Program Overview

---

Overview

The MA Art Therapy program at the University of Derby is a two-year, full-time course that aims to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become a professional art therapist. The program is approved and accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and recognized by the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT).

Course Description

The course reinforces the centrality of the image and the role of the imagination in the practice of art therapy. It will give you experience of clinical art therapy practice under supervision, as well as experience of group work, studio practice, and a critical understanding of current theoretical ideas.

Professional Registration

The course aims to enable you to become eligible to apply for professional registration as an art therapist or art psychotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements.

What You Will Study

You will study the following modules:

Postgraduate Certificate

• Art Therapy Studio Practice (20 credits)
• Art Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One (20 credits)
• Art Therapy Clinical Placement One (20 credits)

Postgraduate Diploma

• Art Therapy Experiential Group (20 credits)
• Art Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two (20 credits)
• Art Therapy Clinical Placement Two (20 credits)

MA

• Art Therapies Independent Scholarship: A Body of Work (60 credits)

Attendance Requirements

The course is deemed as full-time and requires you to fulfill the following attendance requirements:

• You will need to be available to attend the University from September to June for one day a week between the hours of 9am-7pm.
• You will also be required to undertake two periods of clinical placement.
• The first period of placement commences in January, during the first year of the course, and comprises attendance on placement for two days a week for 25 weeks.
• The second period of placement runs throughout the second year of the course, starting in September, and requires two days a week attendance, for 35 weeks.

Clinical Placement

In addition to attendance at the University, you will also be required to undertake two periods of clinical placement. The first of these commences in January, during the first year of the course. This comprises attendance on placement for two days a week for 25 weeks. The days you attend placement are negotiated between you and the placement provider. The second period of placement runs throughout the second year of the course starting in September and requires two days a week attendance, for 35 weeks.

How You Will Learn

Real-world learning is incorporated within the course through the requirement to undertake two clinical placement modules. These require you to complete 120 days of supervised clinical practice during the training. The course also offers opportunities to learn from guest lecturers.

Assessments are practical, oral, and written - there are no exams. Usually, assessment is through either written assignments, the production of artwork, oral presentations, or reports based on performance in the clinical setting. You'll receive clear guidelines at the start of each module, about how you'll be assessed in that module.

Careers

The course can lead you to a career in areas such as mental health, education, the prison service, social services, and the voluntary sector, as well as in private practice (following gaining additional post-training clinical experience), and increasingly, in business.

If you successfully complete the Masters degree in Art Therapy, you will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an art therapist or art psychotherapist, as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements, and also for full membership of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT).

Entry Requirements

To apply for this course, you are required to have completed an undergraduate degree, either:

• BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Arts, Health, and Wellbeing
• A degree in the visual arts, or
• An undergraduate degree in other related areas, such as psychology, occupational therapy, social work, and nursing, and have a sound current folio of artwork, or
• An equivalent professional qualification and extensive experience in a related field.

You will also need:

• Around one year's full-time (or equivalent) relevant work experience in a health and social care environment.
• You must demonstrate sufficient life experience, intellectual, and emotional capacity to cope with the demands of the course and working in challenging situations.
• A current and ongoing arts practice
• If your first language is not English, you'll need to have achieved an IELTS of at least 7.0 with 6.5 in each skills area or equivalent
• Experience of having undergone personal therapy is desirable (though not essential).

Fees and Funding

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

• UK: £13,500 for the full course
• International: £14,900 for the full course

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

• UK: £13,950 for the full course
• International: £16,900 for the full course

Additional Costs and Optional Extras

• Resources for practical workshops
• DBS check
• Health screening costs
• Placement Vaccinations
• Students can make use of Adobe Creative Suite which is installed on many computers at the University and students can be provided with an individual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for home use if aligned with their studio practice
• To support their professional and skills development, students are provided with a subscription to LinkedIn Learning which offers over 13,000 courses and tutorials, including professional accreditations, in a wide range of creative, business & technology disciplines

International Student Scholarships

We have a range of scholarships and discounts available to international students which can be used together to offer a reduction in your tuition fees.

How to Apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply. Our undergraduate and postgraduate course pages will show the intakes that are available and open to applications. It's best to apply early so you can secure your place and beat the rush.

Once we have received your application and supporting documents (such as qualifications or references), we will review it and contact you within 4 weeks to let you know if you have been successful or not.

Register Your Interest

This course is now closed for applications for September 2025. Register your interest to be the first to hear if places become available.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact Kirsty McTaggart (Programme Leader) at [insert email address] or [insert phone number].