Music Education
Art Education

Music Education

The Music Education program prepares students to teach all areas of music at the elementary and secondary levels.  Music teachers at the elementary level need piano and singing skills.  Secondary music teachers not only teach and coach both voice and instruments, but may also conduct and direct the band, orchestra and choir.  They may teach music theory, appreciation and history, work with ensembles, and direct musicals.

Many who have obtained a degree in music education also teach privately, freelance as entertainers or work as church musical directors or organists.

A successful career in music education calls for patience, creativity, leadership qualities and excellent communication skills appropriate to the age group with which the teacher works.

Art Education

 Art Education is a major in the Art Department.  (Multi-age art teaching licensure is available through the Education Department.)  The program combines theory, supervised field experience, and specialized preparation in studio arts, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics to prepare graduates to teach art to students ages 3-21.

Art teaching is a profession with rigorous standards that require knowledge of art production, art history, aesthetics, and art criticism.  Art teachers must be able to organize, sequence and teach the content of art in a curriculum inclusive of the goals, values, and purposes of education, the community, and society.  They must have a comprehensive understanding of student characteristics, abilities and learning styles in order to plan instruction.  Art teachers must be able to plan relevant instruction.  Art teachers must be able to motivate, manage, and monitor student learning and be able to measure student growth through appropriate assessment strategies.  Art teachers must possess excellent oral and written communication skills.  Requisite personal qualities include enthusiasm, curiosity, honesty, and respect for diversity and appreciation of individual and cultural differences.

OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Administrator   
Art consultant   
Art critic
Art teacher, pre K-12   
Art teacher supervisor   
Art therapist
Child care residential worker   
College/university professor   
Counselor
Curriculum development specialist   
Day care teacher   
Educational coordinator
Elementary art teacher   
Freelance artist   
Gallery and museum assistant
Illustrator   
Overseas teacher - all levels   
Pediatric ward teacher
Photo editor    Photographer    Special education teacher
Writer for art-related periodicals       

RELATED OCCUPATIONS
Camp director   
Editor   
Industrial trainer
Librarian   
Media specialist   
Occupational therapist
Play therapist   
Public relations specialist   
Publisher consultant
Salesperson       
*Some positions may require additional education and/or training.

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
Information on employment outlook for the occupations listed above may be found at America’s Career InfoNet, http://www.acinet.org, the Occupational Information Network, http://online.onetcenter.org, or the Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco.

POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS
Advertising agencies   
Art academies
Auction houses   
Audio visual production companies
Camps   
Colleges and universities
Commercial art studios   
Community agencies
Department stores   
Educational assessment clinics
Elementary schools   
Galleries/museums
Government:  Dept. of Education; Dept. of Defense; State Dept.   
Historical societies
Newspapers, magazines   
Photography studios
Preschools   
Secondary schools

SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Books (* denotes books available in the Career Center Library)

• *Camenson, Blythe.  Great Jobs for Art Majors, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2003.
• Edelfelt, Roy.  Careers in Education, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2004.
• Fine, Janet. Opportunities in Teaching Careers, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 2005.
• Haubenstock, Susan H. & Joselit, David. Career Opportunities in Art, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Series, 2001.
• Kocher, Eric & Segal, Nina.  International Jobs: Where They Are and How to Get Them. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2003.

Professional Associations

• American Federation of Teachers, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC  20001, http://www.aft.org.
• National Education Association, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, http://www.nea.org.
• The National Art Education Association, 1916 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1590, http://www.naea-reston.org.

Web sites

• Department of Defense Education Activity, http://www.dodea.edu/home/index.cfm.   
• Occupational Information Network, O*Net Online, http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/25-2021.01.
• U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm.