Graduate Art Therapy Certificate

The Art Therapy Psychology Department offers a unique program for those who wish to meet the educational requirements of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) as a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) and who already hold a graduate degree in a related field. The Graduate Art Therapy Certificate program consists of 24 semester units. Students cannot complete the program in less than 15 months. (Official verification is required.) Seven hundred (700) hours of supervised clinical practicum are required during the 15 months.

The curriculum is taught, supervised, and advised by local and national ATR faculty. Notre Dame de Namur University will issue a Graduate Art Therapy Certificate upon completion of all coursework and practicum experience. Applicants desiring the ATR must, after completing the program, complete an additional 2000 hours of supervised art therapy experience. One thousand (1000) hours must be supervised by an ATR and 1000 hours may be supervised by a licensed professional.

The cost of each certificate unit is one-half of standard graduate tuition. See the Art Therapy Psychology listings for course descriptions.

Certificate Requirements

24 semester units are required from the following sets of courses:

Set A Certificate All 15 units required		Units
PY402A	Art Therapy Techniques: Group Experience	1
PY402B	Art Therapy Techniques: Special Populations	1
PY402C	Techniques in Art Therapy-Integrating Creative Arts	1
PY404A	Metaphors in Psychopathology-Children	1
PY404B	Metaphors in Psychopathology-Adolescents	1
PY404C	Metaphors in Psychopathology-Adults	1
PY405B	Psychological Assessment	1
PY411A	Introduction to Clinical Art Therapy I	1
PY414A	Child Abuse	1
PY430	Cross-cultural Issues	1
PY433A/B	Seminar	3
PY490	Professional Ethics and the Law	1
PY499	Final Project (Independent Study)	1
Nine (9) additional units are required from Set B or C depending on your preparation:
Set B Certificate Course options for students holding graduate degrees in the state licensure track include the courses listed below. Emphasis is on the Art in Art Therapy Psychology		Units
PY405A	Psychological Assessment	2
PY405C	Explorations in Sandplay	1
PY414D	Substance Abuse: Theory, Assessment; and Intervention Strategies	2
PY495	Special Topics in Art Therapy	1-9
Set C Certificate Course options for students holding graduate degrees that are not in the state licensure track include the courses listed below. Emphasis is on the Therapy in Art Therapy. (Courses must be in the Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy Program). Three to nine units from the following three courses:		Units
PY413	Methods of Group and Family Therapy	3
PY455	Communication and Counseling Skills	3
PY480	Principles of MFT	3
Three to six units may be taken from the following courses:
PY405A	Psychological Assessment	2
PY405C	Explorations in Sandplay	1
PY414D	Substance Abuse: Theory, Assessment; and Intervention Strategies	2
PY495	Special Topics in Art Therapy	1-6

Graduate Art Therapy Certificate Admission Requirements

• Transcript of graduate degree from an accredited institution and transcripts showing the following prerequisites:
       * 12 units in Psychology: General Psychology, Personality Theory,
         Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology
       * 15 units or equivalent in studio art
• Twelve (12) slides or color pictures of personal artwork
• Autobiographical statement which discusses the applicant's interests in the field
• Two letters of recommendation
• Personal Interview and Individualized Program Planning (IPP) by appointment with Department Faculty
• Application and fee

For additional information, please contact the Art Therapy Psychology office (650) 508-3556 or arttherapy@ndnu.edu, or Graduate Admission at (650) 508-3600 or grad.admit@ndnu.edu.