Program Information

Graduates in this major will have the essential requirements for application to graduate programming in art therapy.  Undergraduate art therapy majors are prepared to work in a variety of settings before entering graduate studies, including psychiatric hospitals, clinics, community mental health centers, substance abuse clinics, nursing homes, prisons, and alternative schools.

Our curriculum is a unique blend of fine art, psychology, and community engagement, which provides you with the skills necessary to not only be successful in the Field but to understand how to engage with and improve your communities.  Studies have students shadowing artists, art therapists, and other professionals to get a more profound sense of how they will use their knowledge of the field.

A student in the undergraduate art therapy major will be prepared to enter graduate programming with knowledge of individuals of all ages who have varying degrees of need.  Students planning to become registered and board-certified art therapists by the American Art Therapy Association must obtain a graduate degree.

For more information on the Art Therapy major, click here.

To view a major program sequence to assist with course planning, click here.

Degree Information

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

(120 credit hours) Requirements are subject to change.

Contact Information

For more information about the Art Therapy major contact Dr. Mary Ellen Hluska at (413) 748-4734 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

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.

II. Major Requirements

III. Electives (to complete a minimum of 120 credits)

Program Standards

In order to achieve advanced standing and be eligible for advanced courses and fieldwork experience, all art therapy majors must have a record of demonstrating standards of professional competency related to attendance, preparation, academic honesty, creativity, maturity, professional behavior, empathy toward others, aptitude, and aesthetic awareness. Students must also meet the following academic standards:

1. A cumulative GPA of 2.500.
2. A 2.500 GPA in all program requirements.
3. A grade of C or better in all ARTS or ATPY courses.

Once met, standards for advanced standing must be maintained to continue in the major. Students who do not achieve advanced standing by their 90th credit hour must change to another major. If the standards are eventually met, the student may petition the department’s Appraisal and Retention Committee to be readmitted. More information about advanced standing standards and the process to apply is available from the Visual and Performing Arts Department.