SELECTING A MASTER’S PROGRAM
The Art Therapy profession is in the process of transitioning from educational program approval to educational program accreditation.
Both approved and accredited art therapy programs prepare their students for entry-level skills and post-graduate certification as an art therapist. The American Art Therapy Association encourages you to consider either an AATA approved or CAAHEP accredited program during this period of transition as both types of quality programs undergo a rigorous review process which ensures their resources, curriculum, faculty and policies are prepared to meet your learning needs.
See below for links to explore all art therapy master’s programs that have undergone a quality review. Graduates from either approved or accredited programs use the same process when seeking to become Registered Art Therapists.
A brochure for students about accreditation can be found here.
CAAHEP CURRENTLY ACCREDITED GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
Connecticut
District of Columbia (Washington, DC)
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Massachusetts
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Online/Hybrid
To view all options, including fully online AND ALSO hybrid options which offer majority online supplemented by a few weeks of on-campus time, once you click on the “View Programs” link below, you must select “Accredited” from the drop-down menu of this search directory link. Selecting only the second option of “accredited online” will NOT take you to a full list of options.
View Programs
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Washington
AATA CURRENTLY APPROVED GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
California
Dominican University of California
50 Acacia Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 415-485-3280
Contact: Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC
Email: amy.backos@dominican.edu
Program 1: Marriage and Family Therapy with Specialization in Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1986 Program 2: Art Therapy
Program 2 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 2: Approved
Initial Approval Program 2: 1986
Loyola Marymount University
1 LMU Drive, Suite 2444, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659
Phone: 310-338-4562
Fax: 310-338-4518
Contact: Debra Linesch, PhD, ATR-BC, Graduate Department of Marital and Family Therapy Email: dlinesch@lmu.edu
Program 1: Marital and Family Therapy: Specialization in Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1979
Colorado
Naropa University
2130 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 1-800-772-6951, 303-546-3545
Fax: 303-546-3536
Contact: Michael A. Franklin, PhD, ATR-BC, Professor and Chair, Graduate Art Therapy Program and the Naropa Community Art Studio
Email: ALL admissions inquiries: admissions@naropa.edu; other: michaelf@naropa.edu
Program 1: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Concentration in Transpersonal Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1998
Illinois
Adler University
17 North Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-662-4362
Contact: Dr. Jennifer La Civita, PsyD, LCPC, ATR, Director, Art Therapy Programs Email: jlacivita@adler.edu
Program 1: Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1999
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 South Wabash Avenue Chicago, IL 60603-3103
Phone: 312-899-7481
Contact: Savneet Talwar, PhD, ATR-BC, Department Chair, and Leah Gipson, MAAT, ATR-BC, Program Director
Email: arttherapy@saic.edu
Program 1: Art Therapy and Counseling
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1989
Kentucky
University of Louisville Louisville, KY 40292
Phone: 502-852-5265
Contact: Dr. Eileen Estes, Director, College of Education and Human Development, Expressive Therapies Program
Email: eileen.estes@louisville.edu Program 1: Counseling and Personnel Services with Concentration in Expressive Therapies Program 1 Level: Master of Education
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1981
Massachusetts
Lesley University
GSASS Expressive Therapies Division 29 Everett Street Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-349-8246
Fax: 617-349-8431
Contact: Raquel Stephenson, BFA, MA, PhD, ATR-BC, Assistant Professor of Expressive Therapies
Email: rstephe3@lesley.edu
Program1: Expressive Therapies: Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Program Level 1: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1982
Michigan
Wayne State University
163 Community Arts Building Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-577-1823
Fax: 313-993-7558
Contact: Holly Feen Calligan, PhD, ATR-BC, Associate Professor and Art Therapy Program Coordinator; Art Education-Art Therapy Program
Email: hfeen@wayne.edu
Program 1: Art Education/Art Therapy Concentration
Program 1 Level: Master of Education
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1994
Program 2: Counseling with Art Therapy Concentration
Program 2 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 2: Approved
Initial Approval Program 2: 2008
Minnesota
Adler Graduate School
10225 Yellow Circle Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343
Phone: 612-767-7059
Contact: Craig Balfany
Email: craig.balfany@alfredadler.edu
Program 1: Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 2012
New Jersey
Caldwell University 120 Bloomfield Avenue Caldwell, NJ 07006
Phone: 973-618-3511 Fax: 973-618-3443
Contact: Annette Vaccaro, EdD, LCSW, SCP, ATR-BC, ATCS, Program Coordinator of Art Therapy Programs
Email: avaccaro@caldwell.edu
Program 1: Mental Health Counseling with Art Therapy Specialization
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts (CACREP Accredited)
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 2006
Wisconsin
Mount Mary University
Caroline Hall 228 2900 N Menomonee River Parkway Milwaukee, WI 53222-4597
Phone: 414-256-1215
Fax: 414-256-1205
Contact: Chris Belkofer, PhD, ATR, Chair, Art Therapy Department
Email: belkofec@mtmary.edu
Program 1: Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Science
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 1995
New York
Pratt Institute
North Hall, 200 Willoughby Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205
Phone: 718-399-4267
Fax: 718-636-3597
Contact: Dina Schapiro, LCAT, ATR-BC, Assistant Chair, of Creative Art Therapy Program and Director of the Graduate Arts Therapy Department
Email: Dschapir@pratt.edu
Website: Academic Year || Low Residency
Program 1: Art Therapy and Creativity Development
Program 1 Level: Master of Professional Studies
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: Initial Approval 1980 (Academic Year Program); Initial Approval 1994 (Low Residency Program)
School of Visual Arts
209 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212-592-2610
Fax: 212-592-2538
Contact: Deborah Farber, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, Art Therapy Department Chair
Email: arttherapy@sva.edu
Program 1: Art Therapy
Program 1 Level: Master of Professional Studies
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 2007
Pennsylvania
Seton Hill University
Box AR110, Seton Hill Drive ,Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone: 724-830-1140
Contact: Dana Elmendorf, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, Program Director, Assistant Professor, Graduate Art Therapy Program
Email: elmendorf@setonhill.edu
Program 1: Art Therapy with Specialization in Counseling
Program 1 Level: Master of Arts
Approval Status Program 1: Approved
Initial Approval Program 1: 2000
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS NOT INCLUDED UNDER THE AATA APPROVAL/CAAHEP ACCREDITATION PROCESS
Because a master’s degree is the entry-level for the art therapy profession, only approved or accredited master’s programs are listed. Institutions offering art therapy undergraduate pre-professional majors or doctoral programs can be found here. Please email changes or corrections for your listing to Barbara Florence.