Art Therapy
Our Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy trains professionals in the mental health field to use art as a catalyst for healing and self-actualization. Art therapy aids human development through self-discovery, self-awareness, and personal growth.
Our program will expose you to a variety of theories and approaches related to the practice of art therapy and the field of psychology. Our Master's degree in Art Therapy is Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). It prepares you for:
- Registration (ATR)
- Board Certification (BC) with the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB)
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The Graduate Art Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE). For further information about CAAHEP, write to: 9355 113th St N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, call 727-210-2350, or visit www.caahep.org |
Mission Statement
The Graduate Art Therapy Program at Marywood University is built upon artistic, ethical, and spiritual values within a tradition of service to humankind. Our art therapy program provides a supportive framework for the enhancement of students’ capacity to utilize the therapeutic qualities of art making with a wide variety of populations. With this focus, there is an ongoing commitment to the integration of students’ learning domains in the areas of personal artistic growth, academic study, multicultural awareness and development of clinical skills to prepare competent entry-level Art Therapists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the job market.
Housed within the Art Department of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Art Therapy Program at Marywood University offers the an art based, humanistic approach taught by faculty who have wide ranges of expertise, are deeply committed to the profession of art therapy and strive toward the development of compassionate and competent future practitioners. The Graduate Art Therapy Program educates students so that they may serve as therapists with a profound appreciation of each human being in our interdependent world.
* All activities required in the program must be educational and students must not be substituted for staff.
For more information on our Master's degree in Art Therapy, contact the Director of Art Therapy, Professor Stephanie Wise at [email protected].
Downloads
- Marywood University Graduate Art Therapy Program - Handbook 2022-2023 (PDF)
- Marywood University Graduate Art Therapy Program - Practicum Guidelines for Students & Supervisors 2021-2022 (PDF)
- Marywood University Graduate Art Therapy Program - Professional Contribution/Research Thesis Guidelines for Students 2021-2022 (PDF)
Admissions Requirements
Thank you for your interest in the art therapy program at Marywood University. To complete your admissions packet you must send in the following items:
- Online application
- Two (2) reference letters
- Official, unopened transcripts of all academic work, including transfer credits
- Art portfolio of original work (Digital only)
- Resume
- Essay
Essay Requirements
http://marywood.edu/admissions/applying/graduate/essay-requirements.html
Portfolio Requirements
http://www.marywood.edu/art/portfolio-guidelines.html
Your resume and essay can be sent via email to: [email protected]. All other materials must be sent to this address:
Marywood University
Graduate Admissions, LAC 120
2300 Adams Avenue
Scranton, PA 18509-1598
* Registration, board certification and licensure require post graduate art therapy experience and supervision.
Course Offerings
The Marywood Master of Arts in Art Therapy program runs 60 semester hours and follows the guidelines of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The core curriculum consists of courses in both Art Therapy and Psychology. Thirty-six credits in Art Therapy, nine credits in Psychology, and six credits in studio art are required. To learn more about the specific courses and prerequisites required for this degree, view our graduate catalog.
Special Features
Sandtray
Sandtray is a form of therapy that allows clients to create their own representations of their world and experiences using miniature figures and sand. Visit our Sandtray website to learn more: http://marywoodsandtray.wordpress.com/
Annual Symposiums
Each year Marywood University’s art therapy department hosts an Art Therapy Symposium. Graduate students, undergraduate students, art therapists, and other members of the community come together for a one day event to learn from presenters who are influential to the field of art therapy. Lecture and art experiential tasks are incorporated throughout the day to enhance learning. Past presenters include Catherine Moon, Stella Stepney, Bruce Moon, Harriet Wadeson, Janice Hoshino, Shaun McNiff, David Gussack, and many others.
Student Organizations
MUSATA (Marywood University Art Therapy Association)
MUSATA is composed of graduate and undergraduate art therapy students with the support of the Marywood art therapy faculty. The main purpose of this group is to network, share personal, artistic, educational, and overall professional growth opportunities. This group strives to promote art therapy as a means of life improvement. MUSATA seeks out volunteer opportunities so that its members can gain experience with a variety of populations while lending a helping hand in accordance with Marywood's curricular goal of service learning. For more information, contact [email protected].
Past Volunteer Events
MUSATA (Marywood University Student Art Therapy Association) attended the Northeast Suicide Prevention event that occurred on September 6th, 2014 at Linden Street located downtown Scranton, PA. MUSATA members volunteered to assist with decorating the vine archway leading into the event. Ribbons, quotes, and pictures were hung throughout the vine archway to advocate for suicide prevention, along with a memoriam wall of victims who had committed suicide. MUSATA Members also participated in the mile “Share the Journey” walk.
Events:
SAVE THE DATE for the 2016 Marywood Art Therapy Symposium
Art Therapy in End-of-Life Care:
The Power of Creativity in Exploring Life, Loss, and Grief
featuring Mary B. Safrai, ATR-BC, LCAT, Reiki MasterOver the course of the Symposium, participants will learn about the growing acceptance of hospice and palliative care in our communities and will discover the power of creative arts for patients and caregivers. Additionally, participants will learn about the variety of ways that grief manifests and will explore how engagement with loss and grief can be empowering in one’s own life.
For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Parker- Bell
2015 Art Therapy Symposium
Work as Worship in 3 Acts: Arrival, The Contemplative Clinician, and Service as a Spiritual Practice
Friday, March 27, 2015
8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Presenter: Dr. Michael Franklin
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This symposium will focus on approaching Art therapy as an opportunity to surface, blend, and integrate multiple professional identities. Included in the artist-therapist self-structure are other traits including the contemplative, transpersonal, and socially engaged self. Later in the day there will be an afternoon workshop that explores these themes by materializing through clay, the I/Thou relational textures of the empathic imagination.
For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Parker- Bell
Download the brochure for more information
2014 Art Therapy Symposium
Art Therapy with Students at Risk: Fostering Resilience and Growth Through Creative Self-Expression
Friday, April 11, 2014
8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Presenter: Stella A. Stepney, M.S., ATR-BC, LCAT
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This symposium will focus on fostering resilience and growth through self-expression with diverse at-risk student populations. Through a combination of lecture, art making, and discussion, participants will gain an understanding of the “four worlds of childhood,” associated risk/protective factors, and the rationale for using art expression to foster resilience in this population.
For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Parker- Bell
Download the brochure for more information
2013 Art Therapy Symposium
A Social Justice Approach to Art Therapy: Global to Local Perspectives
February 14th, 2013
8:45 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Presenter: Catherine Moon, MA, ATR-BC
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This symposium is focused on a social justice approach to art therapy that emphasizes reflexivity, power sharing, and cultural relevance. An ongoing project to develop therapeutic arts programs in Kenya and Tanzania provides an example of the challenges and practical application of this model in an international context, while a community-based studio project in Chicago provides a model for how a social justice approach can be applied at the local level.
For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Parker- Bell
Download the brochure for more information
