Chicago | Doctorate
Adler University’s Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Art Therapy program prepares researchers, educators, and scholars to train the next generation of clinical art therapists—and use human creative expression as a powerful catalyst for change. Taught by renowned experts, our curriculum emphasizes the potential of art therapy as a socially responsible practice to address some of today’s most pressing issues.
The doctoral program prepares students to be leaders in the field of art therapy, and for senior-level capacities as innovators, educators, and administrators who are committed to social justice. With its clinical core and emphasis on creating new knowledge, graduates may serve diverse populations in a range of settings—from academia to community organization, integrative healthcare systems to private practice.
Graduates of the program are also eligible to apply for several licensures and credentials.
This program also allows students to add on a Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling for an additional 12 credits of coursework.
Successful completion of the 60-credit hour Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy program includes coursework and a training practicum from those listed below.
Find course descriptions and more information in the Adler University course catalog here.
Doing is learning. A unique and proven program designed to give students real world experience throughout their time at Adler University, the Social Justice Practicum is a required 200-hour internship that spans four courses (or terms for online programs). Every student is given a number of civic-minded categories to choose from. They submit their desired areas of interest. After which, they are assigned a specific and aligned community outreach site where they will work 8 to 10 hours per week.
Our innovative program offers students who hold a master’s degree in art therapy, counseling, or related fields a unique opportunity to advance their career as a leader in the art therapy field. Focused on scholarship, socially conscious pedagogy, Adlerian principles, and art-making, our students train to be leaders, equipped with the real-world experience, research background, and intellectual curiosity needed to think deeply about human creative expression.
We offer an immersive learning experience that brings together an ambitious community of individuals on a state-of-the-art campus in the heart of downtown Chicago. Adler University is a nationally recognized pioneer in graduate education, training professionals who are committed to a more just society.
Our doctoral program prepares leaders in the field of art therapy and beyond, for senior-level capacities as innovators, educators, and administrators. With its clinical core and emphasis on creating new knowledge, graduates may serve diverse populations in a range of settings—from academia to community organization, integrative healthcare systems to private practice. Potential career applications include:
Gain the knowledge and skills to create real change in individuals’ lives through administering in clinical healthcare practices as advanced supervisors, researchers and scholars, community advocates, clinicians, and educators, who use art therapy as a healing modality that contributes to advancing and providing new knowledge to the profession.
Distinguishing Adler University’s Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy is our focus on research excellence and the emphasis on Adlerian principles—the professional and academic advantage of our program. Graduates will complete a doctoral dissertation, which provides students with the opportunity to engage in in-depth scholarship on an important issue in the field of art therapy. Integrating science, practice, critical thinking skills, and ethical and cultural awareness, the completion of a dissertation is the culmination of mastery in a chosen specialization. Our diverse faculty brings together rigorous classroom learning with individualized mentorship, artistic guidance, and hands-on experience.
We offer extensive field training, including a 700-hour art therapy internship focused on the clinical work and principles of art therapy in settings such as schools, mental health centers, and community organizations.
In addition to the admission requirements common to all of the Adler graduate programs, applicants to this program are required to have:
Applicants must submit the following in order to be considered for admission:
Applicants who are graduates in good standing from Adler University’s Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy program may have one letter of recommendation and/or interview waived. Approved applicants will be invited to complete an interview with faculty. Please submit all application materials to the Office of Admissions prior to the application deadline.
Official transcripts should be sent to:
Adler University – Office of Admissions
17 N. Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Official electronic transcripts should be sent to [email protected].
For more information for International Applicants, click here.
Graduates of the program are eligible to apply for the following licensures:
Adler University offers a Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate that can be earned by students of the program for an additional 12 credit hours.
This program is accredited as an Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor Training Program by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA). The certification process is based on the Illinois Model for Certification of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors.
Specifically, coursework provides education in the theories, techniques, and core functions of substance abuse counseling, focusing on evidence-based research and best practice standards from a social justice standpoint. Specialized practicum experience complements coursework.
The Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling requires the following 12 credits of coursework:
One of the following:
And one of the following:
And one of the following:
And one of the following:
In addition to the specialized coursework, students pursuing the Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling will acquire and develop practical skills in the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) core functions through specialized field placements. The Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling requires the following four semester credit hours of practicum (500 field hours) and seminars:
In addition to the specialized coursework, students pursuing the Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling will acquire and develop practical skills in the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) core functions through specialized field placements. The Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling requires the following four semester credit hours of practicum (500 field hours) and seminars:
This program is accredited as an Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor Training Program by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA). The certification process is based on the Illinois Model for Certification of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors.
Located in the heart of the city, the Adler Chicago campus was designed to provide and inspire the learning and living experience. To that end, we have created an environment that caters to your mental, emotional and intellectual growth. Our classrooms are bright and spacious with windows to the outside world. Our technology is the very latest and best. In our Library, you will find every resource you need to research, form and shape your journey. At Adler, we have made it our mission to create a space with more than enough room to share your thoughts and flex your intellect.
Rachelle Barmann, M.A. ’19, shared her insight on art therapy in the Naperville Sun.
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Nelly Jimenez, M.A., a graduate of the Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy program in Chicago, is an in-patient and outpatient art therapist at Riverside Healthcare in Kankakee, Illinois. Jimenez developed the medical group’s first art therapy program, serving a wide range of patients from pediatric to geriatric.
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Rachel Ackerman, M.A. ’17, an alumna of the Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy program in Chicago, has blended three of her life’s greatest passions together in a unique career that is both fulfilling and socially impactful.
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