List of Online Art Therapy Master's Programs (Including Hybrid/Low Residency Ones)
List of Online Art Therapy Master’s Programs
Hey, I’m Youhjung, a board certified art therapist in the U.S. and in this post I’ll be sharing some online art therapy master’s programs that you can go to to become an art therapist in the states.
Not everyone has an art therapy master’s program in their state, and even if they did sometimes it’s hours and hours away from their home town. And honestly, relocation might not be an option for many folks.
That’s why I wanted to answer this question I often get on what master’s programs are out there that are online and also hybrid / low residency, i.e., the classes are mostly online but a few are held on campus.
Read below to see the list!
(Please note: I am not endorsing any of these programs and I don’t have experience going to these programs. I am simply sharing info I’ve found online).
Also site note, just so we are on the same page - I will be using a lot of acronyms, including:
AATA = American Art Therapy Association
you definitely want a program to be AATA-approved because that means it’s easier for you to get your registration and board certification as an art therapist in the states
CAAHEP = The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
AATA encourages you to go with programs that are CAAHEP-accredited, because they would meet the same standards as AATA-approved programs
CACREP = The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs
If you are wanting to become a licensed counselor, CACREP-accredited programs are great for you
* And pssst… if you’re curious what type of art therapist career path fits you the best, you can take my assessment/quiz here.
Ok, now see the list below!
Online Art Therapy Master’s Program
The only 100% online that is also American Art Therapy Association-approved/CAAHEP-accredited is
Yeah, there is only one that is completely online.
But if you are able to visit the campus at least a couple times, then you can also consider hybrid master’s programs, aka “low residency” programs.
Hybrid / Low Residency Art Therapy Master’s Programs
Here are the ones in the states:
Saint Mary-of-the-Wood’s College - Master of Arts in Art Therapy (with an Emphasis in Counseling)
physically located in St. Mary-of-the Woods, Indiana
requires 3 on-campus residencies every year; this is a 3 year program
CAAHEP-accredited
Pratt Institute - Master of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and Creativity Development
physically located in Brooklyn, NY
requires 2 on-campus residencies a year. It takes 2.5 years for program completion.
AATA-approved
Antioch University - Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling
physically located in Seattle, WA
requires 2 residences, and the full program takes 3.5 years to complete.
CAAHEP and CACREP-accredited
Lesley University - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Art Therapy;
located in Cambridge, MA
it is a 3 year program if you do the low residency option. You are required to do one 3-week residency per year.
AATA-approved
Wayne State University - Master of Arts in Counseling with Art Therapy Concentration
located in Detroit, Michigan
their website seems to show that you’ll probably take online courses and do in-person classes alternatingly throughout the semester. Program takes 4 years to complete. *update (8/2021): heard from a graduate that they only did hybrid because of the pandemic so they are going back to 100% in-person from this point forward.
CACREP-accredited & AATA-approved
Adler Graduate School - Master of Arts in Counseling; emphasis in Art Therapy
located in Minnetonka, MN
there was no info on how the residency is set up, on their website; you will need to contact the department directly for more info on it
AATA-approved
Southwestern College - Master of Arts in Art Therapy/Counseling
located in Santa Fe, NM
required to do one 4-day residency during the middle of your program; total 2.5-3 year long program
AATA-approved
Albertus Magnus College - Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling
located in New Haven, CT
heard from current student that they are offering a low-residency/hybrid (meet on-campus 3 weekends per semester); total 3-year long program
AATA-approved & CAAHEP accredited
This list is current as of August, 2021. I highly, highly recommend you contact these colleges/programs directly to find accurate and up-to-date info about their programs. (Things can always change!)
All the school names were found from AATA website and CAAHEP. I also recommend that you check those two websites to get the latest info on whether a school/program is still AATA-approved or CAAHEP-accredited, just for good measure. Again, these things can always be updated/changed every year.
Let me know if this post was helpful for you in the comments below.
If you are curious about how you can do more non-clinical, therapeutic art work (instead of the clinical art therapist route) I teach more about that in my Therapeutic Art Facilitation School course here.
Thanks and see you next time!
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