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Art Psychotherapy MA

Key Information

Course code

NA

Start date

September

Subject area

Art Psychotherapy

Mode of study

2 years full-time

Fees

2024/25

UK £12,650

International £25,000

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Entry requirements

2:2

Scroll to #entryRequirements

Overview

This programme will offer you the advanced skills, knowledge and confidence to respond to a wide range of health needs across physical, mental health and community sectors as an art psychotherapist. As a graduating student you will be able to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (link here). The MA Art Psychotherapy programme is provided in partnership with CNWL NHS Foundation Trust and this means work placement experience is at the core of this programme.

The MA qualification is approved by the HCPC and you will gain experience of working in health contexts, including the NHS and third sector. This qualification aligns with Healthcare Employers strategic objectives and goals related to workforce planning and the strategic aims set out by NHS England and local NHS Trusts to have closer working relationships with the third sector.

Please click here for more information on the course.

NHS Foundation Trust

Course content

The course is two year full-time starting in September. It includes two clinical placements that run alongside academic teaching. At the heart of this programme are the cultural values of responding to the social and health care needs of the participants and this may vary according to the socio-economic context, age, disability, gender, sex, race and religion. You will learn ways of understanding different approaches to art psychotherapy which means you can tailor the practice according to the people you work with. You will be taught evidence-based practices by leading practitioners, including arts-based innovative approaches to collaboration and co-production that are safe, effective and well managed.

The first placement (Placement A) is for the first year of the programme and the second placement (Placement B) for the duration of the second year of the programme.

Compulsory

  • Art and Human Development
    This module aims to enable you to be able to critique and analyse a range of theories about how you understand human development, arts and the lifespan. In addition, you will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of culturally sensitive, artistic practice and its relationship with the socioeconomic and cultural environment. It will also help to prepare you for working within a range of community contexts using arts to respond to social and health care needs of the participants and this may vary according to the socio-economic context, age, disability, gender, sex, race and religion.
  • Anthropology and Aesthetics
    The aims of this module are to enable you to develop an in-depth applied knowledge of social constructivism, aesthetics and anthropology, when applied to core aesthetic formal concepts and their historical use within different cultures. This forms the philosophical premise of the approaches being taught within the MA programme and therefore underpins cultural inquiry, theory and practice.
  • Arts in Health
    You will learn to critically appraise and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of social, community and cultural therapeutic use of arts. You will also be able to critically apply knowledge of how arts can be used to support learning and social cognition. Further to this you will be able to appraise and evaluate theories about the role of art in the development of self and agency within a social or community context.
  • Clinical Placement A
    The aims of clinical placement (A) are to demonstrate an in-depth applied knowledge of the use of the arts form within a therapeutic relationship, being able to reflect on self and other experience, utilise the concepts of co-production, cocreating and collaboration, and be guided by research, putting theory into practice. Further to this you will be able to demonstrate an advanced and in-depth understanding of the placement context, and the role of art psychotherapy for working within cultures and diverse communities.
  • Applied Research Design and Methods
    You will learn how to demonstrate and critically appraise an in-depth knowledge of evidence that informs knowledge about art psychotherapy process, technique or model of practice, being able to systematically evaluate and synthesise qualitative and/ or quantitative research methodologies and their relationship to evidence-based practice.
  • Art Psychotherapy Theory and Practice I
    You will learn how to demonstrate expert competence in the use of image making and verbal skills to facilitate a therapeutic process informed by evidence and theory. You will also be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of factors that influence therapeutic change and how image making can be used to facilitate therapeutic outcomes.

Compulsory

  • Clinical Placement B
    This module will enable you to demonstrate an in-depth applied knowledge of the therapeutic use of art psychotherapy for the assessment, recovery and treatment of health issues and to enable wellbeing. You will be able to demonstrate a reflective and critical capacity to work within the aims of their placement organisation and place close and detailed attention to the therapeutic relationship and how this relates to the art making process.
  • Art Psychotherapy Theory and Practice I
    You will learn how to demonstrate expert competence in the use of image making and verbal skills to facilitate a therapeutic process informed by evidence and theory. You will also be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of factors that influence therapeutic change and how image making can be used to facilitate therapeutic outcomes.
  • Art Psychotherapy Theory and Practice II
    The main aims of this module are to be able to know how evidence-based practice relates to art psychotherapy and the required skills to be able to treat people in a range of different contexts. This will mean knowing and applying skills underpinned by a cogent theoretical framework and within different time frames, for example brief art psychotherapy interventions and providing focused interventions. Being able to critically analyse core principles of an art psychotherapy change process and how this relates to outcomes and benefits for participants is also an integral aim of this module.
  • Applied Research Design and Methods
    You will learn how to demonstrate and critically appraise an in-depth knowledge of evidence that informs knowledge about art psychotherapy process, technique or model of practice, being able to systematically evaluate and synthesise qualitative and/ or quantitative research methodologies and their relationship to evidence-based practice.
  • Inter-professional Art Psychotherapy (QI)
    The main aims of this module are to develop the skills and knowledge to be able to work safely and effectively with other professionals and within the remit of an art psychotherapy role. This module should reflect your teamwork skills and the contributions that you can make to quality improvement as team support as an art psychotherapist. Further to this, communicating and articulating what art psychotherapy is and how it works that can be accessible to a range of audiences is a key learning aim.

This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.


Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Careers and your future

Our qualification is approved by the HCPC and you’ll gain experience working in health contexts, including the NHS and the third sector. Our partnership with CNWL NHS Foundation Trust means work placement experience is at the core of this programme. Throughout the course, two clinical placements run alongside academic teaching. You’ll be taught evidence-based practices by leading practitioners, including arts-based innovative approaches to collaboration and co-production that are safe, effective, and well-managed.

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification in a visual arts degree or in a discipline related to the programme such as psychology, occupational therapy, social work, or nursing. 

In addition, applicants must provide the following:

Portfolio: 

All applicants must submit a portfolio of artwork demonstrating an in-depth understanding of aesthetics and image making processes. The portfolio should include:

  • Written examples of reflections on art within a healing context
  • Images (12 JPEGS max)
  • Written and verbal explorative well-informed thinking to reflect on the following areas: a) the use of image-making to facilitate relational change b) reflections on aesthetics and how aesthetics are shaped by cultural, ethnic and indigenous contexts

Ideally the portfolio should be presented in an online format, for example as an Adobe Portfolio (more information on Adobe Portfolio can be found at https://portfolio.adobe.com) or alternatively Microsoft Sway (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2016/08/17/sway-design-tips-and-new-templates/)

Work experience: We recommend 12 months comprehensive and relevant work experience, which may be voluntary work in a health, social services, education, special needs, community centre or charity setting. You should supply a CV with your application that details this experience. 

Interview: Competitive applicants will be invited to take part in an interview with the academic department.

Further details about the format of the interview will be available soon.

EU and International entry requirements

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 7 (min 6.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 64 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 68% (63% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 98 (min 23 in all areas)

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£12,650 full-time

International

£25,000 full-time

More information on any additional course-related costs.

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase. 

See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Scholarships and bursaries

Teaching and learning

We use an array of teaching and learning strategies on the MA, including group lectures, role-play, workshops, experiential learning (e.g. dynamic group art therapy work), tutorials, writing and arts-based learning experiences. Lecturers will introduce conceptual material and we will direct learners to explore this in relation to arts therapies, either individually or in collaboration with peers.

The seminars and practical workshop sessions will provide smaller group contact and the opportunity to practice, review, discuss and debate the practice and theory, knowledge and understanding of evidence informed Art Psychotherapy. The sessions sometimes will require learners to make non-assessed presentations to the peer group and the tutor, either individually or as part of a team making use, where appropriate of ICT.

Individual and small group assignments and presentations build critical awareness and give opportunities to explore and develop the practical implications of theory. Dissertation research will give learners the opportunity to integrate knowledge about pertinent clinical advances, and to familiarise learners with the rigours of independent investigative work.

Assessment and feedback

Formative Assessment Strategy

The programme uses a range of formative (interim) assessment methods leading to summative (final) assessments to help you to assimilate and understand complex learning material. We will often use formative assessments at the end of learning sessions and these enrich the learning experience through assessing for learning rather than only an assessment of learning. Formative assessments will focus on five areas of learner experience: reliability, validity, feasibility, acceptance, and impact. Reliability will focus on art psychotherapy theory and practice required for using the arts as well as practice and knowledge about the professional environment and competencies. Examples of formative assessments include case study analysis, clinical simulation, practice observations and feedback, peer assessments, surveys of practice. The placement uses an ongoing placement digital portfolio which can utilise images and writing for the purposes of supporting formative assessments involving the placement supervisor and tutor and contributes towards the final placement digital portfolio for your summative assessment for each year. The expectation is that the placement digital portfolio reflects assimilation of critical thinking with an advanced applied knowledge of clinical practice in art psychotherapy.

Summative Assessment Strategy

The summative assessments progress from formative assessments and are based on many of the same principles that enable you to learn and assimilate knowledge. Throughout the programme we have positioned summative assessments to reflect the required depth of learning consolidation required for effective application of practice and theory. Further to this the summative assessment strategy will ensure that you are ‘work force ready’ enabling professional competency, increasing employability and offering an accessible and inclusive approach to learning. We use summative assessments to develop your skills and abilities and to assess levels of competence. The nine modules for the award combine different modes of assessment which are positioned carefully throughout the course to support your learning.