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NSCAD University Announces New Master’s Program in Art Education

NSCAD will accept its first students into a new Master of Arts in Art Education degree program in September 2019. The graduate program is designed to develop educators and researchers with the advanced knowledge to lead art education initiatives in a range of settings, including museums, art galleries, heritage sites, and community and educational organizations. NSCAD is planning to welcome the new candidates for the Masters of Art in Art Education who will join the university’s creative graduate community of Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design program students.
The 36-credit program can be taken full-time or part-time and includes a 240-hour field-based practicum experience. A unique feature of the program is the option to choose from one of three specialized program streams: museum and curatorial; community-based practice; and applied pedagogy in art education.

“Museum and curatorial stream students will acquire advanced knowledge of art education programming in settings such as galleries, museums and heritage sites,” said Dr. April Mandrona, program director. “Graduates will be skilled in expanding on conventional approaches to public engagement and in developing immersive learning experiences.”

“The community-based practice specialization will appeal to students with an interest in careers developing art education programming that is responsive to the needs and experiences of communities,” said Mandrona. “These students will have a strong interest in outreach, activism and contextualized learning about art and culture.”

“For students seeking advanced knowledge of art education in more traditional settings, the applied pedagogy in art education stream is an ideal fit,” said Mandrona. “The emphasis is on art education practices and approaches suitable for children, teens, adults and older adults, with an overall focus on human development and well-being.”

Developed in close consultation with art and culture sector organizations locally and from across Canada, the program will be the only one of its kind in the Atlantic region.

“Art education plays an ever-expanding role in institutions and communities around the world,” said Dr. Ann-Barbara Graff, vice-president academic and research at NSCAD. “The range of professional opportunities for graduates of the program is diverse. Today’s creative economy requires imaginative and innovative strategies for problem solving, and art education is rooted in these modes of inquiry.”

“For NSCAD, the program is a natural and timely evolution,” said Graff. “The university has been a leader in arts education since its inception in 1888 — and the MA in Art Education continues that tradition.”

“NSCAD’s initiative will serve as an inspiring research incubator for advancements in the ever-changing field of Art Education,” said Dr. Peter A. Vietgen, president of The Canadian Society for Education through Art, Société canadienne d’éducation (CSEA-SCEA). “The program presents an exciting opportunity where scholars will research and challenge current discourse in Art Education theory and practice in a diversity of educational and community settings.”

“NSCAD is renowned for its immersive, rigorous, and collaborative student experience where the freedom to work across disciplines opens up endless possibilities,” said Terry Bailey, NSCAD’s director of admissions. “We attract a diverse population of students from across Canada and abroad, with our alumni going on to become leaders in their fields in every corner of the world.”

“Many have been eagerly anticipating this master’s level degree in art education,” said Bailey. “It’s an exciting and important program initiative for the institution that greatly expands the field of art education through unique opportunities for collaboration with artists and designers. We expect it to be a very popular addition to our graduate-level offerings.”

Graduate programs begin each September and applications will continue to be received for the MA in Art Education until the September intake is full. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early.