Skip to Main Content /academics/visual-performing-arts/departments/art/programs/art-therapy-ma false
/academics/visual-performing-arts/departments/art/programs/art-therapy-ma

Art Therapy (MA)

Create a Healing Process for Others with a Master's Degree in Art Therapy

Marywood University’s high quality 60-credit Master’s degree in Art Therapy prepares its students through an “art-based’ approach. The course of study combines art therapy theory and technique, psychology, clinical practicum and supervision, and personal artistic involvement to provide the learner with a thorough and rich educational experience. Our students enter the job market as competent art therapists who work in health care facilities, residential facilities such as long-term care and assisted living, educational settings, and private practice.

Program Highlights

Ranked Among the Best

Marywood is ranked #14 Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings for 2026, making Marywood a great, centrally located option for students in Northeastern Pennsylvania who want to stay closer to home.

Showcased Student Work

The programs are designed to help students attain full development as creative persons through the integration of art studies with the total concept of a liberal arts education. It is through the creative, aesthetic dimension of human intelligence that greatness in culture is born. See all the showcased student work in the program.

Sandtray Room

Marywood’s Art Therapy program offers students hands-on experience with innovative tools such as the Sandtray Room, which is a therapeutic approach where clients express their inner world and experiences by creating scenes using miniature figures and sand.

A young woman wearing glasses posing in front of a garage.

Marywood’s Art Therapy program has been an awesome experience to be apart of so far! I chose this program because it’s ranked one of the best in the country. I ...

Madison Solano '23

Top Career Paths

  • Art Therapist

  • Recreational Therapist

  • Art Activities Director

  • Recreational Worker

Top Employers

  • Hospitals

  • Mental Health Office

  • Universities

  • School Districts

Take Your Next Steps

Request More Info Visit Campus Apply

Undergraduate Admissions Featured Events

Explore the vibrant community and endless opportunities that await you at Marywood. Attend one of our special events designed specially for you to learn more about Marywood's degree programs, dedicated faculty, and welcoming campus.

Centers of Excellence

Marywood University hosts three academic Centers of Excellence on campus; The Center for Law, Justice and Policy, The Center for Urban Studies, and The Mother Theresa Maxis, IHM Center. Each center provides students with the tools and resources to excel in their academic endeavors, fostering a dynamic environment where they can engage deeply with their respective fields of study and make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.

Request Information

Loading...

Accreditation

Marywood University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSHE).

The Marywood University Graduate Art Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (caahep.org ) upon the recommendation of The Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775 

Also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS / Association of Arts Administration Educators / College Art Association / National Art Education Association / Pennsylvania Art Education Association / Society of Illustrators

MISSION STATEMENT

The Graduate Art Therapy Program at Marywood University is built upon artistic, ethical, and spiritual values within a tradition of service to humankind. Our art therapy program provides a supportive framework for the enhancement of students’ capacity to utilize the therapeutic qualities of art making with a wide variety of populations. With this focus, there is an ongoing commitment to the integration of students’ learning domains in the areas of personal artistic growth, academic study, multicultural awareness and development of clinical skills to prepare competent entry-level Art Therapists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the job market.

Housed within the Art Department of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Art Therapy Program at Marywood University offers the an art based, humanistic approach taught by faculty who have wide ranges of expertise, are deeply committed to the profession of art therapy and strive toward the development of compassionate and competent future practitioners. The Graduate Art Therapy Program educates students so that they may serve as therapists with a profound appreciation of each human being in our interdependent world.

* All activities required in the program must be educational and students must not be substituted for staff.