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Postgraduate Taught

Art Psychotherapy - MSc

Art psychotherapy is a rewarding profession that combines creativity, psychotherapy and meaningful work with people. Designed for those with at least one year’s experience in health, education, social care or voluntary settings, and an active personal art practice, this MSc in Art Psychotherapy helps you build on existing skills and develop as a professional art psychotherapist. It is the only art psychotherapy training course in Scotland and can be studied full-time or part-time.

Art psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression to help people explore and communicate difficult experiences and emotions. Working with individuals or groups of all ages, art psychotherapists support people in using art materials to express thoughts and feelings that may be challenging to put into words. By exploring the meanings of images, creative processes, and personal experiences, therapists help promote emotional understanding, integration, and positive change within a safe and supportive therapeutic environment.

The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of art psychotherapy, combining academic learning with regular clinical placements where students deliver art psychotherapy sessions. Graduates are eligible to register with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) to practise professionally. Throughout the course, you will be required to engage in personal psychodynamic therapy and receive ongoing supervision both at placement settings and at QMU.

Why QMU?

Collaborative learning: Students on this course come from diverse cultural, artistic, professional and educational backgrounds. In this respect, our collaborative learning approach ensures a rich and interesting learning experience. The interdisciplinary structure of the course further enriches the learning, as the journey is shared with MSc Music Therapy and MSc Dramatherapy students.
Creative and flexible options: Alongside practice-based learning and academic work, art-making and creativity are integral to our course delivery. Art-based processes are embedded in several module assessments, including the Independent Academic Project which may take the form of an art-based inquiry. Our integrated part-time route provides an accessible option to fit with life commitments for those who need or prefer to study part-time.
Commitment to social justice and anti-oppressive practice: The course honours Art Psychotherapy as a profession which has a history of advocating for social justice. There is a commitment to providing an anti-oppressive, decolonised curriculum, one in which intersectional identities are affirmed. An inclusive and accessible programme is supported more widely within the university, with the QMU student services team being key to a positive student experience. Students are encouraged to consider their practice as a more-than-human endeavour with environmental impact, using outdoor learning facilities to connect with and be inspired by the natural environment.
Practice-based learning partnerships: We have excellent relationships with our colleagues across the sectors that employ art psychotherapists. The course team are experienced art therapists, and most continue to work in practice. This means there are ongoing opportunities for knowledge exchange, with input to the course from a range of experienced professionals working in specialised fields of practice. You’ll benefit from excellent placement opportunities working with a variety of people, in schools, the NHS, community settings and other organisations.
Professional accreditation/registration: Our graduates are eligible for registration with the Health & Care Professions Council as Arts Therapists and are eligible for full membership of the British Association of Art Therapists. The course meets the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Art Therapists.

Structure and exit awards

You must complete the full MSc (200 credits) to be eligible to register with the HCPC and to work as an art psychotherapist.

Single module study is not available.

Teaching, learning and assessment

You will attend classes, work in groups and carry out independent learning. Assessment methods include reports, essays presentations and using art to explore ideas and research. You will undertake practice placement throughout your training (see below). All classes and groups are delivered on campus, and you will be required to attend in person.

Placements

Placements are vital to your learning process. You will undertake a supervised practice placement spread over two semesters. Full-time students will attend two days per week and part-time students will attend one day per week. Your placements could be in various settings throughout Scotland, including education, voluntary and healthcare environments. Placements are allocated by QMU.

Please note that there are additional costs associated with placements. Please see the ‘Other fees’ section under the ‘Entry requirements’ tab for more details.

Teaching hours and attendance

Full-time route

Year One: Classes typically take place from 9.00am-5.00pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Year Two: Classes typically take place from 9.00am-5.00pm on Thursdays only.
Full-time students typically attend practice placement two days per week and part-time students attend one day per week over two semesters.

Part-time route

Year One: Classes typically take place on Mondays, 9.00am-5.00pm.
Year Two: Classes typically take place on Tuesdays 9.00am-5.00pm.
Year Three: Classes typically take place on Thursdays 9.00am-5.00pm.
Year Four: Classes typically take place on Thursdays 9.00am-5.00pm.

You will be required to carry out independent learning. The Art Studio will be open for practice by appointment in the evenings and on weekends.

Class sizes

There are usually around 44-45 students on this course each year. Some classes are larger because some teaching is shared with the MSc Music Therapy and MSc Dramatherapy courses. Much of the teaching, however, is in small groups of 6-12.

Teaching staff

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

You will study the following modules:

Year One (full-time route)

Art Psychotherapy Theory and Practice (30 credits): In this module, you will learn about art psychotherapy theory and practice and its application in a variety of contexts. Through presentations, experiential and the weekly Process Group, you will gain knowledge and understanding of evidence-based therapeutic practice with an emphasis on art-based processes in art psychotherapy.
Arts Therapies Studies 1 (30 credits): Through large and small group teaching, discussions, workshops, peer-assisted learning and independent study, you will develop an understanding of key underpinning theories to the arts therapies, including different developmental and relational perspectives throughout the lifespan. You will be introduced to different research methods/methodologies to integrate understanding of theory, practice and research in the arts therapies. The learning experiences will be led by tutors, service-users and students collaboratively.
Practice-based Learning 1 (Art Psychotherapy) (40 credits): This module supports your development as an Art Psychotherapy practitioner through direct engagement with service users and providers. It begins with a period of pre-practice education at QMU. You are then allocated a placement within an external organisation which becomes the practice-based learning setting for the remainder of the module. Working alongside a professional team, supported by QMU supervision seminars, and following an induction period at the practice-based learning setting, you will plan, conduct and evaluate art psychotherapy sessions in line with professional standards and guidelines and within the frameworks of the host organisation. You will develop professional and therapeutic skills that are responsive to your particular context, and transferable to wider art psychotherapy practice.

Year Two (full-time route)

Arts Therapies Studies 2 (20 credits): This module aims to enable you to integrate theoretical underpinnings of the arts therapies within a diversity of settings. You will be invited to explore a breadth of approaches to understanding therapeutic practices, organisational dynamics, wider determinants of health and wellbeing, power differentials within practice, and unconscious ways of being, through a critical lens. The module will consist of lectures and participatory workshops alongside peer-assisted learning in small groups. You will dialogue with multiple perspectives through arts-based responses and ongoing critical reflections, encouraging creative imaginings to be experienced as transformative social acts.
Practice-based Learning 2 (Art Psychotherapy) (40 credits): This module supports your development as an Art Psychotherapy practitioner through direct engagement with service users and providers. You will be allocated a placement within an external organisation which becomes the practice-based learning setting for the remainder of the module. Working alongside a professional team and supported by QMU supervision seminars and following an induction period at the practice-based learning setting, you will plan, conduct and evaluate art psychotherapy sessions in line with professional standards and guidelines and within the frameworks of your respective host organisations.
Independent Academic Project (40 credits): This module enables you to consolidate your learning throughout the course and apply the skills of research and inquiry by undertaking an evidence-informed piece of work. You will identify and explore an area of academic, personal or professional relevance, contributing new insights and advancing understanding within art/drama/music therapy. Guided by a supervisor, you will produce a project that demonstrates academic rigour, creativity, independence, critical analysis, and reflective practice.

Years One and Two (part-time route)

Art Psychotherapy Theory and Practice (30 credits)
Arts Therapies Studies 1 (30 credits)
Practice-based Learning 1 (Art Psychotherapy) parts 1 and 2 (40 credits)

Years Three and Four (part-time route)

Arts Therapies Studies 2 (20 credits)
Practice-Based Learning 2 (Art Psychotherapy) parts 1 and 2 (40 credits)
Independent Academic Project (40 credits)

You will graduate with the knowledge and practical confidence to start work as an art therapist thanks to the course’s strong research component. Training as an art psychotherapist has the potential to be a dynamic and exciting career. Art psychotherapists work with a wide range of clients and communities, individually or with groups, within the public and private sectors. You could work in the UK or travel and use your skills to make a difference much further afield.

Employment opportunities vary with some regions of the UK offering more employment possibilities for qualified art psychotherapists than others. Some art psychotherapists will find employment in settings where their art psychotherapy knowledge combines with the requirements of the job. Examples would be a job as a project worker, art worker or family support worker within a community setting or a mental health practitioner within an NHS mental health team or school counselling service.

Art psychotherapists find full, part-time and sessional work within statutory and voluntary sectors. Practice placement experience contributes to an understanding of employment possibilities and enables students to consider realistically how to approach employment upon graduation.

The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT), the professional membership organisation which trainee and newly qualified Art Therapists may join, publishes, a journal (International Journal of Art Psychotherapy), a Newsletter, and circulates online information about art therapy posts in the UK.

In addition, BAAT Regional Groups enable art therapists to keep in touch with one another and focus upon local and professional issues and developments.

Within BAAT there are special interest groups, such as Art Therapy with Children and Young People, Art Therapy and Education, Art Therapy and Palliative Care, Art Therapy and Learning Disability, Art Therapy in Forensic Settings and Art Therapy Race and Culture, creating networks which in turn promote employment.

Entry requirements

UK honours degree or equivalent in the area of the visual arts supported by a portfolio of artwork in a variety of media created over a period of time. Degrees in subjects such as psychology, social work, nursing, education and other relevant subjects may be considered if supported by a substantial portfolio of artwork.

Applicants will be required to provide a portfolio as part of their application. Please refer to the FAQs below for specific details on what this should look like.

We also require a minimum of one year’s full-time (or part-time equivalent, typically 1,000 hours) of relevant work experience in, for example, a caring, supportive or educational role within a professional service or organisation. Relevant roles include nursing assistant, project worker, arts instructor, along with experience in care work in a community setting, art teaching, or facilitating art workshops. Some experience of personal art psychotherapy or psychodynamic psychotherapy, or experiential workshops in creative therapies, is desirable. This experience should be obtained prior to making your application.

Applicants will be required to detail their work experience as part of their application via a supplementary information form.

International students: You will be required to provide evidence of English language competence at no less than IELTS 7.0 with no individual component score less than 6.5 , in line with HCPC English language requirements.

Interview

Interviews will take place normally between December and May. Interviews for will be conducted over Microsoft Teams.

Other requirements

A satisfactory criminal records check from the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, an occupational health check and personal indemnity insurance are required. These are undertaken and supplied as part of the induction weeks.

Other costs

The cost of the PVG check and the cost of professional indemnity insurance is the responsibility of the student. For more information on this, visit the PG 2026 fees page on our website.
The additional costs associated with placement, travel, and accommodation are the responsibility of the student.
The cost of weekly personal psychodynamic psychotherapy for the duration of the MSc Art Psychotherapy course (typically £60 per session) is also the student's responsibility.

Funding - Students from Northern Ireland

For students thinking of applying from Northern Ireland, please be aware that Student Finance NI will only fund courses ups to three years in duration. As the part-time route for this course is four years, students from NI will only be eligible for funding for the full-time route.

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at QMU. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

We recommend consulting the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists to check that this is the right career path for you. On graduation, all arts therapists need to be able to meet these in order to practice.

Applying for this course

For more information on applying, or to apply for this course, please follow the links in the 'Start your application' box at the top right of this page.

Application deadline

In general, the course will remain open until capacity has been reached, specifically we tend to close to new applications in March, but this can vary year on year.

We expect entry to this course to be highly competitive. Once interviews begin places are offered on a rolling basis. We strongly advise applicants to apply early to be considered.

The course webpage will be updated with a notice when the application window is closing.

Contact Marcela Andrade Del Corro (Admissions Tutor) or contact Admissions.

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications and enquiries that we receive about this course, staff are unable to arrange one-to-one phone calls or meetings with potential applicants. We reply to all enquiries made via email. To speak to a member of the team in-person please attend one of the QMU postgraduate open days.

More information on our forthcoming open events

Answers to questions frequently asked about the MSc Art Psychotherapy Course

What are the entry requirements for the MSc Art Psychotherapy course?

Please check the 'Entry Requirements and application information' tab above for up-to-date entry requirements.

What constitutes relevant work experience?

Relevant work includes work in a health or social care setting (for example: nursing assistant, project worker, arts instructor, support worker, social work) or experience of work in community settings or education (for example: community arts worker, teacher or teaching assistant). The work experience may be voluntary or paid but should be within an organisation or employed context.

Are applicants with degrees other than fine art considered?

A large number of students embarking upon the MSc Art Psychotherapy have a degree in visual art or a related field, which involves arts practice. Queen Margaret University does accept students with degrees or professional qualifications in other subjects relevant to Art Psychotherapy (for example: psychology, art history, nursing, occupational therapy, social work, sociology, medicine) as long as the applicant can also demonstrate an active art-making practice and has relevant work experience.

What should a portfolio include?

A portfolio should demonstrate a serious involvement with art media and your personal process of work with imagery. We want to see evidence that you have a committed art-making practice and are comfortable using a range of art materials. We are interested in the relationship you have with your art making and what your images mean to you. We do not teach technical skills related to the use of different art media on the course and it is important that you come to the course with confidence in this area.

Portfolios should be provided at the point of application and in the following format:

A PDF document containing a maximum of 12 images
A maximum of 200 words if including any written text
Embedded links for video or audio (any audiovisual should not be longer than 60 seconds)
Any embedded links should be publicly accessible
Your portfolio should foreground your person art practice. You should not include any images of persons other than yourself or artwork belonging to other individuals.

If your application is suitable for review and you have not provided the portfolio at the point of application, we will email you to request this once. If the portfolio is not provided within the requested timeframe or in the correct format, your application will be withdrawn.

Are there other steps I can take to prepare to apply for the MSc Art Psychotherapy?

Reading about art psychotherapy is essential and a pre-course reading list is provided at the end of this document. Introductory art therapy courses and workshops are also a helpful way of learning about the subject.

Check the British Association of Art Therapists and the Health & Care Professions Council for more information.

Does QMU have Open Days?

QMU holds postgraduate open evenings, usually one in the autumn and one in the spring. This offers potential applicants an opportunity to meet with representatives of the art psychotherapy programme and discuss any queries with them. The university also offers virtual meetings on those days. Please check our Open Days and Meeting Us page for up-to-date information.

How is the course structured?

The course is delivered using the following structure (subject to change). Please contact the Art Psychotherapy team for any further queries on course delivery.

Full Time

Year One: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 2 days per week on placement
Year Two: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Thursdays only and 2 days per week on placement

Part Time

Year One: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Monday, 1 day per week on placement
Year Two: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Tuesday, 1 day per week on placement
Year Three: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Thursday and 1 day per week on placement
Year Four: Typically, 9.00am-5.00pm on Thursday and 1 day per week on placement

Please note: Part-time students will need to attend an intense introduction to placement at the start of year 1. They will need to be available 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday for the first 6 weeks of study.

Please note: Part-time students will need to attend an intense introduction to placement at the start of year 1. They will need to be available 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday for the first 6 weeks of study.

You will also be required to carry out independent learning. The Art Studio will be open for practice during evenings and weekends, and outside of normal teaching hours.

How is the practice placement allocated?

Practice Placements are arranged and allocated by the Practice Placement Co-ordinator and Administrator in the Academic Administration. Students have two practice placements during the training course – one working with adults and one working with children or young people. The Practice Placement Coordinator will match the student's learning needs with a suitable practice placement. Efforts are made to arrange practice placements in or near the city where the student resides though some travel may be necessary.

What kinds of practice placements are offered?

The range of practice placements are extensive including placements within hospitals, schools, voluntary sector organisations, child and family centres, counselling services, prisons, drug and alcohol services, hospices, community-based health centres, community based mental health teams, day centres for the elderly and for adults with physical and/or learning disabilities. The range of practice placements for art psychotherapy students changes from year to year.

What else do I need to know about placements?

Students are required to complete two years of practice placement. Participation in a weekly supervision seminar in university is a co-requisite of the practice placement. Students will be required to complete a police check / Disclosure Scotland (PVG) for their placement. International students are required to bring police checks with them for the start of the semester at the latest. Admissions may ask for this information to arrive three months prior to the start of the course so that a final offer of a place can be granted.

Why are students required to attend personal psychotherapy for the duration of the MSc Art Psychotherapy?

Students are required to attend weekly personal psychodynamic psychotherapy for the duration of the MSc Art Psychotherapy course. All registered art psychotherapy courses in the UK have this personal psychotherapy requirement. Responsibility for finding a therapist rests with the student.

In general, students are advised to work with a therapist whose orientation is compatible with the psychodynamic orientation of the course, with a minimum of five years’ experience BAAT, UKCP or BACP or HCPC State Registered.

Fees for personal therapy can range on average from £35-60 per session. It is important to bear this additional expense in mind and budget for it.

Personal psychodynamic psychotherapy is seen to be supportive of the student whilst on the course and enables a student to have personal experience of a therapeutic relationship. As personal therapy is a course requirement, the student's therapist will be requested to submit a letter to the student’s personal academic tutor at the end of each semester informing them of the number of sessions the student has attended.

Otherwise, the student's personal therapy is distinct from the course and is confidential between student and therapist. Weekly personal psychotherapy is mainly undertaken while on placement, working with clients, during semesters and additional sessions may be attended over the summer.

What are the course fees, and do they need to be paid in full at the outset of the academic year?

Please view our Fees and Charges page for the most up-to-date information on fees for this course, including details of how these fees can be paid.

Are there grants, trusts or scholarships for the course?

No grants are available. Some students have sought funding from other sources by consulting information on Education Awards in their local library. Other students have obtained a Career Development Loan from their bank.

More information on postgraduate loans (eg from SAAS)

What sort of tutorial support is available to students?

Each student on the course has a personal academic tutor (PAT) whose role is to help the student to integrate the different parts of the course and to be aware of any circumstances affecting the student’s learning on the course. Tutors will meet with their tutees at least once per semester to review the student's work. In addition, students will receive weekly supervision as part of their placement.

Is there support within the university for students with special educational needs?

A member of the course team is an academic disability student coordinator and is able to meet with students to discuss requirements and offer advice in liaison with the academic disability services.

For example, students with dyslexia may be advised how to be assessed, where to find technological support, and what sorts of extra support is available. In addition, there are workshops within the university on essay preparation and some tutorials are offered for students whose first language is not English.

QMU subscribes to an equal opportunities policy. There is an access hardship fund within the college to which students experiencing financial difficulties may apply. You can Contact Registry for more information.

Are there studio facilities in the college for students wishing to continue with their own artwork?

There is currently one large art studio. Students can book this when it is not being used for teaching and it is available during evenings and weekends. Students are encouraged to continue to pursue their own art-making practice and to find out about the media specific workshop facilities open to them in Edinburgh (e.g. sculpture, photography and printmaking). Students are also strongly encouraged to visit the many excellent museums and galleries in Edinburgh.

Do most students find employment after they graduate?

Please refer to the 'Career Opportunities' tab above for more information.

How many students are accepted on the course each year?

35 full-time places and 6 part-time places are offered each year or the equivalent in terms of full and part-time places.

When should I apply?

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible as this is a competitive course and applications will close when the course is full. Please refer to the 'Entry Requirements and Application Information' tab for specific application deadlines.

The majority of interviews take place between January and May.

For more information on application, contact QMU's Admissions Office. Please enclose your reference together with your application form.

What are the research interests of the staff?

Please see individual staff member details on the Occupational and Art Therapies subject area.

Could I have a reading list?

Brown, C. and Omand, H. (Eds.) (2022) Contemporary Practice in Studio Art Therapy, Routledge.

Case, C. (2005) Imagining Animals: Art, Psychotherapy and Primitive States of Mind, Routledge.

Collier, J. and Eastwood, C. (Eds.) (2022) Intersectionality in the Arts Psychotherapies, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Edwards, D. (2013) Art Therapy, Sage publications.

Gilroy, A. (2011) Art Therapy Research in Practice, Peter Lang Publishers.

Hogan, S. (Ed.) (2020) Gender and Difference in the Arts Therapies: Inscribed on the body, Routledge.

Huss, E. (2015) A Theory-based Approach to Art Therapy: Implications for teaching, research and practice (Explorations in Mental Health), Routledge.

Killick, K. (Ed.) (2017) Art Therapy for Psychosis: Theory and Practice (The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis Book Series), Routledge.

Leibmann, M. and Weston,S. (2015) Art Therapy with Physical Conditions, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

McNiff, S. (Ed) (2013) Art as Research: opportunities and challenges, Intellect Ltd.

Meyerowitz-Katz, J. and Reddick, D. (Eds.) (2016) Art Therapy in the early years: Therapeutic interventions with infants, toddlers and their families, Routledge.

Schaverien, J. (2009) The Revealing Image: Analytical Art Psychotherapy in Theory and Practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Wood, C. (Ed.) (2011) Navigating Art Therapy, A Therapist's Companion, Routledge.

Online Journal: Art Therapy Online (ATOL)

The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2027/28 Entry - Terms and Conditions (Postgraduate).
The information outlined here is correct at the time of posting (October 2026) but is subject to change. In the event that the course does change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on students. Please check back here for updates.

Interview with student Hsien-Kai Wu