Counseling Psychology, Art Therapy, M.S. - Course Requirements
This concentration provides a basic foundation in counseling theory and skills with additional coursework in art therapy theory and practice. The program prepares graduates for success in a wide array of settings including, but not limited to mental health, rehabilitation, medical and forensic institutions; community outreach programs; wellness centers; schools; nursing homes; corporate structures; open studios and independent practices.
Students completing the Art Therapy concentration will, as a part of their degree program, complete all the educational requirements to apply for Licensed Professional Counselor as well as the educational requirements to apply for the credential of Registered Art Therapist (ATR). The program of study requires a studio art requirement, core counseling courses and specialized art therapy courses taught by registered art therapists.
Studio Art Content Requirements (required for ATR certification):
- Eighteen (18) semester credits (or 27 quarter credits) in studio based art courses.
- Studio art coursework can be at the graduate or undergraduate level.
- Students must have successfully completed coursework in a variety of two- and three-dimensional art media and processes.
- At least 12 credit hours must be completed prior to beginning the art therapy coursework. The remaining six (6) may be completed after beginning the first art therapy course that will count toward this requirement but must be completed within a year of beginning graduate coursework in art therapy.
- Studio based courses taken within an art therapy program do not satisfy the prerequisite studio art courses.
- In lieu of academic based studio coursework, the student can earn up to six (6) credits from a portfolio demonstrating competency, provided the applicant obtains a letter from a full-time or pro rata faculty member who has current ATR-BC or ATCS status and who teaches in a program that is within a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher education, and who has reviewed the portfolio and is willing to attest that the student has demonstrated such competency. Applicants may also use non-credit art instruction.
The total degree hours required for this concentration is 60. This concentration requires a 600-hour internship, a 100- hour practicum under the supervision of an art therapist.
Required Courses for Art Therapy Specialty Area (33 credit hours)
Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
CART 502 | Art Therapy: Theory & Practice | 3 |
*CART 503 | Professional Orientation and Ethics for Art Therapists | 3 |
CART 504 | Metaphor, Materials & Art Therapy Techniques | 3 |
CART 505 | Art Therapy: Adult Assessment Skills | 3 |
CART 506 | Art Therapy: Child and Adolescent Skills | 3 |
CART 507 | Art Therapy for Multicultural & Diverse Populations | 3 |
*CART 550 | Group Counseling for Art Therapists | 3 |
CART 560 | Internship in Counseling Psychology I – Art Therapy | 3 |
CART 561 | Internship in Counseling Psychology II – Art Therapy | 3 |
CART 562 | Professional Seminar: Culminating Experience in Art Therapy | 3 |
COUN 540 | Psychopathology & Diagnosis Using the DSM | 3 |
*All courses marked with an asterisk have to be completed prior to internship. This is a license-eligible concentration.