Art Therapy Minor
This minor is for students interested in learning more about the field of art therapy; in some cases the minor may prepare students to apply to art therapy graduate programs.
According to the , 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 process trauma, enhance self-esteem, decrease anxiety and depression, and increase an overall enhanced sense of well-being. Once obtaining a master’s degree in art therapy, students will be eligible for mental health licensure in their state, which grants them the ability to have four broad career opportunities (Art Therapist, Art Educator*, Counselor, and Artist).
The art therapy minor builds on the foundation of three lateral human-centered perspectives significant to the field of art therapy: art studio, art education, and psychology.
Introduction to Art Therapy will tie the courses together through experiential artmaking, foundational readings, and discussions with therapists currently practicing in the field. Students will be exposed, through lecture and hands-on work, to the creative process as a form of visual expression, the therapeutic aspects of image making, and various theories of psychotherapy. Students will also gain knowledge of various graduate programs and be able to begin developing a portfolio tailored to graduate schools in art therapy, under the advisement of a practicing art therapist.
The minor encourages breadth of exploration and offers separate tracks for Art majors, Psychology majors, and majors other than Art or Psychology.
*Check state licensure requirements for public school contexts.
Admission
A minimum 2.50 GPA is required for admittance to the minor and is required for all courses in this minor. Courses must be taken for a grade (not credit/no-credit).