Art Therapy Major - Arcadia University

Overview

Degree Level: Undergraduate
Degrees Offered: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Department: Visual and Performing Arts
school/college: College of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor’s Degree in Art Therapy

A degree in Art Therapy at Arcadia University prepares you for graduate study in art therapy. You will become familiar with principles of psychological theories as they relate to art therapy practice, and you will be able to demonstrate familiarity with the working properties of various media and design principles.

Develop a strong portfolio, wide variety of knowledge, experience, and expertise to successfully apply for graduate school for Art Therapy or your chosen studio concentration after you finish your degree.

What can I expect?

Develop studio art skills.
Pre-professional studies in the behavioral and social sciences.
Meet the requirements of the American Art Therapy Association for graduate school entrance prerequisites.
First-hand observation in the clinical setting.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

What’s the difference between a BA and a BFA

The Art Therapy major can be elected as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts.

If you choose to obtain the BFA, you will earn a minimum of 20 credits above the usual 128 credits needed for graduation in order to fulfill requirements for the BFA in Art Therapy major.

BA in Art Therapy

3 Studio Art courses: Studio Art Foundations and Drawing
4 Studio Art courses: Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, and Metals and Jewelry, plus 3 advanced courses in a chosen studio concentration
2 Art History courses
4 Art Therapy courses
4 Psychology courses
2 Sociology and Anthropology courses
4 Senior Capstone Experience courses

BFA in Art Therapy

4 Studio Art courses
4 Studio Art Courses in a chosen studio concentration, plus additional studio electives
3 Art History courses
4 Psychology courses
4 Art Therapy courses
2 Sociology and Anthropology courses
6 Senior Capstone Experience courses

Explore a Typical Course Path to Graduation

Art Therapy Major Abroad

Arcadia University is ranked in the top 10 in the country for study abroad. We encourage you to explore all your options.

LEARN MORE ABOUT STUDY ABROAD

Grow as an Individual and an Artist

Pre-Art Therapy and Painting major Yael Danielle Tsoran discusses connection within the Visual Arts program.

Yael Danielle Tsoran, pre-art therapy and painting student

Since moving to Philadelphia, I got a full-time job through The Lincoln Center for Family and Youth working as a mobile art therapist in the Pottstown District. I am being paid through a grant funded by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and deal with cases from sex abuse, human trafficking, to domestic violence. On Wednesdays, I work at a Middle School and developed a mural-based art therapy group, and on Tuesday Nights I work as an art therapist at The Ronald McDonald House serving both families and the intensive care unit. Artistically, I still receive commissions, but I have been making more personal work for myself. I hope to find a balance between the two fields and explore/share my work more.

Yael Tsoran '15

Featured Courses

Studio Art: Foundations I

Required Course

You will study a series of intensive thematic workshops in which all sections of the class will be dealing with the same ideas through a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials and processes. Investigate themes, including identity, environment, and language. Use acrylic paint, cardboard, water color, wood, plaster, found objects, and paper. The students in each of the sections of this course will meet together once a week as a large lecture session in addition to the twice a week studio component. During lectures students will meet to share project ideas, thematic components of the course, group projects, large critiques, and films.

Color and Design

Required Course for some concentrations/Elective Course

In this studio course, you will explore the behavior and the power of color and consider the diverse applications of this understanding. Study includes the properties of color—chroma, value, intensity, hue, and temperature—as well as study of the interaction of colors and the underlying principles that govern their behavior. Apply theoretical understanding through exercises as well as more formally executed designs.

Photography I

Required Course for some concentrations/ Elective Course

In this course, you will study an introduction to the medium of photography covering the materials, processes, history, and aesthetics of black and white photography. Learn the essentials of 35mm camera operation, meter reading, film processing, paper development, and portfolio preparation. You will be introduced to the photographic image as a means of personal expression through the use of the camera, light sensitive material, technical expertise, and mind’s eye. Six critique, lecture and studio hours weekly, plus independent work.

3D Printing/Digital Fabrication

Required Course for some concentrations/ Elective Course

You will learn the technology surrounding computer-aided-design/computer-aided-manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and its creative applications within art practices. Discover how the CAD/CAM process is particularly well-suited for certain tasks, including the creation of multiples, for fabrication of functional/kinetic components, iterative prototyping of complex structures, scalable design, construction of large structures from repeated simple components, and more.

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