About The Program
In the NSU art education program, you’ll learn advanced visual design skills and use traditional studio media and tools, within the enriching context of a liberal arts curriculum. Graduates are prepared to enter the art field as professional K-12 teachers or to attend graduate school.
In NSU’s studio and lab classrooms, you’ll receive broad exposure to art history, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, painting, drawing, design and mixed media.
All classes are taught by professors and instructors - not graduate students – and our art facilities feature modern safety and health upgrades.
All graduates of this degree program are required to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA within the major. Students must successfully complete a rigorous senior capstone experience comprising a written thesis, solo exhibition of artwork, and development of an artist's statement of purpose and resumé.
NSU art education graduates are set to find employment with public and private schools of all kinds. However, career paths are varied and plentiful. Perhaps more than graduates in any other major, art students are trained in entrepreneurial thinking as self-starters, problem solvers and innovators. Other options include self-employment as professional artists and designers, employment with public and private galleries and museums employment, web-based sales and promotion, and teaching for colleges and community centers.
For more information on careers in your major or help choosing a major, contact Career Services.
All art education majors gain essential hand-on experience during the required junior field teaching experience and classroom teaching practicums with local and regional school districts.
The art department offers a variety of competitive, merit-based awards. Scholarship assistance requires strong academic performance, minimum GPA of 3.0, and demonstrated potential for academic and career success. Scholarships also are available for minority students and students who excel in specific art disciplines or media.
For more information about this degree, call 605-626-2267. Or, contact NSU Admissions at 605-626-2544 or admissions@northern.edu.
Our Faculty
(ABD) Ph.D. Art Education, specialty in Design (UI/UX), University of North Texas
M.A.T. Art Education, University of Central Florida
B.S. in Business Administration, specialty MIS, University of Central Florida
Cindy T. Davis is an assistant professor of art education. She is completing her research and dissertation for a doctorate in art education at the University of North Texas, focusing on art education curriculum and user interface design. She has a management information systems degree and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Central Florida.
Cindy has taught at the University of North Texas and SUNY New Paltz. Cindy holds a PK-12 art education certification from Florida and has experience teaching art through public schools, private schools, and summer camps. Her curriculum experience includes International Baccalaureate and Montessori.
Cindy is an active member of…
M.A., University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.
B.A., Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D.
Born and raised in Aberdeen, S.D., Alexis Doerr graduated from Northern State University with a B.A. in art: graphic design specialization and an arts administration certificate. She earned her M.A. in art and art history with a concentration in critical and curatorial studies from the University of Louisville.
Past curatorial projects include “Dialogue As Art,” an affiliation of the nationwide For Freedoms 50 State Initiative. In collaboration with the NSU Art Department, it consisted of an exhibition and panel discussion featuring local artists and community art leaders. “Caprices: Wit & Whimsy” was comprised of prints from the Hite Art Institute print collection at the University of Louisville. She has also published exhibition reviews with “Ruckus,” a critical art review based in Louisville, Ky.
Her research focuses on how the social,…
M.F.A., University of California-Santa Barbara
B.A., Augustana College
I have exhibited my artwork in regional and national venues for more than 25 years, with works in the Knight-Ridder Collection, South Dakota State Art Collection, Contemporary Arts Forum (Santa Barbara) and numerous private collections.
Discipline Specialties
Painting
Drawing
Printmaking
M.F.A. Digital Filmmaking - University of Central Arkansas
M.S. Instructional Design & Technology - Emporia State University
B.G.S. Special Major: Digital Film & Computer Production - University of Kansas
Originally from Northeast Kansas, Knowles is an award-winning filmmaker who teaches courses in digital media, web and interface design, and motion graphics at Northern. At other institutions, he developed and facilitated in-person and online classes in filmmaking, live-streaming/broadcasting, 3D animation, media writing, and podcasting/audio production.
Jason's media production interests include writing and directing screenplays with strong female lead characters whose journeys transcend the genres of action-adventure films, science…
