal article. This toolkit contains:

Ph.D. - Journal Articles Toolkit

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Master´s Thesis in Psychology, 15 Credits

Swedish name: Magisteruppsats i psykologi

This syllabus is valid: 2024-07-08 and until further notice

Course code: 2PS052

Credit points: 15

Education level: Second cycle

Main Field of Study and progress level: Psychology: Second cycle, contains degree project for Master of Arts/Master of Science (60 credits)

Grading scale: Three-grade scale

Responsible department: Department of Psychology

Revised by: Head of Department of Psychology, 2024-06-20

The students shall conduct, under supervision, with independent responsibility, an empirical thesis based on a scientific basis within the relevant main area and subject orientation. The thesis work includes independently formulating problems, conducting a scientific study, processing data with qualitative and/or quantitative methods, and orally discussing and presenting the results in writing in a scientific manner. The course is divided into two modules where the first focuses on planning and motivating your thesis topic and the second focuses on carrying out and reporting the thesis.

Expected learning outcomes

After completing the course for the current main area and subject area, the student must independently be able to

Module 1, 3 credits

Knowledge and understanding

• describe and discuss a plan for the thesis work
• distinguish and formulate a scientific problem, purpose and defined questions that can fill a knowledge gap and contribute to the field of knowledge within the main area and subject
• identify relevant ethical aspects for the thesis

Module 2, 12 credits

• describe a problem area and identify knowledge gaps based on a relevant literature review and current theories and concepts

Skills and ability

• carry out an empirical study based on current issues with regard to design and method
• compile, analyze and interpret data in relation to a problem statement, according to the academic language and scientific approach that is the practice in the major and subject area
• be able to apply relevant research ethics principles
• register the thesis in a scientific database

Evaluation ability and approach

• define, analyze and discuss research design and method in relation to purpose and questions and with regard to applicable research ethical principles
• based on the results of the thesis, reflect on the thesis relevance to society and identify future research questions
• show independence, receptivity and a critical approach during supervision 
• defend your own thesis at the thesis seminar by being able to objectively and constructively discuss strengths and weaknesses based on a scientific perspective
• carry out opposition in a factual and informative manner by presenting and constructively discussing strengths and weaknesses in another thesis based on relevance to the subject as well as on methodological and ethical issues

Required Knowledge

Courses corresponding to 90 credits (hp) in psychology or equivalent, including 15 credits at an advanced level in psychology or equivalent. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper Secondary course English A/6.  Where the language of instruction is Swedish, applicants must prove proficiency in Swedish to the  level required for basic eligibility for higher studies.

Form of instruction

The teaching mainly takes place in the form of supervision given at booked meetings and through seminars. The course requires mandatory attendance at the PM seminar as well as at the opposition and respondent seminars.

The right to receive teaching, including supervision, is only guaranteed when the course for which the student is registered is in progress. This applies regardless of how often the students have met their supervisor.

Examination modes

The course is divided into two modules. The examination consists of five parts: the thesis PM, a written thesis, defense of your own thesis, a presentation and critical discussion/opposition of another student thesis and registration of your own thesis in DiVA.

Module 1. Thesis-PM, 3 credits

Thesis-PMs are written before and assessed at a mandatory seminar. Assessment of thesis-PMs is done individually and given the grades Pass or Fail. Completion of the thesis-PM is adjusted individually based on the assessment criteria or criteria for which the student's thesis-PM did not achieve a passing grade and must be submitted no later than 10 working days after the student has been notified of the results of the regular examination. In cases where the student has been given the opportunity to supplement his thesis PM and has not submitted it in time or has not been approved for his supplement, the grade is set to Fail and an additional exam will be arranged according to the rules that apply to re-examination (see below).

Module 2. Degree project/Thesis, Opposition, Respondentship, DiVA, 12 credits

Other examination elements are assessed during Module 2. The written thesis work is defended by the student at an thesis seminar where the oral defense is assessed. Furthermore, an approved completed presentation and opposition to another thesis are required. Examination of the written thesis work takes place through review in an thesis committee where the thesis and the work process are reviewed based on grading criteria established in advance. A combined grade is assigned to both the work process and the completed written thesis, with one of the grades Fail, Pass or Pass with distinction, a three-point grading scale applies. For thesis PM, opposition, presentation and defense of own thesis, grades are given Pass or Fail for each part. The assessment of the thesis PM, the thesis as well as opposition and response is done individually. Assessment of DiVA registration takes place individually or in pairs, depending on whether the thesis was written individually or in pairs.

In the event that the thesis has individual or minor flaws (some or a few assessment criteria that are failed), the student is offered the opportunity to complete the thesis before the thesis is graded. The complement is adapted individually based on the assessment criteria or criteria for which the student's thesis did not achieve a passing grade and must be submitted no later than 10 working days after the student has been notified of the result of the regular examination. In cases where the student has been given the opportunity to complement the thesis and did not submit it in time or did not get a pass on his supplement, the grade is given Fail and an additional exam is arranged according to the rules that apply to re-examination (see below). For cases where the deficiencies are more extensive, the student receives the grade Fail and is not offered the opportunity to complete the thesis. An additional test session is organized according to the rules that apply to re-examination (see below).

Completion of opposition, defense of own thesis and registration in DiVA are individually adapted based on the goal or goals that the student did not achieve and take place no earlier than two weeks after the students have been notified of the examination results and no later than two months after the regular examination.

Grades for the course/respective element are set when all examination elements are approved. At least the grade of Pass must be achieved in each of the five examination parts in order to receive a passing grade for the entire course. The grade on the written thesis determines the grade on the course.

All examining elements is indicated in the schedule.

Students are entitled to five examination opportunities. For students who have not been approved at the regular exam, an additional exam will be arranged according to the University's "Rules for grades and examinations at undergraduate and advanced level". A student who has passed two tests for a course or part of a course without a passing result has the right to have another examiner appointed, unless there are special reasons against it. The request for a new examiner is made to the head of the Department of Psychology.

The provisions of the Discrimination Act (2008:567) mean, among other things, that the universities must offer the possibility of adapted examination or alternative forms of examination. Deviations from the syllabus examination format can be made for a student who has a decision on educational support due to a disability. Individual adaptation of the examination format must be considered based on the student's needs. The form of the examination is adapted within the framework of the curriculum's expected study results. Students who need an adapted examination must request adaptation from the institution responsible for the course no later than 10 days before the examination. After the student's request, the teacher responsible for the course, in consultation with the examiner, must quickly decide on an adapted form of examination. The decision must then be communicated to the student.

Transfer of credits takes place according to Umeå University's system.

Valid from: 2024 week 28

Literature is chosen in consultation with supervisor.

Graduate Internships and Fellowships

If you are a graduate student looking for the ideal setting to conduct your thesis research, or if you’re a master’s student preparing to pursue your doctorate, a graduate-level STEM internship or fellowship can open doors for advanced studies.

ORISE offers summer, fall, and spring internship programs at locations across the United States for graduate students in STEM disciplines to participate in laboratory experiences to expand their expertise beyond the traditional university setting.

If you are looking for a short-term experience like a summer internship, ORISE has a diverse collection of opportunities in a variety of research areas. If a STEM internship or fellowship opportunity during the academic year is more ideal, there are also a number of positions with immediate availability for students who have already earned their bachelor's degree and are currently pursuing advanced degrees.

Current Research Opportunities for Graduate Students

Enter keywords to search current opportunities available through Zintellect. Once you enter the Zintellect catalog by clicking an opportunity listed below, you can set up a profile and apply.

Internship and Fellowship Programs Managed by ORISE

ORISE manages programs for the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies that pair students, recent graduates, postdocs, and faculty with programs that help grow their STEM expertise and experience. Check out websites created specifically to provide information about these ORISE programs for prospective applicants.

STEM program websites

STEM Connections Blog

Finding an internship or fellowship means polishing your resume and networking with your peers and professionals to learn about opportunities in the STEM disciplines that offer hands-on experience. For decades, ORISE has helped STEM professionals along their career paths, and our experts have provided tips and resources below to help you reach the next step in your career.

STEM Connections blog

Professional Development Resources

ORISE provides various resources to address the career planning and professional development needs of all research and non-research participants. Check out our professional development resources to enhance your internship or fellowship experience and prepare for the next step in your career.

Professional development resources

Meet some of the ORISE participants who are advancing scientific research and discovery

ORISE administers STEM education programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies. The diversity of these programs enables individuals—whether undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, or faculty—to conduct collaborative research with national laboratories or at one of DOE's federal agency partners. Learn about how their research experiences have advanced their academic and professional careers.

Read participant success stories

Ask the Experience ORISE Team

Want to learn more about an ORISE internship or fellowship? Have questions about how the ORISE experience can successfully impact your career path and/or add value to the research opportunities of students or alumni you engage with at your organization? If so, contact our team today—we look forward to hearing from you!

Mintai Kim appointed as associate dean of graduate studies for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design

Krista Timney

29 Jul 2024

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Mintai Kim , professor of landscape architecture, has been named associate dean of graduate studies for Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Design . His five-year appointment began on June 25.

In his new role, Kim will provide leadership and support in all areas related to graduate programs and students within the college, encompassing programs and activities in Blacksburg as well as those taking place at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in Alexandria.

Immediate priorities for the position are increasing enrollments in the college’s current master’s, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs, which span across four top-ranked schools, and building a sense of community among graduate students and the college faculty and staff who are involved with and invested in the success of these students.

Kim also hopes to maintain a strong presence on campus, serving as an advocate and champion for graduate students. In addition, he will lead efforts to investigate options for developing additional degree programs in the college.

“I am particularly excited about expanding the college’s graduate offerings,” said Kim. “Additionally, I look forward to building strong, supportive communities. As an international student, I greatly appreciated the support from the graduate studies community at my previous institution. My goal is to foster a similar environment at Virginia Tech.”

Kim is a professor in the Landscape Architecture Program in the  School of Design , having joined the university in 2007. Since 2022, he has served as co-coordinator of the Ph.D. program in architecture and design research.

“Mintai Kim is a longtime member of the college faculty and has been very successful in his prior leadership roles, including chair of his school’s curriculum committee and co-coordinator of the Ph.D. program,” said  Dean Lu Liu . “He has many years of experience supporting and creating productive research collaborations with graduate students, and we are looking forward to his work in enhancing our community and elevating and growing the college’s advanced degree offerings.”

As a researcher, Kim has focused on helping communities deal with disturbances such as climate change and sea level rise, as well as on projects related to controlling light pollution and other factors to improve nightscapes. He started the Climate and Community Resilience Laboratory at Virginia Tech and uses Geodesign, a collaborative framework, to solve complex design and planning problems related to climate change. He has built and sustained strong collaborative relationships with stakeholders in Virginia's coastal region, providing alternative design and planning solutions.

Kim received the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence in 2023. He has been recognized with the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture’s Excellence in Research and/or Creative Works Award at the senior level and the Best Scientific Paper at the 18th International Conference on Information Technology in Landscape Architecture.

Kim earned his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Seoul, Korea, and both a Master of Landscape Architecture and Ph.D. in environmental planning from the University of California, Berkeley.

The position of associate dean of graduate studies in the college has been held by Paul Emmons, the Patrick and Nancy Lathrop Professor of Architecture, since 2018. Based at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, Emmons is a registered architect and co-coordinates the doctoral program in architecture and design research.

“We sincerely appreciate Paul’s service and accomplishments, and his work to maintain the high quality of the college’s graduate programs and promote the success of individual students,” said Liu. “He has played a major role in helping us prepare for what will be the next chapter in the college of expanding both our enrollments and degree programs. Paul was a very valuable colleague during my first year as dean of the college, and I remain grateful for his shared strategic insights and acumen.”    

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