As a field, art education spans traditional K-12 art classrooms to university/college teaching and even to more community-oriented spaces, like museums, arts centers, and educational non-profits. This field even crosses over into healthcare in the form of vocational rehabilitation and art therapy programs.

Teaching art takes many forms, largely divided by the spaces in which the teaching takes place.

K–12 Teaching
Teaching at the elementary or high school levels generally requires both a Bachelor’s degree and state licensure. Some states and schools also require a Master’s in Art Education.

Higher Education
Almost all colleges and universities require an MFA to teach studio art. Faculty are generally required to have specific technical skills as well as an active exhibition career.

Museum Education
The primary responsibility of a museum educator  is curriculum development for all museum education programs. This job plays an essential role in providing every student and teacher with a high quality, interactive, and engaging museum experience.

Art Therapy
Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

Art Centers
Many communities offer arts education opportunities for residents — at every age. These art centers rarely provide full-time employment, but teaching in these spaces is often open to practicing artists with or without a graduate degree. See a list of these kinds of institutions, here.

Educational Non-Profits
Non-profits that offer educational programs for elementary and secondary students, often in the form of after-school learning opportunities, hire artists to teach. These programs are typically sponsored by private organizations or even school districts. These teaching opportunities do not typically require a graduate degree.