Hello,
I am a current psych major and am interested in both psychology and the visual arts. I want to help people both through my art and through clinical work (later in life). I want to brand myself as an artist while in college and after college. Is it better to do a BSVA or do 2 majors, one being the psych and the other BSVA. I’d hate to waste my artistic abilities and look back at my life and say what could have been. I’d hate not to do something I’m so clearly passionate about. I’m more passionate about my art, but psychology on another level could be in my future as a career as it is something I’m interested in. I feel as if both majors mesh well together. I would love to hear other perspectives! Please let me know what y’all think?
Well, first I’ll say that you don’t need an art degree to brand yourself as an artist or to reach the full potential of your artistic abilities. I will also say, though, that I believe there’s value in someone passionate about art studying that formally on the college level. Your major selection should be some combination of your interests and something that helps make a career you want feasible.
If you want to do clinical practice, you’ll need a graduate degree in one of a few fields - psychology/mental health counseling or social work. And a psychology major is much better preparation for those than an art major. So if you know you want to do therapy/clinical work, I’d choose the psychology major.
Whether to add the BSVA really depends on how seriously you want to study art. You could always minor in art or take art classes as electives when you have places for them in your schedule. Art majors sometimes tend to be sequenced or have requirements for studio or lesson time, so at some schools they may be difficult to double major with - but it depends on the college. I’d talk to a professor in the art department about it.
For a career that melds your two interests, you might look into art therapy. I am not sure which SUNY you are at, but I checked and I don’t think any of them offer that as a program. However, your psych and art advisors should be able to guide you if that is something you are interested in. You don’t have to only work with children, you could work with older people or crime victims or any number of groups.
Good luck.
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