MA in Art Therapy

Mission Statement

The NYU Art Therapy Program integrates psychotherapy and visual arts practice, engaging the creative power of art for clinical assessment and treatment. In particular, we promote (1) scholarly research abilities and evidence-based clinical praxis, (2) cross-cultural competency with an appreciation of social justice issues, and (3) fluency with the evolving technologies of new media art.

Program Philosophy

Our person-centered clinical orientation is guided by humanistic and contemporary approaches to psychoanalytic theory that include ego psychology, object relations, self-psychology, and intersubjectivity psychology, and that are grounded in current empirical research, especially attachment and trauma theories.

Background

New York University has been identified with the training of art therapists since the 1950s when Margaret Naumburg, an eminent pioneer in the field, offered courses and training seminars on the graduate level in New York University’s Department of Art and Art Professions. This tradition was continued when Edith Kramer came to the University in 1973 to develop a master’s program in Art Therapy.

By 1976, the master of arts in Art Therapy program had obtained approval from the New York State Education Department, and in 1979, New York University’s Graduate Art Therapy program was one of the first of five programs to receive approval from the American Art Therapy Association. The program prepares students to pass the New York State Licensure for a Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) exam.

About NYU Steinhardt

NYU Steinhardt's one-of-a-kind integration of education, health, the arts, and media studies puts us at the heart of a movement: education for social change.

Steinhardt students are passionate about helping others.

Our mission is to advance knowledge, creativity, and innovation at the crossroads of culture, education, and human development. We exemplify NYU’s commitment to be of public service.

Our academic programs are ranked among the country's best.

NYU Steinhardt's master's programs in applied psychology, education, health, media, music and performing arts professions, and the arts and arts professions attract recent college graduates, established professionals seeking licensure or certification, and career changers. Our curriculum gives our students the opportunity to study abroad and experience hands-on learning.

Advanced certificate programs allow you to pursue study in specialized areas of applied psychology, education, music and performing arts, and physical therapy.

We also offer PhD programs that prepare graduates for careers in academic research and teaching, as well as professional doctoral programs for advanced practice in education fields, the arts, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

We're redefining holistic education.

Our students belong to a strong and supportive community of scholars – a warm, nurturing environment that encourages the exploration of new ideas. Our faculty lead in their professional fields and collaborate across academic disciplines: teachers working with psychologists and health professionals, musicians with speech pathologists, educators with visual artists. They work with students to research topics like the effects of immigration on learning, childhood nutrition, and obesity, and how digital media is transforming social relationships. Our research institutes impact scholarship and policies around the globe.

At Steinhardt, learning takes place in and out of the classroom.

For more than a century, we’ve been building partnerships in our community: with local schools, families, community agencies, arts organizations, cultural institutions, and healthcare facilities. A Steinhardt education consists of rigorous classroom study as well as interning at New York City’s top media companies, clinical placements at renowned hospitals, or student teaching in one of the world’s most diverse school systems. It means unrivaled opportunities for professional training and career advancement.

We prepare you to lead in a global society.

Like the city, we call home, our faculty, students, and staff represents an extensive range of backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives. And though our roots go deep in New York, our work at home is influencing – and influenced by – our connections abroad. Every day, Steinhardt graduates continue to change the world.

NYU's International Rankings

• #7 – US News & World Report, Best Graduate Schools in Education
• #27 – Times Higher Education World University Rankings
• #29 – Academic Ranking of World Universities
• #52 – QS World University Rankings

School Timeline

Founded in 1890 as the School of Pedagogy, NYU Steinhardt was the first professional school devoted to teacher education to be established at an American university. The School's early mission was to educate school administrators and prepare men and women for work in colleges of teacher education. By 1921, the School was educating teachers at all levels and across all fields, including the arts and health, offering undergraduate through doctoral degrees. As the education field expanded, the School broadened its focus to incorporate new knowledge and scientific developments, and new programs emerged.