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Prospective AAE students

Information for Prospective Art Education Students
When applying to TCNJ using the Common Application, please select “Art Teacher Preparation (K-12)” from the academic dropdown box for the Primary Program of Study. Applicants are also required to select an Alternate Program of Study. Although any alternate program can be selected, it is recommended art education applicants choose “Undeclared – The Arts and Communication.”

Information for Art Education Transfer Students
The art education program requires, at a minimum, 2 ½ years for transfer students. Each TCNJ course is typically worth 1 unit, and in order to offer a pedagogically sound curriculum, the art education courses must be taken in the following chronological order:

AAE 220- 1st semester: This course is offered in the Fall only (1st course of sequence)
AAE 250- 2nd semester: Spring only (prerequisite is AAE 220)
AAE 330- 3rd semester: Fall only (prerequisite is AAE 250)
AAE 360- 4th semester: Spring only (and occasionally Fall) (prerequisite is AAE 330)
AAE 490/491 & 492 (student teaching)- 5th or 6th semester (must immediately follow AAE 360)

Students may transfer to TCNJ during the Spring semester, however they must wait to begin the art education sequence until the following fall semester. Also, all art majors are required to take a total of 12 art courses at TCNJ (these courses can include AAE, AAV, and AAH classes).

Acceptance to the Art Department (including Visual Arts and Art Education) requires portfolio acceptance as well as admission by the College. After the department has received a copy of the student’s application from the Office of Admissions, it will review slide portfolios. Portfolio requirements can be found here.

First Year Seminar (FYS), Social Justice and the College Core

Information about FYS can be found here.

Students should meet the requirements for Social Justice through FYS courses, electives, or sustained experiences. Because art education students are required to take one non-western Art History course, they meet the Global requirement. Art Education students also fulfill the Race & Ethnicity requirement through their program requirements. It is recommended that students meet the additional Social Justice requirements through their College Core courses.

Information about approved courses that fulfill Social Justice requirements can be found here.

Information about approved College Core courses can be found at here.

Information about Transfer Courses

The maximum number of courses taken in transfer from schools designated as community colleges or junior colleges will not exceed 16 course units (64 credits) with the following exception. Students are permitted to transfer all credit required to complete an AA/AS degree program but the maximum number of credits may not exceed one-half of the credits required to complete the TCNJ corresponding degree program. Information about transfer credits can be found here.

Students currently enrolled at The College of New Jersey should receive permission from the Office of Records and Registration in order to take courses at another college or university. Advanced approval guarantees that the course(s), if successfully completed, will be accepted for transfer credit. Course authorization approvals are done in The Office of Records and Registration, Green Hall. Students can check if the course is already approved on www.njtransfer.org. If the course that the student is planning to take is in his/her major, s/he must first get the Art Department Chairperson’s signature on the Course Authorization form before it can be delivered to The Office of Records and Registration for approval. Information about Enrollment at Other Colleges (for Transfer Credit) can be found here.

Important: In order to graduate, a minimum of 32 course units is required (note: each 1 unit is worth 4 credits). More often than not, courses transferred from other colleges are worth 3 credits (0.75 units). Please note that if a student takes a transfer course, s/he must still fulfill the 32 units. This means that s/he may have to take another course (i.e., an elective) to complete the needed 0.25 units per course.

General transfer information: Typically, if a transfer student has attended a New Jersey two-year college, TCNJ may accept a maximum of 64 credits (16 course units). If a student has attended (or graduated from) a four-year college, TCNJ may accept a maximum of 80 credits (20 course units). Transfer transcripts are evaluated by Records and Registration to determine which Liberal Learning requirements have been satisfied. Students entering with fewer than 8 course units (32 credits) are considered freshmen and must also complete the FSP and civic responsibility learning component. Those with more than 8 course units (32+ earned credits) have FSP and the Civic Responsibility component of the freshman year waived. Please note that the program coordinator cannot provide information about transfer credits, as it needs to be processed and approved through the Office of Records and Registration

Info for an AA Degree: Students who come with an AA degree have satisfied all Liberal Learning Requirements, including the Civic Responsibilities and Second Language requirements. Faculty will determine if an associate’s degree was awarded, since completion of 16 course units (64 credits) does not guarantee this degree. Students transferring with an A.A. degree into a B.A. program will have Junior status upon enrollment at the four-year institution. However, it is necessary for art education students to take additional courses in their program as required for pre-requisites and professional certification.

Art Education Facilities

The Art Education program has a dedicated classroom space for coursework, discussion, lecture, and artmaking. The large classroom space includes a computer with Internet access, DVD/VHS player, sound system, projector, document camera, and screen. The room also has three sinks, a drying rack, work tables and chairs, tackable walls, multiple storage spaces, including a storage closet with many art supplies and tools, and tall windows. In order to promote student-professor and student-student interaction, art education class sizes are small.

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