The Top Art Therapy Courses

Art therapy courses for Art Therapists are fast becoming an international phenomenon, spreading from the United States clear to Northern Ireland. But in the United States alone, the majority of art therapy education is located on both coasts only. In the U.S. College Search, only 42 Art Therapy Colleges and Universities are listed, as compared to 53 for Music Therapy.

The AATA, or American Art Therapy Association, Inc., has a list of credited schools they personally have endorses for a specific period of time, not going over seven years. And the AATA accepts long distance learning, as long as they follow the same standards of approval that apply to all programs.

The student applying for the Art Therapy courses is required to have a bachelor's degree from any accredited institution in the United States to apply for Master-level Art Therapy courses. Another option is to be already accepted into a bachelor-master duel degree program in art therapy. But if the student is coming into the United States from another country, an academic preparation that is equivalent from the out-of-country institution is required.

Each student needs to have a portfolio of their original artwork to the school in order to be admitted to the art therapy courses. The purpose is to demonstrate their competence of using the art materials in their work. Once they are admitted, they need to successfully finish in twelve months:

• Minimum of 18 credit semester hours of study with studio art, using a variety of materials and assorted processes.
• Minimum of 12 credit semester hours of study in psychology, including developmental psychology and abnormal psychology.

In order for the art therapy courses to pertain to a Master's degree, 48-graduate semester credits are required to meet the graduate level art therapy education standards. Some states may require 60-graduate semester credit for licensing or clinical education standards.

There are several required content areas to qualify for admittance to the art therapy courses:

• Minimum of 24 semester credits in art therapy content
• History and theory of art therapy
• Techniques of practice in art therapy
• Application of art therapy with people in different treatment settings
• Group work
• Art therapy assessment
• Ethical and legal issues of art therapy practice
• Standards of practice in art therapy
• Cultural and social diversity
• Thesis or culminating project
• Required related content areas
• Psychopathology
• Human growth and development
• Counseling and psychological theories
• Cultural and social diversity
• Assessment
• Research
• Studio Art
• Career and lifestyle development
• Practicum and Internship
• Minimum of 100 hours of supervised art therapy practicum
• Minimum of 600 hours of supervised art therapy internship over a minimum of two academic terms