Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy

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Art Therapy continues to evolve as a profession.

The field of Art Therapy needs stewards of the profession who are prepared to take the lead in developing new knowledge and new visions.

Addressing this need Notre Dame de Namur is offering a Ph.D. in Art Therapy, building on the strong foundation of the Art Therapy Master’s Program, which began over 33 years ago, to train and facilitate the development of visionaries, researchers and practitioners of the Art Therapy profession.

Designed according to the Carnegie Foundation’s goals for higher education, the PhD in Art Therapy will allow graduates to:

• Creatively generate new knowledge
• Critically conserve valuable and useful ideas
• Responsibly transform those understandings through writing, teaching, and application

Through the progress of the Art Therapy profession, a master’s degree no longer serves as the terminal degree in the field. Art Therapists have made significant progress in developing skills in the clinical application of Art Therapy and in art therapy research. Now there is a growing need for an increased level of excellence that can be achieved at the doctoral level in training clinicians and researchers, as well as providing for advanced scholarship and teaching.

Professors provide mentoring on student-centered research and discovery, with a special emphasis on understanding how art is a way of knowing others, our communities, and ourselves. Further clinical training and research with local and international communities allows students to broaden their perspective of how Art Therapy can be applied.

Individuals who obtain the Ph.D. will be at the forefront in career options, including teaching in the field, research, clinical technician work, and international job opportunities.

This three-year program, designed for people who already have master’s level training in Art Therapy, includes on-site classes one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer.

Who should apply?

• Individuals looking to become pioneers in the field of Art Therapy and to contribute to the local, national, and international development and recognition of the profession.
• Prospective and current educators wishing to strengthen their educational credentials in the field of Art Therapy.
• Practicing Art Therapists who wish to contribute to the advancement of the profession through research that develops the evidence base for their work.
• Visionaries who seek to pioneer pedagogical practices which will help to advance understanding of art as a way of knowing the human experience.
• Career-changers who sense the growing demand for Ph.D.’s in Art Therapy and the opportunity to become the new leaders in the field.

Admissions Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited university in art therapy or in a related field
• Graduate-level courses in designated subject areas
• Documented completion of academic work required for registration as an Art Therapist, or partially completed with full completion before the end of first year of doctoral work
• Minimum of two years of clinical work in the field
• Portfolio of 10 -12 JPEG images of art work of different media
• Three professional recommendations
• Submission of one published article or a scholarly academic writing on an art therapy subject in publication acceptable form
• Interview with the department chair

Contact

Richard Carolan
Department Chair
rcarolan@ndnu.edu

Graduate Admissions
(650) 508-3600
grad.admit@ndnu.edu