MA Art Therapy
Fees |
Course length |
Entry requirements
Why choose this course?
- This programme reinforces the centrality of the image and the role of the imagination in the practice of art therapy.
- It places emphasis on preparing you to work in clinical environments and developing the professional skills you'll need.
- The course comprises an extended period of independent scholarship aimed at helping you synthesise your learning from all areas of the course to develop your clinical reasoning and professional identity.
About the course
The aim of the course is to give you experience of clinical art therapy practice and supervision, as well as closed group work and current theory. You'll also be able to improve your technical art skills through studio work, exploring the potential for self expression and communication through image making.
You'll have a personal tutor who will be responsible for monitoring your overall progress and as well as taught components, you'll engage in clinical placements and personal therapy, as this is a requirement for professional registration. This is a private arrangement and the cost is not included in the fees, although individual or group therapy is acceptable.
PG Certificate Level
This course gives you the experience of a closed art therapy group led by a State Registered Art Therapist. Studio work will deepen your understanding and relationship with your art form. You'll study the nature of human development and health and disability in art therapy as part of the Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One module. In the clinical setting you'll be supervised by an appropriate therapist and you'll need to attend a reflective practice group at the University which is facilitated by a State Registered Art Therapist.
PG Diploma level
You'll study evidence based practice and research methodologies as part of the Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two module. You'll also undertake a larger block of clinical placement in an appropriate setting.
MA level
You'll undertake a period of independent scholarship where you'll produce a body of artwork exploring an appropriate area of enquiry.
Find out more about what subjects and modules you'll be studying...
| Stage 1 |
|---|
| Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
|---|
| Art Therapy Experiential Group | Art Therapy Experiential Group | Art Therapy Experiential Group |
| Art Therapy Studio | Art Therapy Studio | Art Therapy Studio |
| Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One | Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One | Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One |
| Art Therapy Clinical Placement One | Art Therapy Clinical Placement One | Art Therapy Clinical Placement One |
| Stage 2 |
|---|
| Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
|---|
| Art Therapy Group | Independent Scholarship | Independent Scholarship |
| Independent Scholarship |
| Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two | Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two | Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two |
| Art Therapy Clinical Placement Two | Art Therapy Clinical Placement Two | Art Therapy Clinical Placement Two |
Modules
Stage 1
Modules you have to take (core):
 Art Therapy Clinical Placement 1 (450 hours) What will I cover in this module?
You'll work in clinical settings under supervision, developing and applying the approaches you've learned.
During the placement, you will be:
- initiating and facilitating art therapy sessions (in co-operation with colleagues)
- assessing the effectiveness of the art therapy sessions (with supervisors)
- participating in case presentations
- writing strong, coherent reports and updating records as required
- implementing strategies for ending therapy sessions.
These activities will prepare you for your professional role as an Art Therapist. Therefore, this module aims to enable you to integrate theory and practice and to gain therapeutic competence whilst developing your clinical reasoning. It's essential for Art Therapists to critically reflect on their clinical work and to develop strategies for therapeutic intervention. Different art therapy formats also need to be considered in relation to specific client populations and settings. Therefore you will be part of a reflective practice group that meets to discuss issues arising from your, and other students', clinical placements. The emphasis will be on the process and function of the art form in the therapeutic relationship. These reflective practice groups will be continuous through the course and are facilitated by a State Registered Art Therapist. They are separate from the individual Clinical Supervision you'll receive while on placement. The groups will enable you to:
- evaluate your clinical practice
- gain therapeutic competence, and
- undertake clinical work while being closely supervised
How many credits is it worth?
30 |
| Art Therapy Experiential Group (150 hours) What will I cover in this module?
In order to be an effective and sensitive art therapist, you need more than a purely intellectual understanding. In this module, you'll take part in groupwork, which allows you to develop empathy for clients, and gain an understanding of group processes. Through this work, you'll get valuable feedback on your performance in the group setting and find out about any potential problem areas.
You are asked to focus on your own personal responses and experiences within the group, but this 'experiential groupwork' is different from personal therapy.
In this module you will:
- gain a thorough understanding of art therapy group processes
- get direct experience of making and discussing images in a group setting
- have the opportunity to study image making with reference to group dynamics
- learn by experiencing the basic processes of groups
- build up your confidence in using a range of materials and enable you to integrate the practical, creative and theoretical aspects of image making in a way that will both inform and enrich the therapeutic process.
In conjunction with Art Therapy (Studio), this module will give you opportunities to:
- recognise the links between studio practice, art history and culture and the therapeutic process, and
- develop the technical skills you'll need for self-expression using art media.
You need to demonstrate key competencies like reliability, so 80% attendance is required.
How many credits is it worth?
15 |
| Art Therapy Studio (150 hours) What will I cover in this module?
This module offers you the experience of art making in a studio setting. We'll be contrasting this with art making experience gained in the Art Therapy Experiential Group module. It's important for you to continue personal creative practice (studio) so you can fully experience the expressive and communicative potential of the visual arts. Therefore it's essential that you explore and examine your own creative development in order to gain a richer, fuller and ultimately more informed understanding of visual language in all its forms and expressions.
In this module you'll therefore: - make use of the empirical and theoretical knowledge you've gained through continued studio practice (directed and self directed). This analysis will take place with reference to broader cultural contexts
- build your confidence in using a range of materials to enable you to integrate the practical, creative and theoretical aspects of image making in a way that will both inform and enrich the therapeutic process.
Together with Art Therapy (Group), it will give you: - opportunities to recognise the links between studio practice, art history and culture and the therapeutic process, and
- develop the technical skills you'll need for self-expression in using art media.
How many credits is it worth?
15 |
| Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice One (150 hours) What will I cover in this module?
You'll build up a core knowledge of human development, health and disability from social, psychological and physiological perspectives. It's essential that you understand the development of language, communication (verbal and non-verbal) and human relationships when you're carrying out clinical assessments of clients.
As well as considering the pathology and psychopathology of contemporary diagnostic groups used within the clinical environment, you will also be considering a wider range of factors that influence diagnosis, including cultural contexts. How many credits is it worth?
15 |
Stage 2
Modules you have to take (core):
| Art Therapy Clinical Placement Two (600 hours) What will I cover in this module?
You'll work in clinical settings under supervision, so you're able to continue to develop your clinical reasoning and clinical philosophy.
During the placement, you will be:
- initiating and facilitating art therapy sessions (in co-operation with colleagues)
- assessing the effectiveness of these sessions (with supervisors)
- participating in case presentations
- writing strong, clear reports and updating records as required
- implementing strategies for ending therapy sessions.
These activities will prepare you for your professional role as an Art Therapist. Therefore, this module aims to enable you to further integrate theory and practice and to gain therapeutic competence in a range of approaches.
It's essential for Art Therapists to critically reflect on their clinical work and to develop strategies for therapeutic intervention. Different art therapy formats also need to be considered in relation to specific client populations. You will be part of a reflective practice group that meets to discuss issues arising from your, and other students' clinical placements. The emphasis will be on the process and function of the art form in the therapeutic relationship.
These reflective practice groups will be continuous through the course and are facilitated by a State Registered Art Therapist. They are separate from the individual clinical supervision you'll receive while on placement.
The groups will enable you to:
- evaluate your clinical practice
- gain therapeutic competence, and
- undertake clinical work while being closely supervised
How many credits is it worth?
30 |
| Art Therapy Independent Scholarship (600 hours) What will I cover in this module?
This is your chance to show your ability at conducting a major piece of independently researched work. This may be in the form of a production of a body of artwork and its critique. Through this study, you'll develop your understanding of the image and its importance. You will look at the levels and layers of creative process and language, which take place during art making. You'll focus particularly on concepts of self and identity as integral elements in art, in all its forms and vocabularies. This will develop your understanding of clinical reasoning, and the role of the image. How many credits is it worth?
60 |
| Arts Therapies Theory and Research in Relation to Practice Two (150 hours) What will I cover in this module?
In this module you'll have the opportunity to evaluate and theorise your clinical practice. It's imperative that you're able to focus on questions of theory and practice related to your placements. Questions of technique, theory and methodology are necessary to your development of therapeutic skills.
Evidence based practice has become an extremely important aspect of delivering a quality service, and is central to planning and evaluation. This module gives you the skills needed to be able to decide the type of evidence that is appropriate for a given area. It also prepares you to scrutinise existing literature and to find an aspect of practice which would benefit from further attention.
You'll then look at integrating evidence based practice with various research methodologies. You build on the foundation of evidence you've established through a literature search, by preparing an outline research proposal. You will need to consider methods of data collection and evaluation, which reflect the structure and concerns of the issue you're researching. How many credits is it worth?
15 |
Your career
The programme can lead you to a career in areas like mental health, education, the prison service, social services and the voluntary sector, as well as in private practice, 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 Professions Council (HPC).
How you're assessed
Assessment is both practical and written - there are no exams. Usually, assessment is through written assignments, reflective journals, facilitation exercises, artwork and reports based on performance in the clinical setting. However, you'll receive clear guidelines at the start of each module, about how you'll be assessed in that module.
Anything else?
You'll undertake a health screening at the start of the course.
It's strongly recommended that you become a trainee member of the British Association of Art Therapists at the start of this course.
Initial Recommended Reading:
- Edwards, D (2004) Art Therapy: Creative Therapies in Practice. Sage Publications
If you're offered a place on the course you'll have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check and you'll need to pass a health screening check. You will also undertake a process of health screening at the start of the course and details of what this will involve can be found here.
Fees*
UK/EU students
- £495 per single module (you usually take 4 of these modules in total)
- £990 per Art Therapy clinical placement (you'll take 2 of these in total)
- £1,080 for Independent Scholarship (equivalent to 4 modules)
International students
- Full time: £8,950 (per year)
Please note: travel expenses and personal therapy costs are not included.
*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2010 and August 2011. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year and there may be extra costs eg for exams, trips or special modules.
Course length
Full time: 2 years
Entry requirements
You need to have completed an undergraduate degree, either: BA (Hons) Creative Expressive ...
You need to have completed an undergraduate degree, either:
- BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Therapies
- a degree in the visual arts, or
- an undergraduate degree in other related areas, such as psychology, occupational therapy, social work, nursing and have a sound current folio of artwork.
You'll also need:
- one year's full time (or equivalent) relevant work experience which may be voluntary work
- to be able to show you've got sufficient life experience and emotional maturity, as well as having the intellectual capacity, to cope with the demands of the course.
You'll normally go through a selection and interview process. This will usually include an individual interview and discussion of a portfolio of your artwork, which you will be required to bring to demonstrate the development of your work over a period of time. You will also participate in a brief art therapy workshop facilitated by a member of staff who is also a State Registered Art Therapist.
A large component of the course involves work with clients and therefore an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance is required at the point of accepting a place at the University.
Experience of having undergone personal therapy is desirable (though not essential).
Your application should include a CV and one A4 sheet (maximum) outlining why you wish to complete the professional training and elaborating on what qualities and skills you feel you have to offer and the kind of ideas which presently inform your thinking about art therapy.
We can make special arrangements for overseas candidates.
Standard entry requirements
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