Teaching Concentration | California College of the Arts

The SMART (Subject Matter Art) teaching concentration program offers students in the fine arts a chance to begin preparation for a teaching credential while completing an undergraduate degree.

The smart cluster of studio and humanities courses satisfies prerequisites for application to postgraduate, single-subject-in-art teacher credential programs, as authorized by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Housed within the Center for Art and Public Life, the program offers art education advising and support services linked to teaching opportunities in the community. Students who excel in the program qualify for streamlined application to the Master of Arts with an Emphasis in Teaching (MEET) program at Mills College, where they can complete the requirements for the single-subject-in-art teaching credential within one year and, if desired, continue their studies for an additional year to earn a master's degree.

Two art-education courses make up the core of the SMART program and are open to students from all majors. These courses take a social-justice approach and promote the art of teaching. They provide an introduction to the field of art education: its theory and history, contemporary issues, policy debates, and career options. Students develop their own philosophy of arts education and a teaching portfolio. They create lesson plans, discover how art education can engage learning, and explore a diversity of possible settings, pedagogies, and approaches. Students also have the opportunity to observe and teach at local schools and community sites.