Program Overview

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Introduction to the Art — Elementary, BAE Program

The Bachelor of Art Education, Elementary (BAE, Elementary) major at Western Washington University integrates art-making and art-looking to explore the powerful intersection of material and process exploration, visual and cultural literacy, and personal meaning-making in art. This program prepares students to teach art within a general elementary classroom (K-5) and satisfies the academic major requirement for teacher certification with an endorsement in elementary education.

Program Description

The BAE, Elementary major combines foundational studio art courses, art history survey courses, and two art education courses. These courses cover topics such as artistic development in childhood and adolescence, curriculum design and assessment, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in art education spaces, and art education advocacy. This comprehensive approach equips majors with an array of artistic practices to integrate into their future classrooms.

Why Consider an Art Elementary Major?

The BAE, Elementary major is designed for students who wish to teach art in an elementary setting. The program includes a range of courses that provide students with a solid foundation in art education, including artistic development, curriculum design, and art education advocacy.

Student Resources

• Department website: Art and Art History
• Department advising: Admitted and/or current students visit the Apply to Art website.
• Degree Works: Current students should also log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
• Career Services Center: Connect major to a career

Admission and Declaration Process

Most classes in the Studio area are restricted to majors only. An online application is required to access classes in this area. The application will include a portfolio of recent work and an unofficial transcript of any college-level courses already taken.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines are by midnight on October 15 and January 31.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C (2.0) or better is required for courses in the elementary education professional program and all courses required for the endorsement.

Program Requirements

Art — Elementary, BAE Requirements (52 credits)

• ART 109 - Visual Dialogue (Credits: 3)
• ART 110 - View and Gesture (Credits: 5)
• ART 120 - Surface and Color (Credits: 5)
• 200-level courses (10 credits):
  • ART 230 - Form and Space (Credits: 5)
  • ART 280 - Time and Motion (Credits: 5)
• Studio courses (10 credits):
  • ART 303 - Drawing Projects (Credits: 5)
  • ART 320 - Painting I (Credits: 5)
  • ART 331 - Sculpture-Wood (Credits: 5)
  • ART 340 - Ceramics I (Credits: 5)
  • ART 350 - Printmaking I (Credits: 5)
  • ART 360 - Fibers and Fabrics I (Credits: 5)
  • ART 361 - Surface Design (Credits: 5)
  • ART 370 - B&W Photography I (Credits: 5)
• Art Education courses (10 credits)
  • ART 378 - Introduction to Art Education (Credits: 5)
  • ART 384 - Teaching in the Art Museum (Credits: 5)
• Art History requirement, select 9 credits from the following courses (choose one course from each group):
  • A/HI 211 - History of Western Art I: Prehistory to the Middle Ages (Credits: 3)
  • A/HI 212 - History of Western Art II: Renaissance to Modernity (Credits: 3)
  • A/HI 240 - Visual Culture in Western Europe in the 19th Century (Credits: 3)
  • A/HI 241 - Visual Culture in Western Europe and America in the 20th Century (Credits: 3)
  • and
  • A/HI 250 - Arts of Africa pre-1900 (Credits: 3)
  • A/HI 251 - Arts of Africa after 1900 (Credits: 3)
  • and
  • A/HI 270 - Visual Culture in South and Southeast Asia (Credits: 3)
  • A/HI 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia (Credits: 3)
  • or EAST 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia (Credits: 3)

Additional Requirements

Elementary Education Professional Program Requirements

The Elementary Education Professional Program is designed to prepare students for a teaching certificate with an Elementary Education endorsement. This program centers an anti-bias, anti-racist, social justice philosophy and requires the completion of the GURs, an approved academic major, and the professional education course work listed below.

Admission and Declaration Process

See the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Multilingual Education section of this catalog for program admission, completion, and teacher certification requirements.

Grade Requirements

Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in the elementary education professional program and in all courses required for the endorsement.

Requirements (105 credits)

• Professional Studies Core (22 credits)
  • ELED 305 - Development and Learning in a Diverse Classroom (Credits: 5)
  • ELED 310 - Education, Culture, and Equity (Credits: 5)
  • ELED 311 - Understanding Washington State Tribal History, Culture, and Government: Since Time Immemorial Curriculum (Credits: 1)
  • ELED 460 - Children’s Literature in the Classroom (Credits: 5)
  • I T 344 - Foundations of Technology in Teaching and Learning (Credits: 1)
  • MLE 441 - Language, Culture, and Equity: From Global to Local (Credits: 5)
• Elementary Program Methods and Curriculum Content (32 credits)
  • One course from:
    • ART 398 - Integrated Arts for Elementary Educators (Credits: 3)
    • DNC 398 - Integrated Arts for Elementary Educators (Credits: 3)
    • MUS 398 - Integrated Arts for Elementary Educators (Credits: 3)
    • THTR 398 - Integrated Arts for Elementary Educators (Credits: 3)
  • HLED 455 - Health Education Grades K-8 (Credits: 2)
  • I T 442 - Digital Decisions: Technology for Educators (Credits: 3)
  • MATH 381 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics I (Credits: 4)
  • MATH 382 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics II (Credits: 4)
  • MATH 383 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics III (Credits: 4)
  • PE 345 - Physical Education for Elementary School (Credits: 3)
  • SCED 480 - Science Methods and Curriculum for the Elementary School (Credits: 5)
  • SPED 364 - Teaching Each Student (Credits: 4)
• Preparatory Field Experiences (13 credits)
  • ELED 480 - Literacy: Beginning Communicators (Credits: 5)
  • ELED 481 - Literacy: Fluent Communicators (Credits: 5)
  • SCED 490 - Laboratory/Field Experience in Elementary Science (Credits: 3)
• Professional Field Experiences & Methods Courses (38 credits)
  • ELED 412 - Seminar on Racial Justice Praxis (Credits: 5)
  • ELED 427 - Elementary Social Studies Through Counternarratives (Credits: 5)
  • ELED 471 - Documenting Teaching (Credits: 4)
  • ELED 494 - Internship - Elementary (Credits: 2-16) (must complete 22 credits toward the major)
  • MATH 491 - Internship Seminar - Teaching K-8 Mathematics (Credits: 2)

Departmental Honors

In addition to the general requirements for all honors students, an art major who wishes to graduate with honors must complete an honors senior project in art.

University Graduation Requirements

• General University Requirements
• Writing Proficiency Requirement (WP)
• 180 Minimum Total Credits
• 60 Minimum Upper Division Credits
• Residency Requirement
• Minimum Grade Requirements
• Final Quarter Requirement