Springfield College

Art Therapy/Counseling (Master's Degree)

In the art therapy/counselling program, you will become a professional who can integrate art and psychology as a vehicle for healing. The program trains students through a course of study that blends theory, technique, and practice. With classes in art therapy, counselling, psychology, research, and studio art, you will develop your artistic and creative skills in large studio spaces while also training to conduct research.

And, you will quickly translate your knowledge into real-world skills, starting with a practicum experience in your second semester. Internship opportunities begin in year two and provide the chance to work with individuals and groups of all ages who are experiencing mental illness, emotional and behavioural challenges, cancer, medical issues, brain injuries, or sexual and domestic abuse. Graduates from this program are master's-level clinicians who can jump right into the workforce or pursue additional licensure opportunities, which will allow them to become licensed art therapists.

You will have the option to pursue a Master of Science, which will provide you with clinical training and practice, studio art, a completed research project, or our new Master of Education track, which focuses on understanding arts-based research. By selecting this track, you will develop as an art therapist, emphasizing academic scholarship surrounding clinical research applications. While both tracks require participation in a final art exhibit, students in the M.Ed. Track concentrate on an aesthetic vision that includes materials, techniques, invention, expression, and observation. The emphasis of the final art exhibit for students in the M.S. track is related to their clinical experience.

Students who study graduate art therapy/counselling at Springfield College will complete a 100-hour practicum worth three credits. Students also will complete a 600-hour internship worth six credits to earn their degree. This internship allows students to put their classroom knowledge to work in the field.