Creative art therapist education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be an art therapist?

A minimum of a master's degree is required to work as an art therapist. Additional requirements will also be necessary before you can practice as an art therapist, depending on the state where you wish to work. In pursuit of your master's degree in art therapy, most candidates first obtain their bachelor's degree in fine arts with a focus on painting, drawing, or sculpture. Additionally, a minor or focus on psychology or sociology will help prepare you for the curricular focus of your MA in art therapy. In addition to the master's degree, aspiring art therapists must also meet requirements that focus on hands-on experience. Students must complete 100 hours of supervised practicum which will place candidates in working practices and provide valuable experience. Once this learning experience has taken place, 600 hours of supervised art therapy are required before aspiring therapists are eligible for state certification and licensure.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a creative art therapist. Creative art therapists usually study rehabilitation science, fine arts, or psychology. 46% of creative art therapists hold a master's degree, and 45% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 343 real creative art therapist resumes to see exactly what creative art therapist education sections show.

The most common colleges for creative art therapists are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online creative art therapist courses to help get the education required to be a creative art therapist.

There are certain creative art therapist certifications that you should consider. These creative art therapist certifications include Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC).

What education do you need to become a creative art therapist?

What degree do you need to be a creative art therapist?

The most common degree for creative art therapists is master's degree, with 46% of creative art therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 45% and bachelor's degree degree at 8%.

Master's, 46%

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 8%

Diploma, 0%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a creative art therapist?

You should major in rehabilitation science to become a creative art therapist. 43% of creative art therapists major in rehabilitation science. Other common majors for a creative art therapist include fine arts and psychology.

Rehabilitation Science, 43%

Fine Arts, 12%

Psychology, 11%

Mental Health Counseling, 4%

Other Majors, 30%

Most common colleges for creative art therapists

Creative art therapists often get their degrees at New York University, Hofstra University, and Pratt Institute. Here are the most common colleges for creative art therapists in the US based on their resumes.

Creative art therapist common college	Percentages
New York University	17.65%
Hofstra University	13.73%
Pratt Institute	12.75%
School of Visual Arts	8.82%
Long Island University	6.86%

Show more common creative art therapist colleges

Best majors for creative art therapists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Rehabilitation Science	43.1%
2	Fine Arts	12.4%
3	Psychology	11.4%
4	Mental Health Counseling	4.5%
5	Theatre	4.0%

Show more common creative art therapist majors

Best colleges for creative art therapists

The best colleges for creative art therapists are Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Loyola Marymount University.

A creative art therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for creative art therapists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become creative art therapists.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for creative art therapists

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Art Therapy : detailed (116 hours) course to help: interpret, express and resolve emotions - in detail...

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20. Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

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Top 10 most affordable universities for creative art therapists

The most affordable schools for creative art therapists are Brigham Young University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for creative art therapists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for creative art therapists.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

7. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,292

Cost of attendance

20,387

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for creative art therapists

The hardest universities for creative art therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Loyola Marymount University.

Some great schools for creative art therapists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for creative art therapists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

3. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for creative art therapists

The easiest schools for creative art therapists to get into are AdventHealth University, notre dame de namur university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a creative art therapist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for creative art therapists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Clarke University

Dubuque, IA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,058

Average creative art therapist salary by education level

According to our data, creative art therapists with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,894 annually. Creative art therapists with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $47,438.

Creative art therapist education level	Creative art therapist salary
High School Diploma or Less	$42,091
Bachelor's Degree	$53,894
Some College/ Associate Degree	$47,438

Creative art therapist education FAQs

What degree do you need to be an art therapist?

What is the best college for Creative Art Therapists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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