MA Art Therapy
When can you start this course? |
Fees |
Course length |
Entry requirements
Why choose this course?
- Successfully completing this course will mean that you are eligible to apply for professional registration as an art therapist with the Health Professions Council.
- This course reinforces the centrality of the image and the role of the imagination in the practice of art therapy.
- You will develop the professional skills you'll need to work in clinical environments.
- A major part of the course is the Independent Scholarship, which will help you to integrate your learning from all areas of the course and develop your clinical reasoning and professional identity.
About the course
This course will give you experience of clinical art therapy practice and supervision, as well as closed groupwork and current theory. You'll also have the opportunity to improve your technical art skills through studio work and explore your potential for self expression and communication through image making.
You'll have a personal tutor, who will monitor your overall progress. As well as the taught components of the course, you'll take part 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.
You'll take part in a closed art therapy group led by a state registered art therapist and deepen your understanding and relationship with your art form through your studio work. You'll study the nature of human development and health and disability in art therapy as part of your development to relate theory and research to practice. While you're doing your clinical placements you'll be supervised by an appropriate therapist and also attend a reflective practice group, which will be led by a state registered art therapist.
You'll take part in personal therapy, for a minimum of one hour each week throughout the course, to meet the professional registration requirements. This can be either individual or group therapy. Your assessment will be through written assignments, reflective journals, facilitation exercises, artwork and reports based on your performance in the clinical settings.
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 to monitor your fitness to practice.
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 which, from the 6 April 2011 will cost £44. You'll need to pass a health screening check and undertake a process of health screening at the start of the course. Details of what this will involve can be found here.
Start dates
If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:
If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:
Fees*
UK/EU students
- £755 per single module (you usually take 9 of these modules in total).
International students
- Full time: £10,500 (in total)
*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2012 and August 2013. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.
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:
- around 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. Your portfolio should have no more than 10 completed images and one sketch book. The work needs to be your own personal work, i.e. not client work or work produced though facilitation of others. Where possible actual images need to be brought, although if this is not possible then photographs will be accepted. If you are an international student and you are required to send a portfolio with your application, please be aware that your portfolio will not be able to be returned. Therefore please ensure that no original artwork is sent. You will also participate in a brief art therapy workshop facilitated by a member of staff who is also a State Registered Art Therapist. If you are offered a place on the course you will be required to pay a deposit of £250 in order to secure your place.
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.
Standard entry requirements
