NYU Steinhardt's Art Therapy program prepares, educates, and provides opportunity for certification in the art therapy field.
Professional Licensure
The MA in Art Therapy program is an on-campus academic program designed to enable a graduate to meet the academic requirements to qualify for professional licensure as an art therapist in New York State and certain other states outside of New York. The program places students in supervised field experiences within New York and New Jersey. The Art Therapy program complies with state-specific licensing requirements in the states where the field experience takes place. NYU is authorized pursuant to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) to enroll students in supervised field experiences in the SARA states and territories. For further details regarding NYU's SARA membership please visit the NYU State Authorization website.
The NYU Steinhardt Art Therapy Program meets the educational and professional licensure requirements for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) in New York state which is a license unique to New York State.
Art therapy is a regulated mental health profession in 20 states (including New York) and the District of Columbia.
Some states require art therapists to be licensed in order to legally practice as an art therapist. Other states may require art therapists to register with their state’s art therapy registry. Still other states may not permit individuals to practice as art therapists unless they have earned the Art Therapy Board Certification (ATR-BC) credential.
States that regulate art therapists through such mechanisms as licensure, registry or title protection typically require candidates to have earned the Art Therapy Board Certification (ATR-BC) credential by passing the Board Certification examination. The ATR-BC credential demonstrates advanced clinical competence.
Applicants may only register for the BC exam upon successfully completing the requirements for the Registered Art Therapy (ATR) application OR submitting all required documents for the Limited Permit Creative Arts Therapists license in New York State.
NYU’s MA in Art Therapy program is accredited by the AATA and registered with the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying. Graduates of the MA program are eligible to take the ATR-BC examination and earn the ATR-BC credential.
States that do not regulate art therapists through licensure, registry or title protection may permit art therapists to practice under another license, such as a mental health counselor license.
For more information on state licensure and the AT-BC credential, please visit the Art Therapy Credentials Board website.
If you are interested in having a placement in a different state or gaining licensure in a different state, please contact Marygrace Berberian (mb3397@nyu.edu), PhD, LCAT, ATR-BC, LCSW to discuss if this is possible.
Note, state regulations change frequently, and the information posted here may have changed at the time of your specific application to or enrollment in our program of study. Please check with Marygrace Berberian (mb3397@nyu.edu), PhD, LCAT, ATR-BC, LCSW if you have specific questions about whether our program meets licensure requirements in a specific state.
The NYU Steinhardt Art Therapy Program meets the educational and professional licensure requirements for licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) in New York and New Jersey.
| State License Contact Info | Does Art Therapy meet the Academic Requirements for State Licensure? | Additional Information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Creative Arts and Activities Therapies | Yes | |
| New York | NYS Office of the Professions | Yes |
The chart below identifies states where the NYU MA program in Art Therapy meets the academic requirements for licensure.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
LCAT Certification and Practice
With LCAT certification, an art therapist can work in a variety of contexts, such as:
- Private Practice
- Hospital
- Clinic Therapy
- Nursing Homes
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Non-clinical organizations that require LCAT training such as certain entities within government organizations
Recent graduates from NYU Steinhardt's Art Therapy program found jobs in the field such as:
- Lead Clinician - Sisters of Mercy
- Senior Art Therapist - The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services
- Owner - Art Therapy Business
- Manager of Student Placements & Internships - Steinhardt Art Therapy Dept.
- Professor - Steinhardt Art Therapy Program
Recent Alumni Profiles can be found on our Alumni in Action page.