The Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in Expressive Therapies was the first art therapy university-based educational program established in the United States. It has been an American Art Therapy Association "approved" program since this designation was offered, and the curriculum adheres to the association's guidelines for education.

Expressive Therapies strives to be the outstanding art therapy program; to be an 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.

See also, Educational & Counseling Psychology (ECPY) Master's Degrees.

Admission Requirements for Concentration

In addition to general admission requirements for the degree, prospective students applying for a concentration in Expressive Therapies demonstrate evidence of having completed the following undergraduate coursework.

Art, 18 hours to include the following:

• Basic drawing course
• Course in painting
• A course using clay
• Three other studio courses of your choice (many students take 2D or 3D design, photography)

Psychology, 15 hours to include:

• General or intro to psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Abnormal psychology
• Personality theory
• Introductory Statistics

Applicants to the Expressive Therapies program must also submit samples of their work including the following portfolio items:

• Writing Sample which reflects the student's ability to write a formal paper. A copy of a paper written for a previous class will do.
• Slide portfolio of student's artwork; 10 slides are recommended. Slides should be enclosed in a clear sleeve.

Experience in helping professions, either paid or volunteer, is recommended

Application Deadlines

Fall Admission: January 15

Opportunities for Graduates

Art therapy is a human service profession. It provides individuals and groups the means and support to express and explore feelings, thought, problems and potentials 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.

Accreditations

The school counseling programs have been designed specifically for training counselors and to meet relevant national accreditation standards. The College of Education and Human Development and all its programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by the Kentucky Department of Education to graduate certified school counselors in Kentucky. Graduates meet many of the basic requirements for licensure as a professional counselor associate in Kentucky (LPCA).