General Program Information

The workload for the Post-Bachelor's Diploma is comparable to that of a master's degree and is thus described as a master's equivalent, while the Post-Master's Certificate offers specialization in the principles of art therapy for clinicians who already have a master's degree. The course work in both programs is considered to represent the minimum level of training needed for the use of art therapy in practice and builds upon the pre-existing clinical skills referred to above under admission requirements.

The core curriculum consists of courses in the theories of art therapy, the melding of art and psychopathology, as well as in the principles of the use of art therapy with children, adolescents, and families. Students are also expected to complete a special project, which may consist of a research undertaking or some other form of individually designed project.

In addition to course work students in the Post-Bachelor's Diploma program are required to complete 800 hours of practica, which includes a minimum of 440 client contact hours. Students in the Post-Master's Certificate program are required to complete 650 hours of practica, which includes a minimum of 350 client contact hours.

In both programs students also are expected to experience, on a personal level, the therapeutic use of art. This studio component of training is intended to provide students with an opportunity to actively explore, from a personal perspective, the process of art therapy under the direction of a professional Art Therapist. It also enables students to integrate this process into currently accepted conceptual frameworks of clinical practice.

In addition to the core courses, a series of elective courses are offered that focus on a variety of specialized areas within art therapy. This elective component enables students to individualize their training experiences through the selection of topic areas that are of particular interest to them.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the principles of individual art psychotherapy and art as therapy in a group setting comprise the training forte offered by the School. Currently there are two provincially funded art therapy programs in Victoria. These programs are run by graduates of BCSAT, and offer practicum placements for beginning students who wish the opportunity to work with individuals who suffer from chronic and persistent mental illness. Consequently, most students who attend BCSAT will complete at least a portion of their practica within a mental health setting.

Many of the supervisors for these practica are qualified art therapists who have graduated from BCSAT.

Further Graduate Training

Graduates from BCSAT may pursue further Education in the following Graduate Schools:

A Master's Degree program for graduates of BCSAT in Thailand at The Art Center for Healing & Professional Development
click on the link above or contact Dr. Jo Art Therapy (patrins@gmail.com) for more information

A Master's or PhD program in Switzerland at the Expressive Arts at the European Graduate School
click on the link above or contact Ellen Levine (elevine1@rogers.com) or Stephen Levine (slevine@yorku.ca) for more information