Developed by Profs. Roy Tietze from Psychology, and Millie Falcaro and Hallie Cohen from the Art Department, the new minor in art therapy was approved Spring 2011.
Purposes of the program include:

• Implement MMC's mission of Liberal Arts Education and pre-professional preparation
• Address the strategic plan goal to develop “…innovative and interdisciplinary majors and minors…”
• Offer our students another possible career option blending the helping     

      profession aspects of Psychology with the Visual Arts, and paralleling
programs such as Drama Therapy

• Take advantage of existing courses already in the curriculum and offer them to a wider audience

The field known as the Creative Arts Therapies offers new possibilities for treatment of patients having difficulties making social relationships, but also reflecting some of the recent thinking about creative processes, offers new opportunities for personal growth, in both clinical and educational settings. Linked with MMC's commitment to the full range of Liberal Arts Education, including Sciences and Humanities as well as the Arts, this collaboration seems an excellent way to make both "curricular bridges" between faculty and departments, and offering practical experience to our students in the form of applied courses and internships, using one of NYC's strengths as a center for the Arts and education.

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18 credit minor
ART (6 credits) Two of the following:
Art 111 Drawing I or Art 125 Introduction to Drawing (for Art Majors substitute Art 339 Drawing II) (3)
Art 114 Painting I  (for Art Majors substitute Art 315 Painting II)  (3)
Art 115 Ceramics I or Art 121 Photography I (3)

PSYCHOLOGY (6 credits) Two of the following:
Psych 201: Developmental Psychology I
Psych 231 Personality Psychology (3)
Psych 285 Introduction to Counseling Techniques (3)
Psych 363 Abnormal Psychology (3)

IDS/ART/PSYCH 370 Art Therapy: Principles and Practices (3 credits)

499 ART/PSYCH INTERNSHIP (3 credits)

From our research and speaking with administrators at graduate programs we have designed a basic preparatory experience for the undergraduate interested in art therapy. The course includes practical field experience assisting an Art Therapist, and writing a research paper including the history, modalities, and clinical approaches of this creative profession will form a capstone course to complete the minor.