Application deadline: February 1, 2016
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
Office of Admissions
Sullivan Center
36 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 1201
Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s (SAIC) Master of Arts (MA) in Art Therapy program cultivates influential, compassionate leaders who are critically engaged with the social and cultural contexts surrounding artmaking and healing.
—The MA in Art Therapy program is approved by the Educational Program Approval Board of the American Art Therapy Association. SAIC’s curriculum is designed to meet the standards for post-graduate application for registration and board certification with the Art Therapy Credentials Board, as well as the academic requirements to sit for the Illinois counseling licensure tests and similarly designed exams in other states.
—Students embark upon professional practice through a minimum of 900 internship hours of supervised fieldwork experience. This requirement is fulfilled across four semesters in two or three placement sites, including psychiatric facilities, residential care, schools, drug treatment centers, and correctional facilities. Exposure to the unique challenges, ethical dilemmas, and successes of their fieldwork settings—as well as the requirement to work with both children and adult populations—enriches the students’ understanding of the application of art therapy in multiple contexts.
—The dynamic production and exploration of art is central to art therapy, and MA in Art Therapy students’ practices are profoundly shaped by their peers at one of the best art and design schools in the world. Artmaking is incorporated into every art therapy class, and students are required to take nine credits of studio coursework. Through academic and studio courses, exhibitions, and events, SAIC influences students’ creative visions and offers them the opportunity to produce innovative creative projects and individualized educational initiatives.
—SAIC’s Art Therapy faculty have a combination of clinical experience and scholarly and artistic backgrounds. They have helped establish social service resources across the United States and around the world. They have contributed to the history of the profession through publications, presentations, exhibitions, clinical innovations, and professional leadership, and students benefit from their commitment to the field and their vast array of professional connections.
Apply by February 1, 2016. Contact the Admissions office at [email protected] with any questions about the application process. For application requirements and to apply online, visit saic.edu/gradapp.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, as well as access to world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman. Learn more at saic.edu.
