Master of Science Counseling & Art Therapy (MS)
Develop your identity as a world-class, culturally responsive counselor and artist-therapist.
The positive employment rate for Class of 2022, 2023, & 2024 graduates is 100% with in 3.5 months.
Our graduates are world-class counselors and art therapists who are culturally responsive, community-involved and ethical professionals with successful careers. We prepare all graduates to seek Professional Counselor Licensure and Registered Art Therapist Credentials.
Counseling & Art Therapy graduates help clients:
- Explore their emotions and lived experiences
- Foster self-awareness, self-esteem, and social skills
- Focus on growth, healing, and wellness
- Manage and recover from post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, addictions and other mental illnesses
Counseling & Art Therapy
The Counseling & Art Therapy program is an academic program based in growth-oriented and reflective classroom, studio, community and clinical experiences. It is unique for its balance of clinical practice, art making and research. For over 52 years, our nationally and internationally renowned faculty have prepared world-class counselors and art therapists who are culturally responsive, community involved, and ethical professionals for successful careers. Full and part-time study options are available.
- Students are encouraged to develop their own informed theoretical approach to the practice of counseling and art therapy applied to diverse individuals, groups, families, communities, and settings.
- Pre-practicum & internship clinical practice in assessment and basic skills with simulated patients.
- Internships provide students with three semesters (child, adolescent and adult) of hands-on experience in over 50 choices of settings throughout Hampton Roads.
- The completion of a master's Capstone Project allows students to apply knowledge in the continuum of practice in counseling and art therapy, specialty areas of focus and research.
- Areas of mental health counseling and art therapy sub-specializations include art therapy in the schools, medical art therapy, trauma informed care, research, and cultural humility.
- Personal art making is required and supported by our fully stocked, 2,000 square foot art-making studio which is conveniently located on campus and open to students around the clock.
- Students are prepared to seek LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), ATR (Registered Art Therapist).
Our faculty members are talented educators and dedicated scholars with strong counselor identities who are members of the American Counseling Association, serve on the American Counseling Association Foundation, and have been elected to state and national leadership positions in the Virginia Art Therapy Association and the American Art Therapy Association.
Through our faculty members’ teaching methods, students in our 61 credit hour, two-year program engage with the elements of counseling and art therapy practice and the research that leads to improved care. Our instruction focuses on collaborative and experiential learning, reflecting on learning and applying those lessons to internships and clinical work.
To learn more about the Counseling & Art Therapy program, visit our website HERE.
Admission
Both personal characteristics and academic qualifications of applicants are evaluated to ensure that students are capable of developing professional competence as counselors and art therapists. Our Admissions Guide contains specific information about the admissions requirements, process, and timeline for the program. We offer both a full-time and part-time options for our curriculum. We also offer two stand-alone Graduate Certificates.
To learn more about the Counseling & Art Therapy program, visit our website HERE.
Applicant requirements:
- A qualifying grade point average of 3.0 or better.
- A Bachelor’s degree completed no later than July 1.
- All prerequisite coursework satisfactorily completed no later than July 1:
- Psychology Coursework
- Any 12 credits of psychology (focused in understanding human behavior and psychological theories). Applicants submitting coursework in abnormal psychology, lifespan development, and theories of personality will be ranked higher in their application score. The program values and recommends 12 psychology credits (semester hours).
- Studio Art Coursework or equivalency
- Course credit or portfolio for the following content areas for studio art: drawing, painting, 3D/sculpture, and ceramics/clay work. Applicants submitting coursework for studio art in drawing, painting, 3D/sculpture, and ceramics/clay work will be ranked higher in their application score. The program values and recommends 18 studio art credits (semester hours).
- Satisfaction of prerequisite competencies in studio art may be demonstrated by competencies through portfolio review
- Applicants must submit a portfolio of at least 6 artworks in the category for prerequisite review (i.e., 6 artworks in Painting for painting coursework equivalency). Artworks must display adequate to proficient skills in the use of the media and principles of design.
- A combination of coursework and portfolio equivalency may be considered for review by the Admissions Committee.
- Satisfaction of prerequisite competencies in studio art may be demonstrated by competencies through portfolio review
- Course credit or portfolio for the following content areas for studio art: drawing, painting, 3D/sculpture, and ceramics/clay work. Applicants submitting coursework for studio art in drawing, painting, 3D/sculpture, and ceramics/clay work will be ranked higher in their application score. The program values and recommends 18 studio art credits (semester hours).
- Psychology Coursework
- Complete the online application including the following:
- Official transcript(s) from all academic institutions attended
- Official TOEFL scores (if applicable)
- Two letters of reference
- Personal interview with portfolio presentation
- Reviewed the technical standards.
Transcripts must be sent to GradCAS only. GradCAS only accepts electronic transcripts from the following sites:
If your school does not offer these services, download and send a transcript request form to your school’s registrar, who should send the transcript to:
GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
Applicants with foreign degrees may be considered on a case-by-case basis. A written request must be submitted to HP Admissions with all of the following included for consideration:
An official academic credential evaluation of the foreign transcript. The evaluation must include the following components:
- Analysis of credentials to determine equivalence to an accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree
- Course-by-course translation, including information on course name, grade and U.S. credit equivalency
- Overall performance in comparison to the standard U.S. grading system (i.e., GPA)
Official transcripts of all coursework done in the U.S. educational system to date;
TOEFL scores for any applicant with a foreign degree and English as a second language or who entered the U.S. after age 12 from a non-English-speaking country of origin (as determined by high school graduation or personal statement). Graduation with an undergraduate degree from a U.S. educational institution will not fulfill this requirement. To ensure an ability to function at the graduate level due to the importance of communication in the English language for both learning and providing healthcare, the following are expected minimal scores:
- Internet-based test (preferred): 85
- Computer-based test: 220
- Speaking component: 25
Although multiple companies provide translation services, an English translation without the appropriate information above will not be accepted in place of an academic credential evaluation. Our preference is that you submit an evaluation completed by World Education Services to provide us with the most complete picture of your previous educational background.
All 24 credits of prerequisite coursework must be completed at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution with a B, 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade or better in order to establish a record of academic performance in this educational system. No foreign courses, degrees, work experience or other summative exams (e.g., GRE or MAT) will substitute for prerequisite coursework.
At the time of program interviews, if language issues are identified, further demonstration of English proficiency - to include TOEFL testing - may be requested as a condition of acceptance.
Early Assurance Program
To be eligible for the Early Assurance Program (EAP) with Regent University, a student must:
- Be at least in their junior year at Regent University and with only one academic year left to complete their undergraduate education when applying. Interested students should meet with the Regent University EAP Advisor (advising@regent.edu | 757.352.4385) during their freshman year or within the first semester of coursework to express interest in the EAP;
- Meet citizenship requirements of the program;
- Meet all Regent University institutional and degree requirements to continue as a student in good standing;
- Have an overall (cumulative) GPA of 3.0 or better;
- Have no academic or other code of conduct violations;
- Follow the Admission guidelines;
- Have a pre-matriculation meeting with the Program Director during the spring semester before the fall matriculation date.
The guarantee of admission through the EAP is contingent upon the student’s continued eligibility in the EAP.
Academic Common Market
What is the Academic Common Market?
The Counseling & Art Therapy program is a member of the ACM. The ACM is a tuition-savings initiative administered by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) that allows students from participating states to pursue specialized programs at out-of-state public institutions while paying in-state tuition rates.
The participating states without art therapy programs that may apply to the ACM & the CAT program include (this may change and we cannot guarantee benefits of ACM): Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
How the ACM Works
- Students apply and are accepted to our program through normal admissions processes
- Students then apply for ACM certification through their home state coordinator
- Upon approval & certification, students pay ODU in-state tuition rates instead of out-of-state rates
Technical Standards
1.0 Observation Skills Technical Standard
1.01 Demonstrate sufficient attention and accuracy in observation skills (visual, auditory, and tactile) in the classroom, lecture hall, studio, and internship settings.
1.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Accurate observations of a patient near and at a distance; recognizing non-verbal and verbal signs.
- Accurate identification of differences in color, texture, shape, and other formal elements of artwork.
- Accurate visualization and discrimination of text, numbers, patterns, graphic illustrations, and key characteristics of other images.
2.0 Communication Skills Technical Standard
2.01 Demonstrate effective communication skills with all ages and genders of patients who have a variety of diagnoses, disabilities, cultures, ethnicities, and personalities.
2.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Clear, efficient, and intelligible articulation of verbal language.
- Legible, efficient, and intelligible written English language.
- Accurate and efficient reading skills (English language).
- Ability to prepare and communicate concise oral and written summaries of patient encounters.
- Ability to accurately follow oral and written directions.
3.0 Critical Reasoning Skills Technical Standard
3.01 Demonstrate critical reasoning skills, including, but not limited to, intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities.
3.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Demonstrate ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize information.
- Demonstrate ability to acquire, retain, and apply new and learned information.
- Demonstrate appropriate judgment in patient assessment, diagnosis, monitoring, and evaluation, including planning, time management, and choice of counseling techniques and art materials.
4.0 Motor and Sensory Function Technical Standard
4.01 Demonstrate sufficient motor and sensory function to perform typical functions of counselors and art therapists, including, but not limited to, assessments, evaluations, and work with communities, individual, group, and family treatment, psychoeducation, and wellness activities.
4.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Functional and sufficient sensory capacity (visual, auditory, and tactile) to adequately perform intake interviews, risk assessment, common assessments & measures, and projective assessments.
- Execute motor movements to assess patients, provide assistance with techniques, and implement basic counseling techniques & art therapy processes.
- Execute motor movements that demonstrate safety and efficiency in the various learning settings (i.e., classroom, lecture hall, and clinical settings).
- Properly use materials, art materials, and tools for facilitating counseling and art making, including but not limited to, writing, drawing implements, brushes, clay tools, glue guns, etc.
- Physical stamina sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study, which may include prolonged periods of sitting, standing, and/or rapid ambulation.
5.0 Behavioral and Social Attributes Technical Standard
5.01 Demonstrate the behavioral and social attributes vital to participation in a professional program and service as a practicing professional counselor and art therapist.
5.02 Indicators include, but are not limited to, these examples:
- Possess the emotional health required for full utilization of mental faculties (judgment, orientation, affect, and cognition).
- Ability to develop mature and effective professional relationships with faculty, patients, the public, and other members of the health care team.
- Possess personal qualities that facilitate effective therapeutic interactions (compassion, empathy, integrity, honesty, benevolence, confidentiality).
- Demonstrate objectivity and impartial motives, attitudes, and values in roles, functions, and relationships.
- Ability to monitor and react appropriately to one’s own emotional needs and responses, including and not limited to seeking support, accessing resources, and/or seeking counseling or therapy.
- Display appropriate flexibility and adaptability in the face of stress or uncertainty associated with clinical encounters and clinical environments.
- Compliance with standards, policies, and practices set forth in the Counseling & Art Therapy Student Handbook.
Curriculum Requirements
Through our faculty members’ teaching methods, students in our 61 credit hour, two-year program engages students with the elements of counseling and art therapy practice and the research that leads to improved care. Our instruction focuses on collaborative and experiential learning, reflecting on learning and applying those lessons to internships and clinical work. Our program is balanced between counseling, clinical skills, art making, artist-therapist development, and applying research. We teach best practices informed by research, neuroscience, a variety or theoretical approaches, and trauma-informed care.
To learn more about the Counseling & Art Therapy program, visit our website HERE.
Full-Time Students
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR | ||
| Fall | ||
| CAT 604 | Individual Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 605 | Processes & Materials I | 3 |
| CAT 608 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| CAT 610 | Theories of Development | 3 |
| CAT 611 | Introduction to Art Therapy | 1 |
| CAT 616 | Cultural Humility | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| CAT 600 | Basic Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CAT 603 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 606 | Processes & Materials II | 3 |
| CAT 609 | Assessment | 3 |
| CAT 615 | Research Methods & Program Evaluation | 3 |
| Summer | ||
| CAT 607 | Case Presentation Skills | 1 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 2 |
| CAT 669 | Practicum | 1 |
| CAT 690 | Capstone Project *** | 1 |
| SECOND YEAR | ||
| Fall | ||
| CAT 618 | Ethics & Professionalism | 3 |
| CAT 620 | Addictions | 3 |
| CAT 624 | Trauma & Neuroscience Informed Counseling & Art Therapy | 3 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| CAT 614 | Clinical Case Conference | 1 |
| CAT 617 | Family Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 619 | Creativity Symbolisim Metaphor | 3 |
| CAT 621 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 61 | |
Part-Time Students
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR | ||
| Fall | ||
| CAT 604 | Individual Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 610 | Theories of Development | 3 |
| CAT 611 | Introduction to Art Therapy | 1 |
| CAT 616 | Cultural Humility | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| CAT 600 | Basic Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CAT 603 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 609 | Assessment | 3 |
| SECOND YEAR | ||
| Fall | ||
| CAT 605 | Processes & Materials I | 3 |
| CAT 608 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| CAT 618 | Ethics & Professionalism | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| CAT 606 | Processes & Materials II | 3 |
| CAT 615 | Research Methods & Program Evaluation | 3 |
| CAT 621 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| Summer | ||
| CAT 607 | Case Presentation Skills | 1 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 2 |
| CAT 669 | Practicum | 1 |
| CAT 690 | Capstone Project *** | 1 |
| THIRD YEAR | ||
| Fall | ||
| CAT 620 | Addictions | 3 |
| CAT 624 | Trauma & Neuroscience Informed Counseling & Art Therapy | 3 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| CAT 614 | Clinical Case Conference | 1 |
| CAT 617 | Family Counseling | 3 |
| CAT 619 | Creativity Symbolisim Metaphor | 3 |
| CAT 668 | Internship * | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 61 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Electives and Sub-Specialization Courses | ||
| Medical Art Therapy | ||
| Community Art | ||
| Countertransference/Jung | ||
| Exploration of the Psyche | ||
| Applied Cultural Sensitivity ** | ||
| Art Therapy in the Schools | ||
| Independent Study Research Methods | ||
- *
8 credits required
- **
May be repeated for up to 8 credits
- ***
Degree requirement (1) credit Capstone; may be completed in the Summer, Fall or Spring of 2nd year; Research based Capstones require 1 elective credit to develop proposal before beginning Capstone.