Art Therapy / Secondary Teacher Licensure Program

Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Art Therapy

(a minimum of 120 credit hours) Requirements are subject to change.

Students selecting this major seek licensure as a teacher of visual arts (PreK- 8, 5-12). Graduates in this major have the professional preparation necessary to work with people of all ages with varying degrees of functional or organic impairment, as well as with traditional populations in schools. Through art therapy, the therapist provides an opportunity for nonverbal expression and communication, which can promote a reconciliation of emotional conflicts and foster self-awareness and personal growth.

Graduates are prepared for work in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals and clinics, community mental health centers, geriatric centers, drug and alcohol clinics, nursing homes, halfway houses, prisons, and special needs schools. Some may choose to work in private or public schools and institutions for emotional problems, learning differences, developmental delays, brain damage, deafness, vision impairments, physically challenged, and disabled children.

The curriculum is designed to prepare students for a graduate program in the art therapy field, as students wishing to become registered art therapists by the American Art Therapy Association must obtain a graduate degree.

For more information about the art therapy major contact Dr. Simone Alter-Muri at (413) 748-3752 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Download an Art Therapy Program Checksheet

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

I. General Education Program (40 - 46 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being. For specific requirements, see the General Education Program section or the Program Checksheet for this major.