This tuition-free program prepares students for meaningful careers teaching and creating in schools, museums, and community arts organizations.
University of Arkansas
December 1, 2025
— 2 min read
Student Jack Buffington learns from artist Peju Layiwola during a week-long artist residency and workshop at the School of Art.
The MA in Art Education at the University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, welcomes artists and educators at every stage of their careers — from those already teaching in schools, museums, and community programs to those exploring the field for the first time.
This two-year, tuition-free in-residence program blends theory, research, and socially engaged practice. Students engage in both a rigorous research-based curriculum and hands-on learning, exploring creative approaches to teaching while building strong analytical skills and contributing academic research to the field.
“What sets our program apart is its interdisciplinary nature. We welcome applicants from varied areas: performance, applied arts, museums, community arts organizations, K-12 teachers, artists, and other creative areas,” said Kathy J. Brown, graduate program director and endowed assistant professor of art education. “We want to foster art educators as positive changemakers who can help shape the culture and praxis of arts spaces. Moreover, our master’s program offers a high level of inquiry, essential for enhancing contemporary art education.”
Outside the classroom, students gain hands-on experience with labs and initiatives such as the Center for the Study of Childhood Art and the Arkansas Art Educator Art Lab, which provides professional development for teachers across the state. They also participate in programs such as the Ink and Inspiration: A Student Writing Retreat, happening again this spring for all students, and the Art Education Symposium. Recently, art education and art history students collaborated for a week-long workshop with Nigerian artist Peju Layiwola, exploring resist-dyeing techniques and their significance within global histories of art education.
“Our program is strengthened by the interdisciplinary exchange that happens across the School of Art,” said Christopher Schulte, interim program director and endowed professor of art education. “Students work closely with studio artists, graphic designers, and art historians, as well as leading scholars across campus, developing their research and establishing theory-practice relationships that test the pliability of art and its educational potential. Moreover, the varied professional backgrounds of the students admitted to the program make for a vibrant educational environment, reflect their identities as both educators and artists, and enable the program to foster new partnerships, projects, and possibilities.”
The program is tied to the Northwest Arkansas arts ecosystem and has collaborated with numerous schools and community programs, such as the Arkansas Arts Academy and the Fayetteville Public Library, where students created an inclusive project with the nonprofit Life Styles, Inc.
Supported by a transformational gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, all MA students receive a tuition waiver, graduate assistantship, stipend, and access to funding and collaboration with visiting scholars.
Alumni pursue careers in K-12 education, museum and community arts programming, nonprofit leadership and higher education, and many continue into doctoral programs. As demand grows for educators, the School of Art’s MA in Art Education provides a dynamic space with time, support, and mentorship to grow.
Applications for the MA in Art Education are now open until January 15, 2026.
To learn more, visit art.uark.edu or contact graduate program director Kathy J. Brown at [email protected].
