Art Therapy Minor

For information, please contact Stephanie Danker, dankers@MiamiOH.edu, 202 Art Building, 513-529-7422. 

This minor is for students interested in learning more about the field of art therapy; in some cases the minor may prepare students to apply to art therapy graduate programs. Art therapists can work in any setting that employs helping professions, for example: hospitals, schools, correctional facilities, domestic violence shelters, geriatric facilities, psychiatric facilities, residential facilities, day programs for developmental disabilities and chronic mental illness, etc. Art therapy uses the art process and the therapeutic relationship between the client and art therapist to process trauma, enhance self-esteem, improve relational abilities, decrease anxiety/depression, and increase an overall enhanced sense of well-being. Once obtaining a master’s degree in art therapy, students will be eligible for mental health licensure in their state, which grants them the ability then to have four broad career opportunities (Art Therapist, Art Educator¹, Counselor, and Artist).

The art therapy minor builds on the foundation of three lateral human-centered perspectives significant to the field of art therapy: art studio, art education, and psychology. Students will explore connections between art production, methods of facilitating art experiences with people across the lifespan, and an understanding of human behaviors. Introduction to Art Therapy will tie the courses together through presenting exploratory art-making activities, foundational readings, and possible pathways to a career in the profession. The minor encourages breadth of exploration and offers separate tracks for Art majors, Psychology majors, and majors other than Art or Psychology.

¹

Check state licensure requirements for public school contexts.

Program Requirements

¹

Note: If PSY 111 is taken at Miami University, PSY 112 is a co-requisite. PSY 112 is required for PSY majors.