Ancillary programs are also available for individual enrollment or to augment a student's particular design focus. Cathlyn Hahn Art Therapy is defined as experiences, education and training in art which provide a vehicle for non-verbal expression and communication. Art Therapy utilizes the creative process as a means to reconcile human emotional conflicts and of fostering self-awareness, personal health and growth. Mercyhurst College's Art Therapy Program is listed in the undergraduate art therapy educational brochure of the American Art Therapy Association. The program is a four-year sequence of courses leading to a bachelor of arts degree in Art Therapy.
Certification requires a master's degree in Art Therapy.
While the Art Department provides students with a range of skills, capabilities and knowledge to compete in their field, the liberal arts curriculum is designed in combination with major programs to help them think critically, develop personal values and comprehend the richness of the world around them. The Art Therapy program is designed to prepare students for graduate work toward certification. It is possible, after successfully completing this undergraduate major, to begin working in the area of art therapy. Employment opportunities exist in a wide variety of settings including health centers, hospitals, outpatient and day-care clinics, prisons, resocialization and rehabilitation centers, facilities for the aged and mentally retarded, schools for the emotionally disturbed and physically handicapped, delinquent and counseling centers, and public or private schools with special classes for children and adults. Other The Art Department is housed in the Zurn Hall of Science and Fine Arts .