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 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE) 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 academic requirements for licensure in the states listed below.
| State | State License Contact Info | Does Art Therapy meet the Academic Requirements for State Licensure? | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Alaska | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Arizona | Arizona Art Therapy Association: Legislation Arizona Art Therapy Association: Education | Yes | Authorizes the State Department of Health Services to contract for mental health and behavioral health services of Certified Art Therapists; defines Art Therapy for purposes of state law and provides title protection for credentialed art therapists |
| Arkansas | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| California | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Colorado | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut State Department of Public Health | Yes | Clinical Licensed Art Therapist (CLAT) |
| Delaware | Delaware Division of Professional Regulation | Yes | Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) and Licensed Associate Art Therapist (LAAT) |
| Florida | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Georgia | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Hawaii | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Idaho | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Illinois | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Indiana | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Iowa | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Kansas | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Art Therapists | Yes | Professional Art Therapy License (LPAT); Professional Art Therapist Associate License (LPATA). |
| Louisiana | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Maine | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of Health, Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists | Yes | Professional Clinical Art Therapy License (LPCAT) and Professional Graduate Art Therapy License (LGAT) |
| Massachusetts | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Michigan | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Minnesota | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Mississippi | Mississippi State Department of Health Professional Licensure Regulations Governing Licensure of Professional Art Therapists | Yes | Professional Art Therapy License (LPAT) |
| Missouri | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Montana | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Nebraska | The official site of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature for 38-2140 | Yes | Certified Art Therapist License, effective January 1, 2025 |
| Nevada | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire House Bill 1065 | Yes | Legislative act defines practice of professional art therapy and provides practice and title protection for practitioners holding an approved/accredited master's or doctoral degrees in art therapy. |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Creative Arts and Activities Therapies | Yes | Professional Art Therapy License (LPAT) and Licensed Associate Art Therapist (LAAT) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Board of Counseling and Therapy Practice | Yes | Professional Art Therapist License (LPAT) |
| New York | NYS Office of the Professions | Yes | Creative Arts Therapist License (LCAT) |
| North Carolina | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| North Dakota | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Ohio | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board | Yes | Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) |
| Oklahoma | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Oregon | Oregon Health Authority Art Therapy Program License Information | Yes | Licensed Art Therapist (LAT) and Licensed Certified Art Therapist (LCAT) |
| Pennsylvania | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Professional Counselor Licensure Requirements | Yes | Art therapy defined in regulation as a qualifying "closely related field" for the professional counseling license (LPC) |
| Rhode Island | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| South Carolina | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| South Dakota | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Code: Licensed Professional Art Therapist Department of Health Professional Board | Yes | Licensed Professional Art Therapist |
| Texas | Texas Administrative Code | No | Professional Counselor with Specialization in Art Therapy License (LPC-AT). Candidates must meet the educational requirements for both a counseling licensue and an art therapy specialization. The NYU Art Therapy program meets the educational requirements for the art therapy specialization only. |
| Utah | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Vermont | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Virginia | Virginia Board of Counseling | Undetermined | Licensed Art Therapist (LAT) and Licensed Associate Art Therapist (LAAT) (proposed regulations are pending review and signatures from the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the governor as of December 2024) |
| Washington | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| West Virginia | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Yes | Registered Art Therapist with License to Practice Psychotherapy |
| Wyoming | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| U.S. Territories: | NA | State does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| American Samoa | NA | This U.S. territory does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| District of Columbia | DC Health: Art Therapy Regulations | Yes | Licensed Professional Art Therapist (LPAT) |
| Guam | NA | This U.S. territory does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | NA | This U.S. territory does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| Puerto Rico | NA | This U.S. territory does not offer professional licensure in art therapy | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | NA | This U.S. territory does not offer professional licensure in art therapy |
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.