Master of Arts
MA in CFT with Art Therapy
Heal through creation.
Add the Art Therapy concentration to your Couple and Family Therapy degree to expand upon your capabilities of improving the lives of others. By pairing comprehensive clinical training with a strong theoretical framework, you will be uniquely positioned to leverage art therapy in a clinical setting. Empower your therapy clients to express themselves verbally and through visual art in order to treat a multitude of developmental, emotional, and psychological problems or disorders.
This degree is offered by Antioch University's Seattle Campus.
Program Overview
The MA in Couple & Family Therapy degree has an Art Therapy specialization combined with Couple and Family Therapy (CFT). You receive comprehensive clinical training, making it one of the few degree programs in the U.S. featuring art therapy with a clinical focus. Antioch University Seattle has held accreditation continuously since 1927. The MA in Couple and Family Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of The Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education. Thus, the curriculum meets national standards for art therapy registration.
Licensure Information
This program is designed to lead to state licensure.
Additional Licensure Information
Degree Requirements
Coursework
Antioch University Seattle’s Art Therapy specialization is combined with the MA in Psychology with Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) concentration. The degree offers you comprehensive clinical training for a career as a licensed marriage and family therapist. With a focus on developing multicultural counseling competencies, you accomplish these goals through a combination of required coursework, electives, and a supervised internship. The Art Therapy program is 96 quarter credits. You may begin the program in either spring or fall. Core Clinical Courses:
- Applied Couple Therapy
- Applied Family Therapy I & II
- Beginning Clinical Skills for Couple and Family Therapists
- Competency Assessment I, II, III, IV
- Individual Therapy in the Family System
- Human Development in the Family Life Cycle
- Human Sexuality
- Internship Preparation
- Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Couple and Family Therapy
- Psychopathology
- Systems Perspectives in Family Therapy
- Theories of Couple and Family Therapy
Core Art Therapy Courses:
- Advanced Art Therapy Assessment
- Advanced Art Therapy Research in Individual and Family Therapy
- Art Therapy in Diverse Settings: Individual and Group
- Art Therapy Master’s Project or Art Therapy Thesis
- Art Therapy Research in Individual and Family therapy
- Developmental and Treatment Models in Art Therapy
- Ethics in Creative Arts Therapy
- Ethics in Family Creative Arts Therapy
- Family Group Art Therapy
- Family of Origin Systems and Creative Arts Therapy
- History and Theory of Art Therapy
- Symbolism, Metaphor, and Creativity
- Multicultural Perspectives and Creative Arts Therapy
- Techniques and Practice of Art Therapy
Elective Courses: One elective in counseling a culturally specific population OR one of the following:
- Abusive Relationships
- Addictions and Substance Abuse
Internship Courses
- AT/CFT Internship I,II, III, IV, and V
- Case Consultation I, II, III, IV, and V
Internship Experience All students participate in an internship in a professional setting. This experience will enable you to validate and clarify the theory you acquire in the classroom as you develop your own role as a clinician. Examples of internship sites include the following:
- College counseling centers
- Community centers
- Group homes
- Homeless shelters
- In-patient psychiatric hospitals
- Jails
- Penitentiaries
- Public mental health clinics
- Youth and family services
Program requirements and course offerings are subject to change. For a detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUS catalog.
Career Outlook
Art therapists work in private practice and/or in clinical, educational, and rehabilitative settings such as:
- hospitals and clinics
- residential treatment centers
- long-term care facilities
- community centers
- prisons
- shelters
- schools
- mental health and social service agencies
Annual Art Therapy Program Retention Rate
- In 2025, the art therapy program had a 100% retention rate.
- In 2024, the art therapy program had a 95.2% retention rate.
- In 2023, the art therapy program had an 88% retention rate.
Art Therapy Program Graduate Positive Employment Placement Rate
The Art Therapy Program is dedicated to preparing students to work in the professional field, which is reflected by the positive employment placement rate of our graduates, as indicated below:
- 100% of the survey respondents who graduated in the 2023– 2024 academic year reported they are currently working in the field of therapy (Alumni Survey Report 2024, n=12; Knowledge Rate = 66.7%).
- 100% of the survey respondents who graduated in the 2022– 2023 academic year reported they are currently working in the field of therapy (Alumni Survey Report 2023, n=11; Knowledge Rate = 73%).
- 92%of the survey respondents who graduated in the 2021– 2022 academic year reported they are currently working in the field of therapy (Alumni Survey Report 2022, n=13; Knowledge Rate = 68%).
Admissions / Cost / Aid
Admissions
How to apply
-
- Completed online admissions application.
- A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required. Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you have attended to the Admissions Office. Transcript evaluations are required for all coursework completed outside of the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec). See Transcript Evaluation section on International Students webpage for details.
- Two recommendations using this downloadable Recommendation Form. Your recommenders should include people who can best assess your capabilities and readiness to enter a graduate clinical training program. These include social science instructors that you may have had in college as well as professionals who have provided supervision of work you have been involved in a helping role with people in a mental health, social service, or educational setting. Recommendations from friends, relatives, or personal therapists are not acceptable.
- Art Portfolio 20 pieces; include the following information:
- Title of piece
- Date of completion
- Materials used
- Dimensions
Your portfolio can be submitted as a PDF document, or a link to a website that contains your portfolio. Original work, photographs, CD/DVD’s are not accepted.
- Completion of Foundational Psychology Coursework: Including but not limited to Abnormal Psychology, from accredited colleges or universities. * Note: Abnormal Psychology may be in progress during the admissions process; however, applicants are required to complete this course prior to the start of the program.
- Completion of 27 quarter OR 18 semester credits in Studio Art. The following are recommended courses:
- Ceramics I
- Ceramics II
- Introduction to Drawing
- Introduction to Painting
- Mixed Materials
- Admission Essay: Submit a typewritten, double-spaced, one to two-page (between 250 and 500 words) response for each question and clearly number your response for each question. Essay questions:
- We are curious about your previous experience (e.g., personal, professional, academic) and would like to know how these experiences have led you toward the choice to apply to the couple and family therapy program with art therapy specialization at Antioch University's low-residency program. Please describe a few of those fundamental experiences and why you believe those experiences have prepared you to begin the process of becoming Couple and Family Therapist/Art therapist.
- The Couple and Family Therapy with Art Therapy Program is both academically and emotionally rigorous. What challenges, if any, do you encounter during your studies and how do you anticipate responding to those challenges? What forms of support will you use to meet those challenges?
- The mission of the Antioch University New England Couple and Family Therapy with Art Therapy Specialization program is to prepare and train knowledgeable, skilled, self-aware, ethical, and anti-racist Couple and Family Therapists /Art Therapists in a learning environment that centers anti-white supremacy and social justice in its academic experience. Explain in your own words what this mission statement means to you and discuss how anti-racism work aligns with your desire to be a Couple and Family Therapist/Art Therapist.
- In your view, what are the connections between the creative processes of visual art and cognitive, emotional, and psychological functioning?
- What are your professional goals in relation to the Couple and Family Therapy with Art Therapy Specialization Program, and how will this program specifically help you to reach those goals?
- International Students have additional admission requirements. See International Students page for details.
- Select applicants may be invited to participate in an interview with faculty.
All admission application supporting materials, transcripts, recommendations, essays, etcetera, should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Admissions Office Antioch University Seattle 2400 3rd Avenue, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98121
Application Deadlines
| Quarter | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | July 1 |
| * Complete applications received after the Deadline date may be considered if space is still available in that quarter or will be reviewed for the next available term. | |
| Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details. | |
Costs
| Art Therapy (MA, Couple & Family Therapy) | |
|---|---|
| Cost per Credit | $868 |
| Full-Time Credits per Quarter | 6 |
| Total Program Credits | 93 |
| View the Cost of Attendance Components | |
Financial Aid
Financial Aid is also available to most students. LEARN MORE
Upcoming Events
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