Admissions Requirements for the M.A. in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals

Admissions Requirements for the M.A. in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals

1. A master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology or psychiatry
2. Six courses (18 semester credits or 27 quarter units) in undergraduate studio art coursework including:

• Painting
• 3-D (i.e. sculpture, ceramics, jewelry making, wood carving, etc.)
• Four studio art electives of the applicant’s choice
• A Career and Life Development course from your prior M.A. degree OR willingness to take a .5 quarter unit course through SWC on the topic prior to entry.

It is recommended that these courses be taken at an accredited institution of higher education. Coursework taken in private or community settings may be accepted provided it has been group instruction and it meets Southwestern College requirements described below:

If the student selects private or community coursework, a minimum of 75 hours in each medium is required to fulfill the studio requirements. A letter from the instructor documenting the length of class, hours per class and total studio hours completed must be submitted for credit approval. Individual studio instruction is not accepted due to the lack of classroom experience. Studio art courses must be taken for a grade of “C” or better or on a pass/fail basis. Audited courses are not accepted.

3. An art portfolio of 12 to 15 images on a zip drive uploaded into the online application reflecting at least three different media. We encourage applicants to include titles and brief descriptions and use Powerpoint or Google Slides for the presentation.

Please contact the Director of Enrollment Services if you would like to apply to this program. You will need to submit the following for consideration:

The application can be found online and there are instructions inside the application for submitting the following: 

• Degree Application
• $50 application fee
• Resumé
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• A three-page personal statement of professional and educational goals and intentions for field of art therapy.
• Two letters of recommendation submitted within the online application (1 professional and 1 academic, or 2 professional recommendations)
• Art Portfolio (12-15 slides submitted as a zip drive within the online application (or as a thumb drive mailed to Admissions at SWC).

When the above items have been received, the next step may be an invitation for an admissions interview.

In order to be accepted, applicants must have an interview with a member of the Admissions staff. Due to the applied and holistic nature of the program, the applicant’s presentation of self, including communication and reflective skills in the admissions interview, are critical factors in the determination of acceptance into this program.