Program Catalog Admission Requirments Application Process & Forms Contact Us Program Calendar

Master of Arts in Art Therapy

Art Therapy is one of the

top 10 "hot jobs" for 2007!
(Careerbuilder.com)

Art Therapy as a Field of Practice

Art Therapy is a dynamic human service profession bridging the disciplines of art and psychology. It emerged during the early 1950’s and has become an established profession in the 1960's. A master’s degree in art therapy with specified course content and supervised field experience is considered necessary for employment in the profession. Standards for the education and training of art therapist are set by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). The designation of registered art therapist (an ATR) and board certification (BC) are regulated by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB).

Facilitated by the art therapist, a client uses art media and the creative process to explore their inner feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self awareness, reduce anxiety, and increase problem solving skills and self-esteem. Client and therapist work together to understand the content of the client’s art production and its personal symbolic meaning. The art therapist views the client’s artwork as a personal statement that frequently serves as a substitute for words when words fail to express the client’s feelings or thoughts.

Art Therapy services are provided to diverse client populations in psychiatric hospitals, mental health clinics, geriatric facilities, in- and out-patient medical settings, schools, and prisons. Art Therapy is provided as both an individual and a group-based modality for short-term or crisis intervention, long-term treatment, or on an exploratory basis.

Art Therapy at Albertus Magnus College

The Master of Arts in Art Therapy Program at Albertus Magnus College offers a progressive and comprehensive curriculum designed to provide its students and graduates with a range of didactic and experiential learning experiences that will prepare them to function effectively as individual or group therapists with a board base of diagnostic and cultural issues.

The program has been approved by the Educational Program Approval Board of the American Art Therapy Program and its sixty (60) credit curriculum meets or exceeds standards for education set by the AATA and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This strong course of study provides Art Therapy Program graduates the opportunity to qualify for licensing as a professional counselor.

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

1. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 system.
2. A minimum of 18 credits in Studio Art. Credits must include courses in Drawing, Painting, and Ceramics, with a grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 system.
3. A minimum of 15 credits in Psychology. Credits must include Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and a course in Statistics for the Social Sciences, with a grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 system.
4. Proficiency in the English language, as demonstrated either by a TOEFL score of 575 or better, or successful academic work for at least three years at a college or university in an English-speaking country.
5. Students who lack some of the above requirements may be admitted to the Program on a conditional basis. Students will not be permitted to take graduate courses without having successfully completed a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits in Psychology and 12 undergraduate credits in Studio Art. Outstanding prerequisites must be completed within the first year of the program.

Application Process and Forms

The following must be submitted to have an application for admission evaluated:

1. A completed Application Form.
2. A $50 non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher learning previously attended.
4. Two letters of recommendation from former professors or professional supervisors. Recommendation Form
5. A personal essay (no less than two pages typed in 12 point font) indicating one’s reasons for applying to the program.
6. A portfolio of original artwork demonstrating competence with a variety of art media. A minimum of 10 images must be submitted. The portfolio may consist of slides, photographs, or formatted on a disc.
   Please Note: the portfolio materials will not be returned; please do not send your only copies.

All application materials should be sent to:
Art Therapy Admission Committee
Albertus Magnus College
700 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-1189

Contact Us