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Transform your creative passion into a professional career with the MA Art Psychotherapy at University Centre Leeds. Uniquely situated within a vibrant creative arts department, our programme puts artmaking at the heart of clinical training, blending traditional methods with emerging digital technologies. Graduate with the theoretical expertise and 80-100 days of supervised placement experience required to qualify for HCPC registration and practice across the health, education, and community sectors.
This course has been developed in consultation with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to meet their Standards of Education and Training (SET), so that graduates would be able to become HCPC registered* professionals. (*Subject to final HCPC approval)
Admissions Criteria:
Typical Offer: 2(ii) or better BA (Hons) in a Creative subject or Health and Social Care subject with a relevant creative portfolio
Minimum Offer: Level 6 qualification in relevant subject
IELTS: 5.5 or above
International Qualifications: Equivalent to Level 6 in relevant subject
Mature Applicants: We welcome applications from mature* applicants who may not have met the academic criteria, but who can demonstrate potential academic ability and a wealth of experience in their chosen field. Candidates in this category and otherwise are likely to be interviewed to assess their suitability for the course and may be asked to provide a portfolio of evidence to support their application.
*21 years and over at the start of the course
RPL Claims: The course structure actively supports claims for Recognition of Prior Certified Learning (RPCL) or Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL)
Interview/Portfolio Review: Candidates will be interviewed to assess their suitability for the course and will be asked to provide a portfolio of creative work to support their application.
Relevant work experience: Equivalent to about one year full-time in a caring, health, social services, or community setting. This experience can be paid or voluntary and part-time accrued over longer periods, it does not have to be strictly art-therapy related, but it should involve direct contact in a professional capacity with people you are likely to work with as a therapist (e.g., vulnerable adults, children, people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, etc.).
In line with professional training standards (HCPC or BAAT) students enrolled on the MA Art Psychotherapy programme are required to engage in ongoing personal therapy for the duration of their studies. Participation in regular therapeutic sessions is a mandatory component of the course and forms part of the professional and ethical development of trainee art therapists.
The MA Art Psychotherapy at University Centre Leeds offers specialist Level 7 professional training for graduates and practicing artists seeking to qualify as registered art psychotherapists. Uniquely situated within a vibrant creative arts department rather than a purely clinical setting, the programme places art-making at the heart of professional identity, encouraging students to explore both traditional materials and emerging digital technologies like VR and gaming. The curriculum integrates core theoretical knowledge, including contemporary trauma-informed and neuroscience perspectives, with 80-100 days of supervised clinical placement across a range of settings. Taught by experienced HCPC-registered practitioners, this course is accredited by HCPC, ensuring graduates have the clinical and research expertise required to practice ethically and effectively in a variety of complex care environments.
This course is subject to validation by The Open University
Modules may include:
Therapeutic Theories (30 credits)
This module will provide knowledge and preparation for students studying to become art psychotherapists. It will offer experiential and theoretical learning to support the development of student’s professional identity and therapeutic competencies.
Creative Practice (20 credits)
Creative Practice invites students to deepen their understanding of the unique role of art-making within the context of a therapeutic relationship. This module emphasises the significance of both the materials used, and the images created, as forms of expression, communication and insight into cognitive, affective, sensory, somatic, and relational experiences.
Clinical Practice 1 - Becoming an Art Psychotherapist (20 credits)
Clinical Practice 1 allows students to consolidate theoretical learning and apply it in supervised clinical settings. The focus of this module is to develop the knowledge, skills and professional capacities required to provide safe, ethical and effective art psychotherapy services.
Contemporary issues in Art Psychotherapy (10 credits)
This module gives students an opportunity to explore contemporary issues that are changing the face of the art psychotherapy profession, and how they can become more culturally responsive, inclusive and morally sound in their practice, whilst taking a close look at contemporary trends, and ethics in practice, through a critical lens.
Research Methodologies in Art Psychotherapy (20 credits)
This module introduces students to the philosophical, theoretical, and methodological foundations of research in art psychotherapy practice and related disciplines. It situates research within the broader context of therapeutic work, encouraging students to reflect on how different ways of knowing shape clinical understanding, professional identity, and service development.
Major Project: Art Psychotherapy Dissertation (60 credits)
This module provides students with the opportunity to integrate, consolidate, and apply the theoretical, clinical, and creative learning developed throughout the MA Art Psychotherapy programme within a substantial written dissertation and an accompanying reflective creative project. It represents a culmination of the programme, enabling students to demonstrate their developing identity as reflective, ethical, and critically engaged art psychotherapists.
Clinical Practice 2: Context and Consolidation - (20 Credits)
This module builds on the previous module Clinical Practice 1 by extending the clinical placement. Expanding the students’ understanding of how art psychotherapy works across different clinical settings, students will investigate aspects of their clinical work using practice-based research inquiry, integrating art psychotherapy theory, reflective practice, and evidence-based approaches.
Assessments will be conducted using a range of approaches, enabling students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in different ways. These may include:
You will be predominantly taught at our newly built Mabgate Campus. You’ll have access teaching rooms and quiet spaces as well as access to Mac suites, Art Studios, industry-standard software, photography studios, recording facilities, and drawing tablets, everything you need to develop, experiment, and bring your animated ideas to life in a professional environment.
You will have access to a Creative Arts library on campus, where specialist literature and journals are found. Our academic librarian can support you with your academic and research skills.
Following this programme, you can progress into a career in the creative industry or further study.
Job opportunities may include Art Psychotherapist*
*This course has been developed in consultation with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to meet their Standards of Education and Training (SET), so that graduates would be able to become HCPC registered* professionals. (*Subject to final HCPC approval)
Fees are charged per academic year
You may wish to budget for additional creative materials and personal learning resources such as books, journals, or professional memberships. Departments may also offer optional trips or activities to enrich your learning experience; any associated costs will always be communicated in advance.
For the latest version of The Open University regulations please click here.
To apply directly to study at University Centre Leeds as an international applicant, please see the direct apply link further up this page or visit our 'How to apply' page and complete the steps.
You can also apply through UCAS.
For more information please visit our 'How to apply' page.
Course fees for Undergraduates are £15,000 (GBP)
Scholarship available £4,000 (GBP) all courses.
For more information about fees and scholarships, please click here.
Please see our entry requirements page for additional requirements as an international student
International students will study 5 additional hours on top of the regular timetable.
For more information about visa and immigration, please click here.
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