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Graduate certificates and postgraduate diploma courses

Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy – Melbourne (Bundoora) (HGAT)

The Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy course is a one-year, full-time program combining art and counselling for creative self-expression within a therapeutic environment. This course offers first level training in art therapy based on principles of humanistic psychotherapy, with an emphasis on the acquisition of art therapy counselling skills, utilising a range of approaches and techniques. The student’s experiential and reflective process, and how this may be known through the use of art making, will be addressed throughout the course.

Admission requirements

As a unique field within the wider clinical arena, art therapy requires that practitioners have training and skills in two different disciplines - art and counselling. These requirements ensure that applicants have a solid foundation in basic counselling skills and, through their own experience in the visual arts, that they have grappled with the creative process – the key to healing in art therapy. Entry into this program requires an undergraduate degree in an area such as fine arts, graphic design, art education, counselling, social work, nursing, psychology or speech pathology. A minimum of one year of art therapy or counselling-related work experience (volunteer or paid) is also required, as well as completion of a short introductory course in counselling skills.

Selection criteria include a written application, submission of a portfolio, demonstrating skill and facility with visual art media, and an interview with art therapy staff.

Professional recognition

Students are advised that the Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy does not provide graduates with professional accreditation. This course may be articulated into the Masters of Art Therapy which will then enable graduates to apply for professional recognition of the Australian and New Zealand Art Therapy Association.

Course structure

The course consists of 120 credit points of study (eight subjects) in a one year, full-time program. It includes one teaching period of clinical placement with supervision and an art therapy project.