Welcome! Students are encouraged to become involved with the American Art Therapy Association and join as a member to take advantages of all the benefits that can help you in your career.  Included in this section is an overview of the resources, opportunities, and benefits available to students. This page also provides information about art therapy educational programs, website links for students, scholarship opportunities, and how to become a Student Member of the Association.

Be sure to review 'Education" under the About Us section to learn more about the requirements for a career in art therapy. 

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The Educational Institutions & Programs link to the left includes a list of colleges and universities offering graduate level training for art therapy throughout the United States and have been approved by AATA.

The Educational Requirement link to the left includes the standards required of AATA Approved Programs providing art therapy education at the masters level.

Resources & Links - Check out websites, e-groups, and on-line forums that are available for art therapy students under the three Member Benefits: The Career Center, The Practice Center, and the Art Therapy Clearinghouse.

AATA Student Scholarships - AATA offers several scholarships for students, including the AATA Anniversary Scholarship Fund , Myra Levick Scholarship Fund, Rawley Silver Award for Excellence, Cay Drachnik Minorities Fund , and scholarships to assist students attending the annual AATA conference. If you are Student Member of AATA, be sure to take advantage of these opportunities.

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Click here to view the Art Therapy Outcome and Single Subject Studies

We hope you will find this listing of art therapy outcome and single subject studies
useful for purposes of research, grantwriting, to demonstrate support for your art therapy
program, and evidence of the effects of art therapy with various client populations.
Listings are grouped primarily by client populations. Abstracts are provided for the two
journals that gave copyright permissions without a fee: Art Therapy: Journal of the
American Art Therapy Association and American Journal of Art Therapy. Abstracts
written or modified by Research Committee members appear for some listings.
Links to the abstracts or articles are provided for all the articles.

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Welcome Art Therapists! Keep up-to-date on the profession and practice of art therapy! Bookmark this page to keep informed about a variety of resources including web sites, discussion groups, research, ethics, independent practice, and special topics. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR ART THERAPISTS

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Resources & Links - Find out more about general websites that are of interest to art therapists, discussion groups, and international art therapy organizations.

Art Therapy Research - Interested in Research? Read more information about resources and information on conducting art therapy research and publication.

Independent Practice - Find practical information and resources for art therapists who maintain a private practice, provide supervision, or offer consultation.

 

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Registration and Board Certification Requirements

The ATR [registered art therapist] and ATR-BC [board certified art therapist] are the recognized standards for the field of art therapy, and are conferred by the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). In order to qualify as a registered art therapist (ATR), in addition to the educational requirements, an individual must complete a minimum of 1,000 direct client contact hours after graduation.

To obtain more information about the ATR and ATR-BC, please contact the ATCB at www.atcb.org.

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Education Committee of the American Art Therapy Association

The purpose of the Education Committee is to serve the art therapy profession and general public by:

1. Establishing and promoting standards for art therapy education

2. Supporting the development of educational programs and encouraging diversity among these programs fostering communication among educators

3. Providing information to the public regarding educational standards and opportunities

4. Educational Requirements to achieve the standards in the art therapy profession

5. General Information on Art Therapy Educational Requirements

To qualify as a professional art therapist and eventually apply for registration or board certification, you must complete the required preparatory courses at the bachelor’s degree level and core curriculum as outlined in the AATA Education Standards for Master’s Degree Programs. Entry into the profession of art therapy is at the master's level. Graduate level art therapy programs include:

* Master's degree in art therapy
* Master's degree in counseling or a related field with an emphasis in art therapy

All education must be offered in an academic institution accredited by one of the regional or national institutional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). AATA offers educational standards under which programs may apply to the AATA Education Program Approval Board (EPAB) for approval. Programs that have received approval by AATA have met standards in effect at the time of their application for initial approval or reapproval.

In 2008, the AATA adopted standards for Post-Master’s degree programs as an education for those who already hold a master’s degree. Preparation for the practice of art therapy requires the completion of a master’s degree. AATA establishes educational standards for master’s degree programs. Approved status is granted to master’s degree programs that elect to undergo evaluation by the AATA Educational Program Approval Board [EPAB]. All education must be offered in an academic institution accredited by one of the regional or national institutional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).