Our Masters of Art Therapy program makes the most of our location in a renowned art school that is housed within one of the nation’s premier research institutions. This provides our graduates with a unique opportunity to integrate art and science into clinical practice. Through a wide range of internship opportunities with different populations, we are expanding the availability of art therapy services in the greater Indianapolis community.
Positioned within the urban campus Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), this two-year, full-time program provides a foundation in art therapy where the general concepts of science, art, and the creative process are understood and applied in a therapeutic context.
The program utilizes the theoretical and practical application of psychotherapeutic principles through a variety of interventions and in myriad settings including mental health, medical, educational, and other facilities. Students will be trained via didactic and experiential teaching methods and encouraged to use personal art making across the curriculum as a means of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors required for the competent and ethical practice of art therapy. Students will be exposed to contemporary approaches in art therapy, evidence-based practices, and various research methodologies, including art-based inquiry.
Students are required to engage in clinical training within medical and healthcare facilities in Indianapolis and surrounding communities as a part of their coursework and are required to complete 1000 hours of supervised practicum and internship experience.
Students who successfully complete Herron’s Master of Arts in Art Therapy program will have met the requirements to apply for the Provisional Registration as an Art Therapist (ATR-P) through the Art Therapy Credentialing Board (ATCB) and Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) in the state of Indiana.
Policies
Students should consult the handbook given to them at orientation for policies and procedures pertaining to their degree progress.
Admissions
Students seeking admission to the MA in Art Therapy degree program should demonstrate commitment to the professional goal of helping others as art therapists. Prerequisites for admission to the program meet the requirements mandated for all programs approved by the American Art Therapy Association. Herron requires that students have all these prerequisites completed before starting the program. If all prerequisites have not been met at the time of application, acceptance to the program can only be made pending successful completion of the prerequisites before the start of fall classes.
• A bachelor's degree
• 18 credits of studio art
• 12 credits of psychology including developmental psychology and abnormal psychology
• A portfolio of artwork demonstrating experience with different media and an ability to understand the motivations behind one's personal art making process
Details of the admissions process are described on
Herron's website:http://herron.iupui.edu
Suggested plan of study (Any revisions to this curriculum made after this bulletin goes to press will be posted on the Herron website.)
Year 1 Fall Semester
• Lifespan Development
• Psychopathology and Advanced Diagnosis Practicum and Group Supervision
• History, Theory and Practice of Art therapy
• Art Therapy Practicum
• Counseling Theory and Practice for Art Therapists
Year 1: Spring Semester
• Art Therapy with Families and Adults
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling and Art Therapy
• Art Therapy with Children and Adolescents
- ·Assessment and Evaluation in Art Therapy
- ·Internship I
Summer Semester I/II
• Career Counseling Theory and Practice
• Strategies for Educational Inquiry
Year 2: Fall Semester
- Group Counseling for Art Therapist
• Cultural and Social Diversity in Counseling and Art Therapy
• Internship II
- Professional Issues Capstone I
Year 2: Spring Semester
• Art Therapy and Counseling with Specialized Populations
• Professional Issues Capstone II
• Advanced Internship
• Studio Art for Art Therapists
Last updated: April 2019
