Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
The undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Therapy provides students with foundational skills and preparation for graduate work in the high-demand field of art therapy. Students are reminded that the minimum educational requirement to become a licensed art therapist is a Master’s degree in art therapy. This BA program allows students to explore a variety of psychology, counseling, and therapeutic artmaking coursework necessary for continued education in the field of art therapy. Students are required to complete a minor in Human Services which affords them the opportunity to learn valuable interpersonal skills and engage in community-based art practice. They must also maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher to continue in the program and pass all required ART, ARHS, COUN, and PSYC courses with a grade of C- or higher.
Admissions for 2025-2026
Students must meet the requirements for University admission. There are no additional entrance requirements (e.g., portfolio review) for the Bachelor of Arts programs in Art History and Museum Professions, Art Therapy, or Game Design and Interactive Media.
A portfolio review is recommended for applicants seeking scholarship consideration into the Art Therapy program.
For further information, please consult the College's website or call the College's Recruitment Office at (304) 293-4339. Applicants can also visit the School of Art and Design's website or phone the School office at (304) 293-2552.
Major Code: 3702
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75. | ||
| Students must pass all ART, ARHS, COUN, and PSYC classes with a grade of “C-“ or higher. | ||
| GEF Requirements (1, 2, 3 and 5) | 18 | |
| ART 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| Required Art Studio Coursework | ||
| ART 111S | Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ART 121S | Visual Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ART 122S | Visual Foundations 2 | 3 |
| ART 213S | Painting 1 | 3 |
| ART 240S | Ceramics | 3 |
| Additional 200-level Studio Art Course | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Drawing 2 | ||
| Figure Drawing | ||
| Visual Foundations 3 | ||
| Introduction to Graphic Design | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Printmaking - Intaglio and Relief | ||
| Photography 1 | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| ARHS 120 | Survey of Art History 1 (GEF 6) | 3 |
| ARHS 160 | Survey of Art History 2 | 3 |
| ARHS 240 | Research, Writing, & Methods in Art History | 3 |
| ART 410 | Introduction to Visual Arts Therapy | 3 |
| ART 411 | Theory of Art Education & Art Therapy | 3 |
| ART 412 | Art Methods/Materials for Special Populations | 3 |
| ART 420 | Advanced Problems in Art-Making | 3 |
| ART 422 | Art Therapy Media & Materials | 3 |
| Required Psychology Coursework | ||
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| PSYC 241 | Introduction to Human Development | 3 |
| PSYC 281 | Introduction to Psychological Disorders (GEF 7) | 3 |
| One Additional 200- or 300-level PSYC Course | 3 | |
| Human Services Minor | 15 | |
| Capstone Coursework | ||
| ART 445 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
| General Electives | 28 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ART 122S | 3 |
| ART 121S | 3 | ARHS 120 (GEF 6) | 3 |
| ART 191 | 2 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | PSYC 281 (GEF 7) | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 3 | 3 | COUN 400 | 3 |
| COUN 303 | 3 | ARHS 160 | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 3 | PSYC 241 | 3 |
| ART 111S | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| General Elective | 4 | General Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ARHS 240 | 3 | ART 411 | 3 |
| ART 240S | 3 | COUN 301 | 3 |
| ART 410 | 3 | PSYC 300+ Elective | 3 |
| ART 213S | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Additional Studio Art Course | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 412 | 3 | ART 420 | 3 |
| COUN 405 | 3 | COUN 415 | 3 |
| ART 445 | 3 | ART 422 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Art Therapy
At the end of this program, students will be able to:
- Construct a personal art making philosophy that analyzes individual strengths and skills.
- Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills through engagement in studio art, art therapy, psychology, and human service coursework
- Describe and define primary principles of visual art therapy modalities and the roles of visual art therapists in human service professions.
- Demonstrate proficiency in a variety of studio art methods, materials, and practices necessary for careers in art therapy, community arts programs, and human services professions.
- Cultivate social and emotional learning (SEL) instructional methods into artmaking practices in order to address physical, social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of students, clients, and local communities.
- Complete prerequisite coursework (as defined by the American Art Therapy Association) for admission to graduate school art therapy programs.