NYU Steinhardt's Art Therapy program prepares, educates, and provides opportunity for certification in the art therapy field.
Professional Licensure
Art Therapy is an on-campus program that places students in supervised field experiences in both within and outside of New York State (NYS) and New Jersey. 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. SARA requires universities to disclose to applicants and students whether programs that lead to professional licensure meet the educational requirements for licensure in those states in which students are doing learning placements.
Through a combination of artistic education and an application of counseling methodology and therapy skills, the program prepares students to pass the New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) exam and to fulfill the associated education and experience requirements after 1500 hours of post graduate supervised practice. Within the program, students receive training to effectively assist clients as an art therapist through classroom education and hands-on projects as well as some of the most competitive internships in the field.
Note: The LCAT is a license unique to New York State. There is no established licensure path for creative arts therapists in New Jersey.
The program also qualifies a student upon graduation to take the voluntary Art Therapy Credentials Board exam (AT-BC).
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), 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), 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 state. NYU Steinhardt has not made a determination with respect to educational and professional licensure requirements for the following states and territories:
- 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.