Program Overview

---

Master of Arts in Art Therapy

The Master of Arts in Art Therapy program integrates psychotherapy and visual arts practice to engage the creative power of art for clinical assessment and treatment. The program promotes scholarly research and evidence-based clinical praxis, cross-cultural competency with appreciation of social justice, and fluency with evolving technologies.

Degree Details

• Official Degree Title: Master of Arts in Art Therapy
• Format: Full-time or Part-time
• Credits: 60
• Start Date: Fall
• Application Deadline: January 15

Degree Goal

The goal of the program is to prepare competent entry-level art therapists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Degree Objectives

Cognitive (Knowledge)

Students will develop a robust knowledge of clinical theory, with a solid grasp of psychodynamics, and master the professional Ethics Code that guides clinical thinking in challenging situations.

Psychomotor (Skills)

Students will learn to practice art therapy with diverse populations and acquire multicultural competency that reflects attunement to current global social justice issues.

Affective (Attitudes/Behaviors)

Students will develop an identity as both an art therapist and a practicing artist, developing the clinical attunement, compassion, and acuity that is only fully realized by cultivating profound personal creativity.

Curriculum

The degree requires a total of 60 credits to graduate, consisting of:

• 39 credits of core art therapy courses
• 12 credits of internship
• 9 credits of psychology electives, chosen from a wide variety of courses offered in other NYU graduate programs as well as local consortium universities

Cohort Sequence

The cohort sequence is designed to optimize preparation for clinical practice. In the first term, students take two foundation courses:

• Art for Art Therapists, a studio-based class where students understand and interpret their own creative processes and products
• Theory and Practice of Art Therapy, combining didactic classroom learning with a fieldwork component that allows students to ease into clinical work gradually

Final Project

In addition to coursework and internship requirements, students must complete a substantial thesis project that demonstrates both theoretical knowledge and accumulated clinical experience. Upon completion of the thesis, students present their work in a mini-conference.

Accreditation

The Art Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education.

Student Outcomes Data

• Academic Year:
  • Number of graduates: 18
  • Retention Rate: 100%
  • Positive Placement Percentage: 100%
  • Employment Knowledge Rate: 77.8%
• Academic Year:
  • Number of graduates: 32
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Positive Placement Percentage: 90.91%
  • Employment Knowledge Rate: 68.75%
• Academic Year:
  • Number of graduates: 9
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Positive Placement Percentage: 100%
  • Employment Knowledge Rate: 56%
• Academic Year:
  • Number of graduates: 9
  • Retention Rate: 100%
  • Positive Placement Percentage: 100%

Art Therapy Events

Throughout the year, there are events for MA Art Therapy students, including book signings, conferences, lectures, and community collaborations, highlighting the work of faculty, students, and alumni and bringing together diverse communities of art therapists.