Art Therapy MA in Chester/Derby

Hi,
I have applied for University of Chester and Derby MA course in Art Therapy.
Both have equal amounts of pros and cons, and I can see myself enjoying either of their courses.

I was wondering if there is anyone who could tell me how intense the course is. Is there anyone who is working part time job with the course?

I am also looking for some information/advice/personal experiences people have from going to either university and what it was like living in either place.

Thanks.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

Saraa B

Original post by ccvbj

Hi,
I have applied for University of Chester and Derby MA course in Art Therapy.
Both have equal amounts of pros and cons, and I can see myself enjoying either of their courses.
I was wondering if there is anyone who could tell me how intense the course is. Is there anyone who is working part time job with the course?
I am also looking for some information/advice/personal experiences people have from going to either university and what it was like living in either place.
Thanks.

Hi,

I can definitely say if you are planning to live in the inner city / centrally in either location - Chester is definitely better! 🙂
Chester has much more character. Derby city is quite awful, fairly run down and bland, and the inner city is a complete dump. Not sure where you are used to living but Derby centre / inner city is a horrible place to live. Neglected and inundated with drug abusers, always people lying in the street off their face on something. It is quite a miserable place. However, surrounding countryside and other areas are beautiful.
Chester city is more attractive, lower crime rates, more vibrant yet quaint.

Have a research of both courses on each websites as they both state an indication of university contact hours and independent study, so you could potentially gage if you would have time for part time work 🙂

If you are available to definitely visit each location and check out where your house / flat could be located too.

Good luck with your Masters!
I hope someone can help you out more on the course and university choice 🙂

Reply 2

ccvbj

Original post by Saraa B

Hi,
I can definitely say if you are planning to live in the inner city / centrally in either location - Chester is definitely better! 🙂
Chester has much more character. Derby city is quite awful, fairly run down and bland, and the inner city is a complete dump. Not sure where you are used to living but Derby centre / inner city is a horrible place to live. Neglected and inundated with drug abusers, always people lying in the street off their face on something. It is quite a miserable place. However, surrounding countryside and other areas are beautiful.
Chester city is more attractive, lower crime rates, more vibrant yet quaint.
Have a research of both courses on each websites as they both state an indication of university contact hours and independent study, so you could potentially gage if you would have time for part time work 🙂
If you are available to definitely visit each location and check out where your house / flat could be located too.
Good luck with your Masters!
I hope someone can help you out more on the course and university choice 🙂

Wow thank you so much for your reply 🙏 It is really helpful for me to choose the city.

Reply 3

University of Chester

Official Rep

Original post by ccvbj

Hi,
I have applied for University of Chester and Derby MA course in Art Therapy.
Both have equal amounts of pros and cons, and I can see myself enjoying either of their courses.
I was wondering if there is anyone who could tell me how intense the course is. Is there anyone who is working part time job with the course?
I am also looking for some information/advice/personal experiences people have from going to either university and what it was like living in either place.
Thanks.

Hi @ccvbj

It's great to hear that you've applied for our postgraduate Art Therapy degree - how exciting! 🙂

Imogen, a current University of a Chester Art Therapy MA student, works as a Student Ambassador and is therefore available to chat online via Unibuddy. We'd definitely recommend reaching out to her as she's happy to chat about the course and her experience as a UoC student. If you filter 'level' to Postgraduate and 'subject area' to Health and Social Care, you should be able to find Imogen's profile pretty easily - https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/chat-to-student/.

Alternatively, if you have more questions specifically related to the course, you could always drop Melissa King an email. Melissa is a senior lecturer on our Art Therapy degree and she would be happy to answer any questions that you have - [email protected].

I hope this helps! If there is anything else we can help with, just drop another message in this thread 🙂

Best wishes,
Becky

Reply 4

Saraa B

Original post by ccvbj

Wow thank you so much for your reply 🙏 It is really helpful for me to choose the city.

You are more than welcome 🙂

Reply 5

LolLeive

Hello, current MA Art Therapy student at Derby here :smile:

I would say that many of us on the course do work part time but it needs to be relatively flexible to fit around the course. The course is intense, you're at uni one day a week from 9-7, and then on placement for 2 days a week after the first semester. There is a lot of reading to do in between, plus assignments, but if you are adept at managing your time then it is definitely do-able. I've managed fine so far with part time work and two young children. 🙂

With regards to cities, I've never lived in Derby (I commute in by train) but I grew up just outside Chester. Chester is a lovely city, as above it is nicer than Derby, but Derby Uni is slightly outside the city centre and it's much nicer with lots of green spaces and the Peak District on your doorstep. Nottingham and Leicester are also easily accessible by train. We have people who travel in from the south, Lincoln, Leeds, Birmingham so it is possible to travel in.. there is also a free unibus for students to transport them around the city, campuses and accommodation from the rail and bus stations.
In Chester you have plenty of green spaces, a beautiful riverside, lots of history, access to Liverpool and Manchester, or North Wales for beaches/walking. There'll be pros and con's for both.

If you haven't already I'd try to visit the universities and cities on an open day to get a feel for them.

Good luck! 😊

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 6

ccvbj

Original post by lolleive

Hello, current MA Art Therapy student at Derby here :smile:

I would say that many of us on the course do work part time but it needs to be relatively flexible to fit around the course. The course is intense, you're at uni one day a week from 9-7, and then on placement for 2 days a week after the first semester. There is a lot of reading to do in between, plus assignments, but if you are adept at managing your time then it is definitely do-able. I've managed fine so far with part time work and two young children. 🙂
With regards to cities, I've never lived in Derby (I commute in by train) but I grew up just outside Chester. Chester is a lovely city, as above it is nicer than Derby, but Derby Uni is slightly outside the city centre and it's much nicer with lots of green spaces and the Peak District on your doorstep. Nottingham and Leicester are also easily accessible by train. We have people who travel in from the south, Lincoln, Leeds, Birmingham so it is possible to travel in.. there is also a free unibus for students to transport them around the city, campuses and accommodation from the rail and bus stations.
In Chester you have plenty of green spaces, a beautiful riverside, lots of history, access to Liverpool and Manchester, or North Wales for beaches/walking. There'll be pros and con's for both.
If you haven't already I'd try to visit the universities and cities on an open day to get a feel for them.
Good luck! 😊

Thank you so much LolLeive! This is the answer I really looked forward to. Can I ask if there was any special reason you chose to study at Derby? Or any really good things about the course in Derby? Thanks for your information and reply. Really helpful. :smile:

)

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 7

LolLeive

Original post by ccvbj

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Not a problem, I remember searching for information when I was applying but there wasn't much!

I live in the East Midlands now so it was really either Sheffield or Derby for me but I really liked Derby's approach, they have a big emphasis on the art making process and how it ties in with theory and clinical practice. I also visited on an open day and found that the programme/theory covered really suited my interests, plus the art facilities/workshops are great. :smile:

Reply 8

ccvbj

Original post by LolLeive

Not a problem, I remember searching for information when I was applying but there wasn't much!
I live in the East Midlands now so it was really either Sheffield or Derby for me but I really liked Derby's approach, they have a big emphasis on the art making process and how it ties in with theory and clinical practice. I also visited on an open day and found that the programme/theory covered really suited my interests, plus the art facilities/workshops are great. :smile:

That sounds amazing! Yes, I'm also struggling with finding the information about the course so I really appreciate your reply. Thank you so much 🙂

Reply 9

Chester Student

Official Rep

Original post by ccvbj

Hi,
I have applied for University of Chester and Derby MA course in Art Therapy.
Both have equal amounts of pros and cons, and I can see myself enjoying either of their courses.
I was wondering if there is anyone who could tell me how intense the course is. Is there anyone who is working part time job with the course?
I am also looking for some information/advice/personal experiences people have from going to either university and what it was like living in either place.
Thanks.

Hi,

It is great to see that you are considering the University of Chester for your MA in Art Therapy! I am studying for my MSc in Digital Marketing at the UoC, but I thought I would share some of my opinions of Chester itself and the university.

Living in Chester: Chester is a beautiful, historic city with a large student community. I would argue that the cost of living is reasonable compared to larger cities, and there are plenty of great cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops to explore. The city is also well-connected, making it easy to explore other parts of the UK, and it is not far from bigger cities such as Liverpool and Manchester, which is great. I have lived in Chester for nearly four years as I did my undergraduate here, too, and I can say it has become a home away from home. There are many pretty places to walk and it is close to North Wales, which has many lovely places to visit!

University Support and Community: The University of Chester offers excellent student support services, including academic support, career services, and mental health resources. You can join numerous clubs and societies, which is a great way to meet people and make the most of your university experience.

I cannot comment on the course, but I would advise you to contact the programme leader to ask questions about it. That’s what I did when I was deciding which master's course to take, and it was useful!

I hope this helps!

Good luck😊

Best regards,
Paige- UoC Digital Marketing MSc student

Reply 10

Karl002

Original post by ccvbj

Hi,
I have applied for University of Chester and Derby MA course in Art Therapy.
Both have equal amounts of pros and cons, and I can see myself enjoying either of their courses.
I was wondering if there is anyone who could tell me how intense the course is. Is there anyone who is working part time job with the course?
I am also looking for some information/advice/personal experiences people have from going to either university and what it was like living in either place.
Thanks.

Hi, there. I am also interested in pursuing a masters in Art Therapy, however I do hear misconceptions that Art Therapy will not be covered financially by student finance/student loans for the tuition fees of this course. Is this true? I assume that it will be covered by student loans like any other masters course? Thanks, Karl.

Reply 11

University of Chester

Official Rep

Original post by Karl002

Hi @Karl002

There is a section about fees and funding on our Art Therapy MA course page - https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/course-search/art-therapy-ma/. Additionally, we'd recommend contacting Student Finance directly to seek some further guidance.

Best wishes,
Becky

Reply 12

Karl002

Thank you!

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

Hi, I have finished studying a 2 years MA in art psychotherapy. Having worked as a teacher beforehand, I would say that to start out teaching is financially a safer option, as you can get funding and there is jobs everywhere.

The MA course is interesting and rewarding, but it is very costly and there is no guarantee of a job afterwards. If you have to move away and live by yourself, no partner or family support etc… you will definitely need a pot of savings before you start. If you cannot get a loan from student finance, on FT you will probably need £30- 40k to pay for the course fees, therapy, accommodation and living costs. Or alternatively, you could do it part-time instead, so you’ll have time to work alongside the course. The course is also quite demanding in full time with 1 day of uni, 2 days on placement (unpaid) and all the assignments, dissertation and plus personal therapy (you have to do at least 50 sessions that you pay for yourself) I do know there is one university though- teeside university which has paid apprenticeships for it now.

I’ve enjoyed the course and it really is life changing on a personal level. If you are sure it is something you would love to do then go for it, but if you are on the fence and not ready I would not recommend due to the huge financial investment.

Reply 14

bcramer15

Original post by Anonymous

Hi, I have finished studying a 2 years MA in art psychotherapy. Having worked as a teacher beforehand, I would say that to start out teaching is financially a safer option, as you can get funding and there is jobs everywhere.
The MA course is interesting and rewarding, but it is very costly and there is no guarantee of a job afterwards. If you have to move away and live by yourself, no partner or family support etc… you will definitely need a pot of savings before you start. If you cannot get a loan from student finance, on FT you will probably need £30- 40k to pay for the course fees, therapy, accommodation and living costs. Or alternatively, you could do it part-time instead, so you’ll have time to work alongside the course. The course is also quite demanding in full time with 1 day of uni, 2 days on placement (unpaid) and all the assignments, dissertation and plus personal therapy (you have to do at least 50 sessions that you pay for yourself) I do know there is one university though- teeside university which has paid apprenticeships for it now.
I’ve enjoyed the course and it really is life changing on a personal level. If you are sure it is something you would love to do then go for it, but if you are on the fence and not ready I would not recommend due to the huge financial investment.

Hi, your answer is really helpful. I've been looking into Art therapy training for some time (years!) but am hesitant to plump for it given the costs involved, as you mention. In truth, in your experience, what are the employment prospects like? I've been looking for 'Art therapist' jobs in the charity and NHS, and there seem to be about 27 posts advertised across the whole of the UK! Is this really true? Are there other jobs Art therapists are qualified for besides Art therapy (like mental health practitioner roles, for example)? My background is in family therapy, for context. But I got fed up with all the talking involved when I saw how difficult it was for some to talk about unspeakable things, hence my interest in alternative, more creative forms of expression.

Thanks in advance for your reply.
B