M.A. in Art Therapy/Counseling
Your Experience & Success in the Program




Program features:
- Degree program prepares graduates for credentialing as a Professional Art Therapist and as a Counselor in NM (two clinical licenses) and we have graduates practicing in many other states as well. See our FAQ to get details on other state licensing requirements.
- 96 quarter units (equivalent to approx. 60 semester units)
- Practicum for our on the ground students happens within our own Tierra Nueva Counseling Center with faculty guidance and supervision on-site. If you are taking the program online, practicum will occur locally in your state of residence at a mental health agency or clinic.
- Internships can take place in any state
- Capstone Projects
- Transformational, experiential learning approach shared by faculty and students
- 2021 Retention and Graduation rate is 86.98%
- 2021 Employment rate is 96.4%
- Full-time program (2.5 or 3 years) or part-time program (3.5 years) available
- Option to concentrate in School Counseling or Consciousness in Action
- Certificate programs in Children’s Mental Health, Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology, EcoTherapy, Addictions, Abuse & Recovery, Human Sexuality and Trauma, Grief and Renewal can be taken concurrently with the program to add a specialty. Some of the certificate programs are offered in person in Santa Fe. However, there are options to take some coursework from each certificate program online and Human Sexuality and Trauma, Grief and Renewal coursework are all online.
- Southwestern College’s MA in Art Therapy/Counseling program 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.
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
25400 US Hwy 19N, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763
Phone: 727-210-2350
During their Practicum and Internship our students work with diverse issues and problems to offer a variety of experiences. Because of our students’ wide range of interests, we intentionally seek faculty with very diverse work experience and theoretical stances. We don’t teach “one way” of doing art therapy or counseling. We encourage you to learn and experience such a richness and variety here that you BECOME an art therapist and counselor from the inside, out.
There is a sense of genuine community at SWC that is nourished by faculty, administration and students. During Portfolio Review, students also share a review of significant artwork that they created during the first year. This is an opportunity for students to informally share their experiences from their first year with art therapy faculty, through their own imagery.
It is an exciting time to join us and we encourage you to contact the Admissions Office to discuss in greater detail how you can launch your career in art therapy. For those who already possess a Master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology or psychiatry and wish to pursue a Master’s degree in Art Therapy check out our Master’s degree in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals.
For inspirational stories about “Where SWC Graduates Work,” click here! (This could be you…)
Art Therapy/Counseling Program Chair
Jennifer Albright Knash, DAT, ATRL-BC, LPC/AODA, CCTP
Related Links:
For more Art Therapy photos and images on Pinterest,
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