Art therapy courses for Art Therapists are rapidly becoming an international trend, spreading from the United States clear to Northern Ireland. But in the United States alone, the bulk 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 contrasted with 53 for Music Therapy.

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

The student applying for the Art Therapy courses is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree from any accredited institution in the United States to be valid for Master-level Art Therapy courses. Another alternative 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 comparable from the out-of-country institution is obligatory.

Each student requires having a portfolio of their unique artwork to the school so as to be admitted to the art therapy courses. The purpose is to show their competence of using the art materials in their work. Once they are admitted, they are required to finish in twelve months:

1.       Minimum of 18 credit semester hours of study with studio art, using a variety of materials and assorted processes.

2.       Minimum of 12 credit semester hours of study in psychology, including developmental psychology and abnormal psychology.

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

There are several compulsory content areas to be eligible for admittance to the art therapy courses:

1.       Minimum of 24 semester credits in art therapy content

2.       History and theory of art therapy

3.       Techniques of practice in art therapy

4.       Application of art therapy with people in different treatment settings

5.       Group work

6.       Art therapy assessment

7.       Ethical and legal issues of art therapy practice

8.       Standards of practice in art therapy

9.       Cultural and social diversity

10.   Thesis or culminating project

11.   Required related content areas

12.   Psychopathology

13.   Human growth and development

14.   Counseling and psychological theories

15.   Cultural and social diversity

16.   Assessment

17.   Research

18.   Studio Art

19.   Career and lifestyle development

20.   Practicum and Internship

21.   Minimum of 100 hours of supervised art therapy practicum

22.   Minimum of 600 hours of supervised art therapy internship over a minimum of two academic terms