Two female students paint black and white images on canvases in a classroom

Art Therapy

Program Overview

Program Overview

Through the study of art therapy, your talents in the visual arts and your compassion for others will go hand in hand. Explore multiple ways to bring about healing and help many reach their full potential through art.

Our small class sizes will bring you in-depth, hands-on insight into the field of art therapy. Our professional faculty will guide you through real-time events and social situations. You will have the opportunity to interact with individuals in guided settings to experience the power of co-creating within an art therapy context. Whether you wish to use your garnered knowledge for education, medicine, geriatrics, private practice or graduate school, you will be well-equipped for the field.

All students wishing to study in the Department of Visual Arts must submit a portfolio of work for review. These portfolios allow our faculty to evaluate your skill level and ability before you begin the program. 

Entrance Portfolios

Courses

Courses

Specific courses required in art (51 hours)

Foundation courses:

  • AR 1033 - Foundation Studio I
  • AR 1043 - Foundation Studio II
  • AR 1053 - Foundation Studio III
  • AR 1213 - Color Theory
  • AR 1513 - Conceptualization and Presentation
  • AR 1723 - New Media Studio

12 hours of tier two studio courses:

  • AR 2253 - Printmaking I
  • AR 2233 - Sculpture I
  • AR 2313 - Digital Photography I
  • AR 2613 - Painting I

12 hours of art history & theory:

  • AR 3133 - Art Theory
  • AR 4813 - Survey of History of Art I
  • AR 4823 - Survey of History of Art II
  • AR 4843 - Art Since 1940

Choice of 9 hours of studio art electives


Specific courses required in psychology (18 hours):

  • PS 1113 - Introduction to Psychology (must be taken prior to beginning this minor)
  • PS 2423 - Life Span Development
  • PS 2503 - Behavioral Statistics
  • PS 3413 - Social Psychology
  • PS 3463 - Personality Theories
  • PS 3513 - Drugs and Behavior
  • PS 4423 - Abnormal Psychology

Note:

Art therapy majors have a built-in minor in psychology and are not required to take another minor.

8:1

Average Student to Faculty Ratio

Job placement

With a top-tier university education on your resume, you’ll be in high demand, whether you choose to launch your career or begin graduate school. Most of our programs have a placement rate of at least 90 percent within six months of graduation.

Expert faculty, small class sizes

Learn from award-winning, experienced faculty who actually care about you. Our small class sizes allow us to get to know you personally. We lead an approachable community within our respective programs. Our faculty connections are the experts on their subject matter, too.

Nashville, TN

A big city. An even bigger opportunity. We consider Nashville, Tennessee, an extension of our classroom, and as a leading city in many industries, that means you’ll gain experience and insight you won’t find anywhere else.

Our Faculty

  • Grace Ann Visser

    Graceann Visser

    Adjunct Faculty

    GraceAnn Visser serves as the current vice president for Tennessee Art Therapy Association, and earned her Master of Arts in Art Therapy from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012.

    Meet Graceann Visser

Career Paths

Social Workers

Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional issues.

Rehabilitation Counselors

Rehabilitation counselors help people with physical, mental, developmental or emotional disabilities live independently. They work with clients to overcome or manage the personal, social or psychological effects of disabilities on employment or independent living.

Recreational Therapists

Recreational therapists plan, direct and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries or illnesses. These therapists use a variety of modalities, including arts and crafts; drama, music and dance; sports and games; aquatics; and community outings to help maintain or improve a patient’s physical, social and emotional well-being.

Related Programs

A professor stands at a canvas with a student and gestures to one of the shapes the student has drawn

Art History

A female student sits at a work table and uses a sketch pad and colored pencils to draw an image

Visual Art

A professor stands with a student in a classroom studio and gives her advice for her painting

Studio Art