Types of Degrees Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many art therapy graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	511
Bachelor’s Degree	212
Undergraduate Certificate	32
Graduate Certificate	9
Doctor’s Degree	3
Basic Certificate	2
Associate Degree	1

What Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to art therapy were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Art Therapy Majors

Art Therapy majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Art Therapy Majors

A major in art therapy prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Art Therapy Majors

As you progress with your art therapy degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with art therapy:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Therapists	19.9%	$50,980

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ?

The major attracts more women than men. About 96% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of art therapy majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	32
White	155
International Students	5
Other Races/Ethnicities	8

Geographic Diversity

Art Therapy appeals to people across the globe. About 2.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $57,680 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to art therapy. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to

Some careers associated with art therapy require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for art therapy careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	2.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	12.5%
Master’s Degree	35.9%
Doctoral Degree	24.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	19.1%

Online Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	35	2
Post-Master’s	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Worth It?

The median salary for a art therapy grad is $57,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 45% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $355,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to art therapy.

Major	Number of Grads
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,809
Occupational Therapy	10,592
Rehabilitation Science	1,258
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling	1,017
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	877
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	773
Music Therapy	688
Orthotist/Prosthetist	331
Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering	138
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	129
Animal-Assisted Therapy	85
Play Therapy	52
Dance Therapy	39
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, General	36
Drama Therapy	0
Horticulture Therapy	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.