school of art and design 79
modeled upon artistic practice. Students
test ideas, develop a personal teaching
style, and explore research questions
through participation and observation.
The seminars following the Saturday
classes are forums for reflection upon both
unfinished and completed projects.
Students thus get opportunities to work
collaboratively with their peers, commu-
nity members and professionals in the
field, while they learn to develop lessons
and construct environ ments that promote
critical inquiry and creative practice.
The department’s conception of art
has broadened considerably from those
first classes in the 19th century. A range of
art practices are presented and explored,
from traditional forms to contemporary
multidisciplinary works. Masterworks
from various cultures and from across the
globe, as well as creations of self-taught
artists and outsiders, are integrated into
the curriculum.
Our approach to art and design educa-
tion is distinguished by a willingness to
look to other disciplines for inspiration. In
recent years, we have drawn upon the work
of artists, educators, and scholars in the
fields of literature, folklore, philosophy,
and anthropology. Narrative and autobiog-
raphy, play and performance, meaning and
memory are threads that play an important
role in our classroom conversations and
research. We ask our students to go beyond
textbook vocabulary and style. Their plans,
essays, and research papers are developed
from their own stories and personal knowl-
edge using, whenever appropriate, the
language of the poet. Reflective practitio-
ners, they are prepared to work effectively
in diverse cultural contexts and to apply
interdisciplinary perspectives in a variety
of educational settings.
Through a combination of individual
study, observation, and reflection, along
with collaborative and interactive experi-
ences, students learn how to arti cu late the
inexpressible, imagine the invisible, and
convey a sense of the aesthetic in their art
classrooms as well as in their own lives and
in the community at large. The study of art
and design education leads us back to our
own creativity.
The Program’s Structure
m.s. in art and design
education with initial teacher
certification (fall)
Brooklyn campus—a 38-credit-hour
degree. Applicants must have completed
a four-year undergraduate program with
a minimum of 25 credit hours in the
appropriate technical courses in studio art
and the history of art from a regionally
accredited institution of higher education
or one that is approved by the New York
State Department of Education. As an
alternative, they can apply for the qualify-
ing program or take undergraduate courses
before applying to the degree program. A
course in child and adolescent psychology
and credits in a foreign language are also
required as pre- or co-requisites. Appli-
cants must submit a portfolio of 15 or more
images including observational drawings
along with other media in color copies or
digital format—teaching projects may also
be included. An in-person (along with class
visit) or telephone interview should be
arranged by the applicant. A TOEFL score
of 600 (250 or 100 Internet) is required for
international students.
m.s. in art and design education
professional certification (fall)
Brooklyn campus—a 34-credit-hour
degree. Applicants must have received their
Initial Certification as a Teacher of Visual
Arts and taught full-time for three years.
Applicants must submit a portfolio of 15
or more images including observational
drawings along with other media in color
copies or digital format—teaching projects
may also be included. An in-person (along
with class visit) or telephone interview
should be arranged by the applicant.
advanced certificate in art and
design education (fall)
Brooklyn campus. This 23-credit-hour pro-
gram is open to individuals with an M.F.A.
degree, or those currently enrolled in the
M.F.A. program at Pratt. For those appli-
cants already holding an M.F.A. degree,
the program may be completed in two
semesters, and the application require-
ments are the same as those listed for the
M.S. in Art and Design Education.
Left: Top: Elementary school student drawing a still life
in Pratt’s Saturday Art School; Bottom: High school
students on a Pratt after-school program at Brooklyn
design firm Nightwood’s furniture and textile studio.