University of Hertfordshire - MA Art Therapy

University of Hertfordshire

MA Art Therapy

Join a vocational course, comprising of campus and placement-based learning. We’ll teach you through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, to bring together theory and practice. We offer a stimulating learning environment, teaching through role play, visual art practice, peer participation and experiential group work.

You’ll complete 96 days of supervised placement learning to give you valuable experience in practicing art therapy in real-life settings. This experience will help guide you to become a mindful, relational and ethical art therapist.

Every step of the way, we’ll encourage you to be an active learner. To be creative. Art making lies at the heart of this course, so you’ll have lots of opportunities to develop strong practical skills. Plus, you’ll reflect on how to use your own art making as therapy practice.

Outside of the course, we’ll require you to explore your own therapeutic journey. To engage with personal therapy to gain self-awareness and to see the approaches used to facilitate honesty of expression. 

The course is offered on a full-time (2 years) and part-time (4 years) basis. With students on each pathway studying together. Both pathways are equally weighted in terms of practice-based and campus-based learning.

We welcome creative and psychologically minded students from a wide range of cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds

Entry Requirements

Applicants should have either an honours degree in visual arts, an honours degree in a related field or a relevant professional qualification.

International students’ admissions will be subject to UKVI, visa requirements. For international applicants not able to attend an interview, an online interview (via Zoom, Teams or Skype) will be arranged. Applicants who are not permanent residents or citizens of the UK may be required to show evidence of English language competence to IELTS 7 (with no element lower than 6.5).

Career Prospects

When you graduate from MA Art Therapy, you’ll be eligible for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

You’ll be qualified to practice in all settings, with all ages and client groups. These could include: the NHS, social services, the voluntary sector and mainstream education.

You could also establish a social enterprise within community, business, health or educational settings, drawing upon entrepreneurial skills taught throughout the course

Course Details

You’ll master core skills to deliver art therapy to clients of all ages, in all settings. We’ll teach you theories of creativity and the arts from a neuroscientific, psychological and evolutionary perspective. You’ll gain an understanding of the issues of culture, race, gender, sexuality, class and disability. You’ll use this knowledge to create equality of opportunity in your practice. Together we’ll explore intersectionality and privilege. We’ll teach you strong clinical reasoning, evaluation and decision-making skills. You’ll learn the ethical, legal and organisational context to therapeutic practice, becoming confident to manage risk. You’ll discover how to tailor interventions to help service users with complex needs. You’ll become a confident researcher, developing evidence-based practice, as you employ the arts to improve wellbeing. We’ll assess you through a mix of written, oral and visual assignments.

Through clinical placements in a range of acute and community mental health services, you’ll observe how to maintain safe and helpful relationships with service users. You’ll learn the skills needed for effective multi-disciplinary teamwork. You’ll become an excellent communicator, using verbal and non-verbal techniques with clients. During your placements, your fitness to practice will be nurtured, developed and assessed.

Core art therapy skills
Key concepts in art therapy
Intersectionality in art therapy
Visual culture and art therapy

Attachments

*The information’s are correct at the time of publishing, however it may change if university makes any changes after we have published the information. While we try our best to provide correct information, It is advisable to call us or visit university website for up to date information.

Are you ready to start building your future?

Contact our admission counseller and get a free consultation.

Phone E-Mail Facebook