The Healing Ability of Art
Surely you’ve heard of the art of healing, but what about the healing ability of art? If you have a desire to help others and you believe in the power of artistic expression to promote wellbeing, UNE’s Art Therapy program may be the perfect minor for you. The only art therapy minor for undergraduates in Maine, this cross-disciplinary program combines elements from the fields of psychology and art, weaving them into a level of academic specialization not commonly seen at the undergraduate level. The perfect complement to a wide variety of majors, the minor explores the intersection between the creative process and the therapeutic process, giving you the ability to help others with the power of their own creativity.
Tour UNE’s Creative and Fine Arts Facility
Why UNE
The only undergraduate minor program in art therapy in the state of Maine, the Art Therapy minor at UNE serves as the perfect complement to many of our academic majors. As a student in this interdisciplinary minor, you will engage in active learning with both psychology and arts faculty as part of your program of study, which will provide you with a unique opportunity to experience graduate level specialization at an undergraduate level.
Art Therapy for me has been important in introducing me to the world of counseling and the different types of therapy that I could provide to people. It helped me realize, through a balance of art and psychology classes, that I want to pursue counseling in graduate school. I believe the creative arts are important for improving the mental health of people and can be used in any type of therapy.” — Emma Burke ’22, Environmental Studies major/Art Therapy minor
Academics
Experiential Learning
Whether you’re engaged in the art component of the program by doing collage work, ceramics, painting, drawing, etc., or you’re participating in role playing to learn various counseling skills, the Art Therapy minor is brimming with hands-on experiences that translate to real-world skills.
You may even opt to gain research experience in your minor by working with a faculty member to investigate the psychological and physiological effects of art making on anxiety. Or you may choose to participate in an internship that enables you to implement art-inclusive counseling. Possible internship sites include:
- Assisted Living Centers
- Schools and Child Development Centers
- Community Recreation Programs
- Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Programs
- Domestic Violence Intervention Programs
- Community Behavioral Health Agencies
Examples of Available Courses
UNE’s Art Therapy minor builds a bridge between psychology and the arts and provides you with a basic introduction to the field of art therapy. The following are just some of the exciting courses you can take:
- Painting I
- Ceramics
- Counseling Theories and Techniques
- Listening and Communications Skills
Curriculum
A student with GPA of at least 2.25 and a major at UNE may minor in Art Therapy with the approval of the academic director of the School of Art and Humanities or the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Declarations must occur prior to the completion of the first semester of the junior year. Major programs of study with significant course overlap with art therapy minor requirements may be disallowed by the Academic Director.
The minor in Art Therapy requires a total of 21 credits (12 from Psychology and 9 from the Arts) with a minimum grade of "C-" in each course. Courses may not be used to fulfill both major and minor requirements. For example, students who must complete PSY 205, Abnormal Psychology, as part of their major may not also use this course to fulfill the Art Therapy requirement. Those students should instead complete either PSY 295, Listening and Communication Skills, or PSY 310, Children and Stress.
| Required Psychology Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 205 – Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 410 – Theories, Research, and Practice of Counseling | 3 |
| PSY 430 – Introduction to Art Therapy | 3 |
| Total Required | 12 |
| Required Art Courses (Select 3) | Credits |
| ART 100 – Drawing I | 3 |
| ART 101 – Watercolor | 3 |
| ART 102 – Photography | 3 |
| ART 103 – Introduction to Image Capture | 3 |
| ART 104 – Painting I | 3 |
| ART 105 – Elements of Acting | 3 |
| ART 106 – Two-Dimensional Design | 3 |
| ART 110 – Ceramics | 3 |
| ART 113 – Three-Dimensional Fundamentals | 3 |
| ART 114 – Printmaking | 3 |
| ART 118 – Drawing and Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| ART 124 – The Painted Book | 3 |
| ART 199 – Topics Courses (any media) | 3 |
| ART 206 – Expressions in Clay | 3 |
| ART 214 – Color Digital Photography | 3 |
| ART 234 – Digital Animation | 3 |
| MUS 104 – Introduction to Singing Voice | 3 |
| MUS 150 – African Drumming Ensemble | 3 |
| Total Required | 9 |
| Total Required Credits for Minor | 21 |
In the event that the above courses have been taken to fulfill requirements for the Art Education Major or an Art Minor, students will be required to take 9 credits from the following options:
| Alternate Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| ART 102 – Photography | 3 |
| ART 103 – Introduction to Image Capture | 3 |
| ART 114 – Printmaking | 3 |
| ART 199 – Art Topics Course | 3 |
| ART 204 – Painting II | 3 |
| ART 214 – Digital Photography | 3 |
| ART 230 – Graphic Design | 3 |
For more information see the Academic Catalog.
Find Your Career
UNE’s Art Therapy minor is applicable to professional careers in diverse ways. If your ultimate goal is to become an art therapist, the program will introduce you to the practice of art therapy, helping you to develop skills that will foster placement in graduate programs. But having a minor in Art Therapy is beneficial to a number of careers, including those in education, psychology, social work, occupational therapy, and in any other career that uses art as part of the therapeutic process.
Majors That Pair Well With an Art Therapy Minor
- Art and Design Media
- Art Education K-12
- Communications and Media Arts
- Criminology
- Education
- Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities
- Medical Biology
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Special Education
Potential Career Settings
- Public Schools
- Private and Special Needs Schools
- Mental Health Centers
- Residential Treatment Centers
- Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters
- Hospitals
- Occupational and Physical Therapy Practices
- Nursing Homes and Geriatric Centers
- Prisons and Juvenile Detention Centers
- Child Welfare and Human Services Agencies
- Private Practices
Art Therapy Careers by the Numbers
average yearly salary of art therapist
new art therapy jobs projected before 2029
Contact
Undergraduate Admissions
Contact Undergraduate Admissions at (800) 477-4863 or email admissions@une.edu. You can also stop by our office on the Biddeford Campus Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.