The M.Ed in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in Art Therapy was the first art therapy university-based educational program established in the U.S. Our students meet requirements for national certification as art therapists as well as licensure as art therapists in the state of KY.
Application Deadline: February 1st for Fall (only) admission.
The University of Louisville is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of The Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE)
The Art Therapy program at UofL offers students a well balanced education in both art and psychology classes, as well as provides the time to still maintain your own self care in graduate school. I am thankful to have chosen a University where the faculty and staff genuinely care about my education and success in the program.
Taylor Ray, Art Therapy Graduate Student
Art Therapy strives to be an outstanding program--to be in the forefront of excellence in research, scholarship, education, and clinical application; to discover and provide expansion and integration of individual and group art therapy ideology and services into diverse segments of the culture.
Everybody is friendly and the professors are wonderful teachers as well as mentors and will do their best to help you with whatever you need. Further, the program is not only an opportunity to develop as a therapist, but also an opportunity to make new future art therapy friends. Moreover, the program includes three semesters of practicum that offers great experiences for what it will be like as a therapist after graduation. I believe this program has a lot to offer future art therapy students and I recommend it to those who are interested in art therapy.
Jonathan Hernandez, Art Therapy Graduate
Graduates of the program secure employment in private school settings, medical hospitals, inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and forensic correctional institutions.
Join us for our annual Art Therapy Forum! We will be meeting virtually on Saturday November 18, 2023, 9:00 - 11:30am. The Art Therapy Forum is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the field of Art Therapy and our program here at the University of Louisville. Topics include the history of Art Therapy, application process for the graduate program, and a panel presentation of alumni representing various clinical disciplines.
Contact Marybeth Orton to register for the the Art Therapy Program and receive the Zoom link.
marybeth.orton@louisville.edu
Registration requests will be accepted through November 16, 2023.
Vija B. Lusebrink, 97, celebrated art therapist, professor, author, artist, colleague, and mentor passed away on June 12. Her passing is sorrowful for countless art therapists across the US and abroad.
For more on the Pioneers of this program, click here
For more details about program curriculum, visit the Graduate Catalog.
| Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Professional Area | 30 |
| ECPY 540 Evaluation & Measurement in Education | 3 |
| ECPY 619 Empirical and Theoretical Foundations of Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| ECPY 629 Theories and Techniques of Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| ECPY 650 Group Process & Practice | 3 |
| ECPY 663 Multicultural & Diversity Issues (section taught by an ATR-BC) | 3 |
| ECPY 670 Career Counseling | 3 |
| ECPY 730 Social, Legal & Ethical Issues (section taught by an ATR-BC) | 3 |
| LEAD 600 Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics | 3 |
| Mid-Point Assessment: Prior to ECPY 676 Internship I: Must complete ECPY 643 with at least a B. | |
| ECPY 676 Internship I in Art Therapy - Counseling ** | 3 |
| Art Therapy 24 hours | 24 |
| ECPY 621 Differential Diagnosis & Treatment in Counseling | 3 |
| ECPY 632 Clinical Art Therapy I: Theories | 3 |
| ECPY 633 Clinical Art Therapy II: Assessment and Practice | 3 |
| ECPY 638 Group Art Therapy Techniques | 3 |
| ECPY 677 Research in Art Therapy and Counseling | 3 |
| ECPY 641 Applied Methods in Art Therapies | 3 |
| ECPY 643 Practicum in Art Therapy | 3 |
| ECPY 678 Internship II in Art Therapy - Counseling ** | 3 |
| Professional Elective from the educational areas designated in Curriculum Guidelines for LPAT and ATR | 6 |
| Art Therapy electives include, but are not limited to, the following: ECPY 628 Theories and Techniques in Counseling Children, ECPY 639 Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse, ECPY 644 Introduction to SandTray and ECPY 653 Grief Counseling | |
| Professional Elective 1 | 3 |
| Professional Elective 2 | 3 |
** At least 700 hours of clinical placement must be completed during ECPY 643 Practicum and the two Internship classes, ECPY 676 I and II. Ten hours per week are required during practicum; 150 total/75 direct client hours. No less than 20 hours per week are required during the two internships; 300 total/150 direct client hours per semester.
Note: Meeting GRE score and GPA minimums does not guarantee a student will be accepted to the program.
Prospective students must submit an online application for admission to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Applicants who have attended a college or university outside of the United States are also required to submit an evaluation of their transcript through either WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators). Please note that transcript evaluations can sometimes take several weeks.
Please have transcripts sent to:
Graduate School
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
If transcripts are sent electronically,
please have them sent to the following e-mail: gradadm @ louisville.edu
This program is open to all eligible students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.
In addition to these requirements, admission to the degree program may require completion of prerequisite undergraduate courses specific to each area of concentration.
Faculty may require interviews in addition to written credentials as part of the admission process.
Application Deadline: February 1st for Fall (only) admission.
In addition to general admission requirements for the degree, prospective students applying for a concentration in Art Therapy demonstrate evidence of having completed the following undergraduate coursework.
Art, 18 hours to include the following:
Psychology, 15 hours to include:
Applicants to the Art Therapy program must also submit samples of their work including the following portfolio items:
Experience in helping professions, either paid or volunteer, is recommended.
Eileen Estes
Department of Counseling and Human Development
Room 317
College of Education & Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
502-852-2270
Art Therapy is a human services profession. It provides individuals and groups with the means to support and express and explore feelings, thought, problems and potential through the use of art media and imagery. It is utilized with any age and in areas such as medical illness, grief, educational and behavioral problems, emotional issues, and even criminal behavior. It is one of the nonverbal expressive therapies (along with dance, drama, music and poetry therapy) where the process is emphasized rather than the product.
In addition to the financial aid opportunities offered by the University, the College of Education & Human Development also has information about financial aid.
Other financial aid opportunities available include graduate assistantships and other employment opportunities.
Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL advisor approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
