Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling
College of Liberal and Creative Arts
Dr. Cecilia Konchar Farr, Dean
Program Director: Dr. Susan Ridley
The Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling is a 60-credit hour degree program that consists of 51 credit hours of coursework, 3 credit hours of supervised practicum, and 6 credit hours of supervised professional internship. Each Fall students will participate in a 3-day virtual residency. All Fall, Spring and Summer classes will be completed 100% virtually through synchronous zoom and online classes. This virtual format allows working professionals to further their education and professional development. This program provides the education for graduates to pursue professional certifications such as art therapist registered (ATR) and art therapist board certified (ATR-BC) with the Art Therapy Certification Board (ATCB), and State licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in West Virginia and other states. Postgraduate supervision hours and successfully passing exams are required for professional certification and licensure.
Graduate coursework is a combination of didactic and experiential teaching methods in cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. The program requires that students’ complete coursework, practicum, and internship experiences, and a capstone project.
Admissions Requirements
For admission the following requirements must be met:
- Completed admissions application.
- Official transcripts of any bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, with a 3.0 GPA.
- 6 credits in psychology with at least a B in each
- 18 credits in studio art with at least a B in each
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Writing sample.
- Personal Statement.
- Art portfolio
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
Up to 9 credit hours can be transferred from a qualifying graduate program and students will be required to demonstrate mastery of the course content. If conditional acceptance is granted, prerequisites need to be completed no later than 12 months after entering the program.
International Student Requirements
In addition to the requirements listed above, please submit:
- Proof of English Proficiency: Please submit one of the following test results that has been completed within the past three years: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Minimum acceptable scores 595 (paper test), 195 (computer based test) or 70 (internet test) for graduate study or Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) – The minimum acceptable score is 82% for graduate study or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for graduate study.
- Credit Certification: Have all your coursework and credits from institutions outside of the United States evaluated by a credential evaluation service provider [e.g., World Education Services (WES), Global Credential Evaluators (GCE), Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE), American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), etc.]
- Proof of Financial Support: Submit adequate documentation of financial support for one academic year (nine months). [e.g., official bank statement, sponsorship award letters, scholarship awards, Affidavit of Support (DHS Form I-134), etc.]
- Copy of your ID page in your passport
- Immunization shot records
Graduation Requirements
Students in the Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling will complete a minimum of 60 credits which includes 51 credits of graduate level coursework, plus 3 credits (100 hours) of supervised practicum and 6 credits (700 hours) of supervised internship.
Continued status in the program requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 and consistent coursework progress. Academic remediation may be required if students fall below the required GPA. All classes, including practicum and internship, must be completed within five academic years. Students who take a leave of absence will join the next available cohort.
Required courses
| ATC 501 | History and Development of Art Therapy | 3 |
| ATC 502 | Materials and Techniques of Art Therapy Practice | 3 |
| ATC 504 | Group Dynamics | 3 |
| ATC 505 | Assessment Methods in Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 506 | Assessments in Art Therapy | 3 |
| ATC 507 | Professional Orientation, Ethical, and Legal Issues | 3 |
| ATC 508 | Addictions Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 509 | Marriage & Family Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 510 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| ATC 511 | Psychopathology and Diagnosis | 3 |
| ATC 512 | Counseling Theories | 3 |
| ATC 513 | Counseling Techniques | 3 |
| ATC 514 | Research and Evaluation | 3 |
| ATC 515 | Social and Cultural Foundations | 3 |
| ATC 516 | Lifestyle & Career Development | 3 |
| ATC 517 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| ATC 518 | Supervised Practicum | 3 |
| ATC 519 | Supervised Internship I | 3 |
| ATC 520 | Supervised Internship II | 3 |
| ATC 523 | Theories into Practice | 3 |
Students may take additional courses as required for licensure.
| ATC 503 | Creativity, Symbolism, Metaphor, and Spirituality | 3 |
| ATC 521 | Digital Art Therapy | 3 |
| ATC 522 | Intro to Phototherapy | 3 |
| ATC 530 | Intro to Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 531 | Contextual Dimensions - Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 532 | Psychopharmacology in Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 533 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| ATC 534 | Trauma and Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 535 | Telehealth Counseling | 3 |
| ATC 599 | ATC Elective | 3 |