Art therapy

Hi all,

I'm very interested in art therapy and am currently doing my level 3 childcare and education diploma at college, I've loved doing placements in nurseries and schools but am growing more and more intrigued by and drawn to art therapy so I've been considering going to uni. I have three questions about this:

First question, I have an English and fine art GCSE but only a functional skills maths and science, will I be accepted onto a uni course with just these qualifications? I've heard sometimes people can work around the entry requirements.

Second question, are there any bachelors that lead straight to a career in art therapy or is the route bachelors then masters? I'm currently looking at doing an undergrad fine art with psychology course at the uni of Worcester but am unsure to where that would lead me, would I then need to do a postgrad masters after completing that course? I don't really know how uni works.

Third question, to anyone on art therapy courses or similar, what's your experience been like?

Any advice welcome, whether related to my questions or just the art therapy career route in general :smile:

Reply 1

ochresea

Hi, it sounds like you're having some good thoughts about your future career! I'm currently studying MA art therapy so might be able to help a little. To become an art therapist in the UK you would need to complete a masters course which requires you to have completed an undergraduate degree. Relevant undergraduate degrees might be fine art, psychology or health related courses. The fine art and psychology course sounds like it would give you a good amount of experience, I would suggest also pairing this with working with people in some context during or after your studies to keep building up this direct experience. It sounds like you're on your way to this with your college placements 🙂

Do take a look at some of the masters courses and their entry requirements as this may help you to plan forwards. People of various ages undertake the course, some with many years experience of working with people, acceptance onto courses is more about your emotional skills and life experiences than a specific degree. However, having said this, there are a few undergraduate degrees in the UK that might support you well on your journey to becoming an art therapist -
https://www.derby.ac.uk/undergraduate/therapeutic-arts-courses/creative-expressive-arts-health-wellbeing-ba-hons/
https://www.southwales.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-creative-and-therapeutic-arts/

Art therapy is intense but so worthwhile - it really is a journey. if I had any advice to give it would be don't rush it. The life experience you bring with you really support your practice. Best of luck and let me know if I can answer any more questions!

Reply 2

ArtsUniPlymouth

Official Rep

Original post by loobyyy

Hi all,
I'm very interested in art therapy and am currently doing my level 3 childcare and education diploma at college, I've loved doing placements in nurseries and schools but am growing more and more intrigued by and drawn to art therapy so I've been considering going to uni. I have three questions about this:
First question, I have an English and fine art GCSE but only a functional skills maths and science, will I be accepted onto a uni course with just these qualifications? I've heard sometimes people can work around the entry requirements.
Second question, are there any bachelors that lead straight to a career in art therapy or is the route bachelors then masters? I'm currently looking at doing an undergrad fine art with psychology course at the uni of Worcester but am unsure to where that would lead me, would I then need to do a postgrad masters after completing that course? I don't really know how uni works.
Third question, to anyone on art therapy courses or similar, what's your experience been like?
Any advice welcome, whether related to my questions or just the art therapy career route in general :smile:

Hi @loobyyy

Talk to your college about extra maths classes to see if they can help you bring your maths skills up. Lots of colleges are giving extra classes in maths & english these days. I think its a condition the government has now. There's more info here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding#:~:text=To%20meet%20the%20condition%20of%20funding%2C%20a%20student%20must%20study,maths%20and%2For%20English%20GCSE.

Then you'll need to look at BA (hons) courses that might lead to art therapy, as ochresea mentioned above.

Hope that helps

Andrea. Student Ambassador.
Arts University Plymouth Rep
Aup.ac.uk
Talk to our students -
💻 Email us at [email protected]⁠
☎️ Call us on 01752 203402⁠
📱 Whatsapp us at 07722 744184⁠

Reply 3

loobyyy

Original post by ochresea

Hi, it sounds like you're having some good thoughts about your future career! I'm currently studying MA art therapy so might be able to help a little. To become an art therapist in the UK you would need to complete a masters course which requires you to have completed an undergraduate degree. Relevant undergraduate degrees might be fine art, psychology or health related courses. The fine art and psychology course sounds like it would give you a good amount of experience, I would suggest also pairing this with working with people in some context during or after your studies to keep building up this direct experience. It sounds like you're on your way to this with your college placements 🙂
Do take a look at some of the masters courses and their entry requirements as this may help you to plan forwards. People of various ages undertake the course, some with many years experience of working with people, acceptance onto courses is more about your emotional skills and life experiences than a specific degree. However, having said this, there are a few undergraduate degrees in the UK that might support you well on your journey to becoming an art therapist -
https://www.derby.ac.uk/undergraduate/therapeutic-arts-courses/creative-expressive-arts-health-wellbeing-ba-hons/
https://www.southwales.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-creative-and-therapeutic-arts/
Art therapy is intense but so worthwhile - it really is a journey. if I had any advice to give it would be don't rush it. The life experience you bring with you really support your practice. Best of luck and let me know if I can answer any more questions!

This is all so helpful, thank you! Can i ask what exactly makes art therapy so intense? and similarly what makes it so worthwhile? Just so I can get a picture of what it is like :smile:

Reply 4

ochresea

Original post by loobyyy

This is all so helpful, thank you! Can i ask what exactly makes art therapy so intense? and similarly what makes it so worthwhile? Just so I can get a picture of what it is like :smile:

I think this would vary person to person - but from my perspective it is intense because you learn a lot about yourself in the process. It is a requirement of art therapy masters courses (and psychotherapy courses in general) to undergo psychotherapy with your own therapist during your training. As part of learning to support other people, this helps you to understand yourself and your own experiences and come to understand what might shape your own perspective on life. During the training you also complete placements alongside university assessments which can be demanding on your time. Within services art therapy will often be recommended for people with more complex presentations and mental health difficulties which can be tough, but in training you are well supported through this.
In my opinion all of this is worthwhile because it has given me a new mindset regarding art making, the way I view most things in life now has shifted and it is a chance to use my skills to help others. I hope this helps :smile: