Do you believe in the transformative power of creative expression? Are you interested in using the visual arts and creative engagement to promote wellness and improve a person’s outlook on life? You can get a head start on a rewarding career in the helping professions with an undergraduate Art Therapy degree from PennWest Edinboro.
Art Therapy, as a form of counseling and psychotherapy, is a dynamic profession. Edinboro’s B.S. in Art Therapy meets the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) guidelines and will prepare you for more than 30 different careers in counseling recreational therapies, human services and the arts.
You will learn from experienced faculty who understand the qualities and skills needed in the job market and can mentor and guide you toward your career choices.
Through an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes psychology, art therapy and the arts, you will gain a wealth of knowledge about the ethical and professional issues in using art as therapy, art for personal wellness, art psychotherapy and in counseling. You’ll have the opportunity to apply therapeutic art for wellness techniques in the development of your own creative practices and further your experience at a fieldwork site.
One of the advantages of our undergraduate program is the early-on contact with the faculty who will be mentoring you as a graduate student, if you choose to stay at Edinboro. Starting early on the path also means we can mentor and offer guidance that is tailored to your needs and desires and help you determine a specialty area of study that is most interesting to you."
As an undergraduate Art Therapy major, you will have the option to participate in an accelerated program, which allows you to start working on Master-level courses in art therapy during your senior year. You can then matriculate into the CAAHEP-accredited Master of Arts in Counseling — Art Therapy program at PennWest Edinboro.
In addition, you can get involved with the PennWest Edinboro Student Art Therapy Association and engage with graduate art therapy students through various club activities.
Use your bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy to pursue entry-level jobs providing direct services to individuals and families in a variety of settings, such as:
- Schools and special needs organizations
- Mental health and social service agencies
- Community arts organizations
- Nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities
- Homeless shelters
- Prisons
- Hospitals
Dr. Sheila Lorenzo de la Peña
Art Therapy Undergraduate Program Director
Butterfield Hall
Email: slorenzo@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-1237
Curriculum Sheet Course Sequence
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