How to Become an Art Teacher

Short answer

• To become an art teacher in a United States public school, earn a bachelor's degree, complete a state approved teacher preparation program that includes supervised student teaching, pass your state's required exams, including a subject area exam in art where one is required, and apply for a state teaching certificate or license with an art endorsement where your state uses endorsements. Private schools, studios, museums, and community programs may set different requirements, and some do not require state certification, but public school teaching does. The exact exams, coursework, grade span, and renewal rules vary by state, so the state education agency where you plan to teach is the final authority. There is no single national art teacher license, and no program can guarantee certification or a job.

By Emma Hudson

What an art teacher actually does

An art teacher plans and teaches visual art, helps students build skills in making and looking at art, and assesses progress in ways that fit a studio subject. In elementary school, that often means short, hands on projects that build fine motor control, color and shape vocabulary, and confidence with materials. In middle and high school, it often means longer units in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, digital art, and art history, with more emphasis on technique, critique, and independent work.

Art teachers also manage materials and tools, set safe studio routines, display student work appropriately, and adapt projects for different ages, abilities, and learning needs. They write lesson plans tied to state or district standards, order and budget for supplies, maintain equipment where the school provides it, and keep records of student progress. They may run an art club or mount exhibitions. In small schools, one art teacher may serve every grade level. In larger schools, art teachers may specialize by grade band or medium.

That range matters when you choose a pathway. A certificate that covers preschool through grade 12, often written as PreK-12 or K-12, fits a teacher who may move between elementary and secondary roles. A certificate tied to a narrower grade band fits a teacher who plans to stay in that band. Your state may also use the word endorsement for the subject permission added to a broader teaching certificate. The question to answer early is not only whether you are certified to teach, but whether you are certified to teach art, at these grade levels, in this state.

The pathway at a glance

Most public school routes follow the same sequence, even though the labels differ by state:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree, usually in art education, studio art, fine art, art history, or a closely related field.
2. Complete a state approved teacher preparation program, either inside the degree or afterward.
3. Complete supervised classroom experience, including student teaching.
4. Pass required exams, which may include basic skills, pedagogy, and art content exams.
5. Pass a background check, including fingerprinting where required.
6. Apply for certification or licensure, with an art endorsement where applicable.
7. Keep the certificate current through renewal, professional development, or further coursework as your state requires.

Some candidates finish the first three steps in one undergraduate program. Others earn an art degree first and complete teacher preparation later, through a post baccalaureate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching, or an alternative route. A traditional undergraduate route commonly takes about four years, plus exam and application processing time. A career changer route can be shorter in coursework but still requires preparation, classroom experience, exams, and state approval, so it is not an instant shortcut.

Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree

Public school teachers usually must hold at least a bachelor’s degree. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states this for kindergarten and elementary school teachers and for high school teachers: a bachelor’s degree is the typical entry level education, and public school teachers must also hold a state issued certification or license. That degree is the floor, not the whole qualification. It must also connect to an approved preparation route and, in art, to enough subject coursework or an exam result to show subject competence.

The most direct degree is a bachelor’s in art education. These programs combine studio art, art history, and education coursework, and they usually embed teacher preparation and student teaching. A second common choice is a bachelor’s in studio art, fine art, or art history, followed by a separate teacher preparation program. That route can suit a student who wants deeper studio training first, or a career changer who already holds an art degree. It usually adds time after the first degree, because pedagogy, methods, and student teaching still have to be completed in an approved program.

When you compare programs, ask four questions. First, is the program approved by the state where you plan to teach? Second, does it include art methods courses for both elementary and secondary teaching, or only one level? Third, does it include supervised student teaching in art classrooms, not only general classroom observation? Fourth, what exams does the program prepare you for, and when should you take them? Studio skill matters, but a state will not issue a teaching certificate on studio skill alone. Typical coursework covers studio media and art history, plus learning and development, classroom management, assessment, and lesson planning.

Step 2: Complete a state approved teacher preparation program

Teacher preparation is the bridge between knowing art and teaching art in a public school. An approved program teaches pedagogy, which is the study of how people learn and how to teach, plus art specific methods, plus supervised practice. It also certifies to the state that you completed its required sequence. A degree in art alone, without an approved preparation program or an approved alternative route, does not by itself qualify you for public school certification in most states.

Programs differ in structure. In an undergraduate art education degree, preparation is built in. In a post baccalaureate program, a graduate who already holds a bachelor’s degree completes education coursework and student teaching without necessarily earning a second full bachelor’s degree. In a Master of Arts in Teaching program, preparation is combined with graduate study. Each structure can lead to certification if it is state approved and you meet its exam and classroom requirements. Confirm approval in writing before you enroll. Approval in one state does not automatically transfer to another, although many states have reciprocity pathways that still require an application and sometimes additional exams or coursework.

Step 3: Student teaching

Student teaching is supervised, hands on teaching in a real school classroom, usually in the final part of a preparation program. You plan lessons, teach them, assess student work, manage materials and behavior, and receive feedback from a mentor teacher and a university supervisor. It is where art specific skills become concrete: demonstrating a technique to thirty students at once, setting up and cleaning up a ceramics lesson within a class period, and adapting a project when materials run short.

Treat student teaching as a professional placement, not only as coursework. Schools notice reliability, preparation, and care for materials and safety. A strong placement also produces teaching portfolio material: lesson plans, assessment examples, and reflections on what you changed after teaching a lesson. Keep student privacy in mind at all times. The length of student teaching varies by program and state. Connecticut, for example, lists student teaching of at least six credits within its professional education requirements for art certification. Ask your program for the exact placement length and supervision model before you commit.

Step 4: Pass the required exams

Most states require exams, but they do not all require the same exams, and passing scores differ by state. Common categories are basic skills exams in reading, writing, and mathematics; pedagogy or professional knowledge exams; and subject area exams in art. Some states use their own exams, while others use Praxis exams from ETS or National Evaluation Series exams. Your program and your state agency, not a general guide, should tell you which exams apply to your route.

The best known art subject exam is Praxis Art: Content Knowledge, test code 5134. ETS describes it as measuring the art knowledge and skills considered important for beginning professional practice as an art teacher, for candidates who have typically completed a bachelor’s degree in art, art education, or a related field. North Dakota’s ETS listing, for example, requires Art: Content Knowledge (5134) for art certification, with a qualifying score of 158 in that state. That score is state specific, and ETS does not set one nationwide passing score for this test. A related but separate exam is Praxis Art: Content and Analysis, test code 5135. Confirm which test code, if either, your state and program require before you register or pay a fee, and check the current ETS or state listing at registration time, because fees and formats change. Preparation should cover elements and principles of design, studio media, art history across cultures and periods, and critical approaches to looking at art.

Step 5: Certification, licensure, and the art endorsement

Certification and licensure are the state permission to teach in public schools. The words vary by state: some states say certificate, others say license, and many use both for different stages. You submit an application, official transcripts, proof of an approved program, exam scores, and background check results, and you pay any required fee. The state then issues a certificate that states the subject and grade span you are authorized to teach.

Arizona, for example, offers an Art, PreK-12 endorsement that authorizes the holder to teach art from preschool through grade 12. Applicants must already hold a valid Arizona teaching certificate, complete methods coursework in teaching art at both elementary and secondary levels, and meet a subject knowledge requirement through coursework, an exam, a degree in art, or an accepted out of state exam. The endorsement fee listed on the Arizona page is 60 dollars, and a fingerprint clearance card is part of the checklist. Those details are Arizona details, not a national checklist. Connecticut’s art endorsement, numbered 042, requires a bachelor’s degree, general education coursework, a subject area major in art or a defined combination of fine art credits, professional education coursework including student teaching, and a passing score on the Praxis art test. Utah takes a competency based approach for its visual arts endorsements, allowing candidates to show competence in areas such as art history, drawing, painting, design, ceramics, sculpture, digital media, and photography through university courses, a demonstrated competency portfolio, or exams, depending on the area.

Background checks are a normal part of certification, and districts may run their own checks at hiring. If you have any concern about eligibility, ask the state agency early. Once issued, a certificate usually has a validity period and renewal conditions, which may include professional development or further coursework. Keep copies of every transcript, exam score report, and certificate.

State variation and moving states

State variation changes which exams you take, which coursework counts, and which grade levels you can teach. The examples above are snapshots from official state pages checked for this article, not a complete guide to all fifty states, and requirements can change. Always confirm the current page for your state before you act. If you certify in one state and move, the new state will review your education, program, exams, and experience against its own rules. It may grant a comparable certificate, a temporary certificate while you complete a missing requirement, or require an additional exam or course. Start that inquiry before you move.

Alternative certification routes

Alternative routes exist for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree but did not complete a traditional teacher preparation program. They are real pathways in many states, not loopholes, and they still require state approval, subject competence, exams where required, background checks, and classroom preparation. Their structure is often job embedded: you teach, sometimes under a provisional or alternative certificate, while you complete coursework, mentoring, and assessments over one to three years. That model suits some career changers well, and it strains others, because learning to teach while carrying a full classroom load is demanding.

South Carolina’s Program of Alternative Certification for Educators, known as PACE, illustrates the model. It is designed for degreed individuals who do not otherwise meet certification requirements, to gain employment in a public school in an approved subject area based on their degree concentration and coursework. PACE requires a three year commitment to the content area and grade level of admission, a bachelor’s degree or higher with a major or equivalency in an approved field, a passing score on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment, and a background check, plus an intensive pre-service institute before an alternative route certificate is issued.

Michigan’s Alternative Route to Interim Teacher Certification at Schoolcraft College shows another version. Candidates complete one or two semesters of pre-certification coursework, may then teach full time under an interim certificate with mentoring and further coursework for three years, and earn a standard certificate after successful completion. Washington’s alternative routes similarly combine practitioner coursework with a residency or job embedded year. Art availability varies by program and cohort, so before you apply, ask whether it offers art certification in the grade span you want and whether it leads to a standard certificate. Some districts also hire on emergency or provisional certificates when positions are hard to fill. Those arrangements are temporary by design.

Art specific requirements: portfolio and subject exams

Your artist portfolio shows your own work across media, and hiring schools and some programs use it to judge range, skill, and teaching potential. A strong portfolio shows breadth and depth: drawing from observation, painting, printmaking, ceramics or sculpture, photography or digital work, and design, rather than ten versions of one favorite medium. Include finished work and, where appropriate, process material that shows how you developed an idea or revised a piece. Label media, dimensions, and dates clearly, and photograph work cleanly with even light and no distracting background.

Your teaching portfolio is different. It shows how you teach, not only what you make, and it may include lesson plans, assessment tools, examples of student work with permission and privacy protections, and a teaching philosophy. Some programs require one, and some hiring districts ask for one at interview. Confirm which portfolio a school or program means before you send one. A portfolio does not replace a required exam in states that require one, and an exam score does not replace a portfolio where a program or employer asks for one. Utah’s competency model is an exception, because it allows a demonstrated competency portfolio as one way to meet certain endorsement areas, but that is a defined state option, not a general rule.

Skills that make an art teacher effective

Subject knowledge opens the door, but classroom skill keeps you in the room. Art teachers need clear demonstration skills, because students learn technique by watching and then trying. They need pacing skills, because a lesson that works for a skilled eleventh grader will overwhelm a beginner sixth grader, and a lesson pitched too low will bore an advanced student. They need assessment skills that fit art, including rubrics that reward process, risk taking, revision, and craftsmanship, not only a finished product that looks polished.

Classroom management in an art room has a physical dimension. Paint, clay, cutting tools, kiln firing, and digital equipment all carry safety and organization demands. Routines for distributing materials, cleaning tools, and storing wet work must be taught explicitly and practiced, not assumed. Communication matters as well: art teachers explain choices to students, families, and administrators, and describe student progress in plain language. A teacher who can show student learning and alignment to standards is better placed to defend studio time and materials.

Building a portfolio while you train

Start your artist portfolio before you need it for a job. Photograph work as you finish it, keep high quality images, and keep a simple inventory with title, medium, size, and year for each piece. Replace weak early work as stronger work appears. A portfolio of fifteen strong, varied pieces tells a clearer story than forty uneven ones. Add teaching evidence gradually: lesson plans you actually taught, with notes on what worked, and assessment tools such as rubrics. Seek experience outside required coursework where you can, for example volunteering in a museum education program or summer camp, to test whether you enjoy the age group you plan to serve.

Where art teachers work, and pay, honestly stated

Most art teachers work in public elementary, middle, or high schools, where certification rules apply most strictly. Private schools also employ art teachers, and their requirements vary. Some require state certification, some require a degree without state certification, and some weigh portfolio and teaching experience more heavily. Beyond K-12 schools, art educators work in community art centers, museums with education departments, studios, and colleges where a master’s degree or higher is usually expected. This article focuses on the K-12 public school pathway, where state certification applies.

There is no official national salary for art teachers as a separate occupation, because the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish an “art teacher” wage line. The honest way to discuss pay is to use grade band medians as proxies, not as art teacher salaries. In May 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of 63,820 dollars for kindergarten and elementary school teachers, 64,370 dollars for middle school teachers, and 72,040 dollars for high school teachers. A median is the midpoint: half of workers in that occupation earned more, and half earned less, in the reference period. Those figures cover all teachers in each grade band, not only art teachers, and teachers at all experience levels, not only new teachers. Actual pay varies by district salary schedule, education, experience, and location, and new teachers should expect starting pay below the all experience median in most districts. Job availability is equally local, driven by school budgets, enrollment, and arts funding, so check district vacancy pages rather than relying on a single national outlook claim.

A realistic timeline and first steps

Plan backwards from the state application, not forwards from enrollment. List the degree, program, student teaching, exams, background check, and application steps with their deadlines, and add buffer time for exam retakes and paperwork. If you are working while you train, confirm which parts require daytime school hours, because student teaching cannot be completed in evenings alone.

First, identify the state where you most want to teach, and open that state education agency’s certification page for art or visual arts. Second, list programs approved in that state that offer art education or an art endorsement route. Third, audit your own background: what art coursework and teaching experience do you already have, and what gaps remain? Fourth, if you are still in school, talk to an academic adviser in art education and to the teacher preparation office about approval, placement, and exam timing. Fifth, if you already hold a degree, contact the state agency and at least one alternative route provider about art availability, timeline, and cost. Sixth, start or refresh your artist portfolio.

Mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is assuming certification transfers automatically. It often does not, or it transfers with conditions. The second is confusing a degree in art with certification to teach art: studio preparation alone is not sufficient without approved preparation and state approval. The third is registering for the wrong exam, such as the wrong Praxis test code, or assuming a passing score in one state counts in another. The fourth is neglecting the portfolio until job hunting begins. The fifth is treating an emergency or provisional certificate as permanent. Temporary certificates expire, and conversion requirements should be understood on day one. A sixth mistake is planning only for making art, and not for managing an art room, including safety routines, material budgets, storage, and cleanup systems.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree in art education specifically to become an art teacher?

Not always. You need a bachelor’s degree plus an approved route to certification that includes teacher preparation, student teaching or an approved job embedded equivalent, and any required art coursework or exam. A studio art, fine art, or art history degree can work if you complete that preparation afterward.

How long does it take to become an art teacher?

A traditional undergraduate route commonly takes about four years, plus certification processing. A post baccalaureate or alternative route for someone who already holds a bachelor’s degree commonly takes about one to three years, depending on prior coursework, program structure, and state requirements. Exam retakes, placement timing, and moving states can extend either route.

Do I need to pass the Praxis art exam?

Only if your state or program requires it, and only the test code that state or program names. Some states use Praxis Art: Content Knowledge (5134). Others use a different art exam, a state specific exam, or a coursework or degree route. Confirm the test code and qualifying score for your state before registering.

Can I become an art teacher if I already have a degree in something else?

Often yes, through a post baccalaureate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching, or a state approved alternative route. You will still need art subject preparation, teacher preparation, classroom experience, exams where required, and a background check. Ask how much art coursework or exam evidence your state requires, and whether the program you choose offers art in your desired grade span.

Do private schools require state certification?

It depends on the school. Some require state certification, some require a degree but not state certification, and some prioritize portfolio and classroom experience. Check each employer’s posting rather than assuming one rule covers all private schools.

What is the difference between a teaching certificate and an art endorsement?

In many states, the certificate is the general permission to teach, and the endorsement is the subject permission added to it. Arizona’s Art, PreK-12 endorsement, for example, authorizes teaching art across that span when attached to a valid teaching certificate. In other states, art certification is issued as a subject specific certificate. The practical question is the same: does your credential authorize you to teach art, at the grade levels you want, in your state?

Can I teach art without a teaching certificate?

In a public K-12 school as teacher of record, generally no, except under a temporary, emergency, or alternative route certificate where your state and district allow it and you meet its conditions. In private studios, community programs, museums, and some private schools, certification may not be required, because those employers set their own standards. Do not present community or studio teaching as public school certification.

Is a portfolio required for certification?

Usually a portfolio is a program or hiring requirement, not a statewide certification exam, although some competency based systems allow a portfolio as one way to demonstrate competence in specific areas. Utah, for example, lists a demonstrated competency portfolio as an option for several areas. Do not assume a portfolio replaces a required exam in your state.

What grade levels can art teachers teach?

That depends on your certificate or endorsement span. Some cover PreK-12 or K-12 art, some cover elementary only, and some cover secondary only. Your program, student teaching placements, and state rules determine the span. If you want flexibility, aim for the broadest span your state offers and confirm that your program supports it.

Do art teachers need to renew their certificates?

In most states, yes. Renewal rules vary, and may include professional development, coursework, or teaching experience within a validity period. Some certificates convert from an initial or provisional level to a professional level after further teaching. Check renewal deadlines well before expiry.

Keep reading: How Do You Become a Teacher

Keep reading: Qualities of a Good Teacher

Sources & references

• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers: bachelor's degree as typical entry level education, public school teachers must hold a state issued certification or license, and May 2025 median annual wage of 63,820 dollars. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/kindergarten-and-elementary-school-teachers.htm
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, High School Teachers: bachelor's degree as typical entry level education, public school teachers must hold a state issued certification or license, and May 2025 median annual wage of 72,040 dollars, with middle school teachers at 64,370 dollars shown in its related occupations table. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm
• Arizona Department of Education, Art, PreK-12 Endorsement: endorsement authorizes teaching art from preschool through grade 12, requires a valid Arizona teaching certificate, elementary and secondary art methods coursework, a subject knowledge route, a 60 dollar fee, and a fingerprint clearance card. https://www.azed.gov/educator-certification/endorsements/art-prek-12-endorsement
• Connecticut State Department of Education, Endorsement 042, Art: bachelor's degree, general education, subject major or credit combination, professional education including at least six credits of student teaching, and a passing Praxis art test score. https://portal.ct.gov/sdecertification/knowledge-base/articles/resources/endorsements/endorsement-042
• Utah State Board of Education, Elementary Visual Art Specialist Endorsement Application and Fine Arts Endorsement FAQs: competency based endorsement areas including art history, drawing, painting, design, ceramics, sculpture, digital media, and photography, with course, portfolio, or exam options by area. https://schools.utah.gov/licensing/endorsements/Elementary%20Visual%20Arts%20Endorsement%20Application.pdf
• ETS Praxis, North Dakota Required Tests: Art: Content Knowledge (5134) required for art certification in North Dakota, with a qualifying score of 158 in that state. https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/northdakota-tests.html
• South Carolina Department of Education, Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE): bachelor's degree or higher with a major or equivalency in an approved field, three year commitment, Praxis subject assessment, background check, and pre-service institute. https://ed.sc.gov/educators/alternative-certification/pace/
• Schoolcraft College, Alternative Route to Interim Teacher Certification: state approved program, one or two semesters of pre-certification coursework, interim certificate with three years of mentoring, coaching, and coursework, then a standard certificate on successful completion. https://www.schoolcraft.edu/academics/education-human-social-services/elementary-and-secondary-education/arc-details/
• City University of Seattle, Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification: Washington approved alternative routes distinguished by district employment and bachelor's degree status, with practitioner coursework. https://cityu.edu/programs-overview/alternative-route-teacher-certification/