Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education
Eliza Homer, PhD, ATR-BC, LCPC, NCC, Chair
For questions, contact:
4875 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 240
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 724-830-1140
Email: acatecouncil@gmail.com
To search for an Art Therapy program, select "Art Therapy" under the Profession button on the Find an Accredited Program page, and select search at the bottom of the profession list. This will take you to the directory of Art Therapy programs, which are listed alphabetically by state. There is more than one page of accredited programs. To view all of the programs click "load more" at the bottom of the page. To view a program's information, click on the name of the program to open the record.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE) cooperate with the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) to establish, maintain and promote appropriate standards of quality for educational programs that meet or exceed the minimum standards.
CURRENT ART THERAPY PROGRAM STUDENTS: Have you been hearing about the transition of Art Therapy program from being approved to being accredited and have questions? Review this PAMPHLET on these import changes occurring to understand this time of transition.
CAAHEP accreditation attests to the quality of an educational program that prepares for entry into the art therapy profession.
Council Member Roster (PDF)
Art Therapy programs interested in achieving CAAHEP accreditation must review the following documents to understand what is required before beginning the process:
1) Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Art Therapy
2) Initial Self-Study Report Handbook
3) Initial Self-Study Report Template*
* To be eligible to submit a full Initial Self-Study Report (ISSR) for accreditation review, programs must have at least one graduating class and have provided graduate-level instruction in art therapy on a continuous basis for at least three academic years. Programs may, however, submit a preliminary Request for Accreditation Services (RAS) at the end of the second academic year of instruction as long as they have achieved one graduating class by that time.
Once these materials are reviewed, to begin the accreditation process complete the Request for Accreditation Services Form (RAS) at the link below:
2. Initial Self-Study Report Handbook
3. Request for Accreditation Services Form
4. Initial Self-Study Report Template (Word)
6. Fillable Forms, charts and surveys
7. Site Evaluators are Coming! - A guide for Program Directors
8. FAQ Sheet for Newly Accredited Programs
9. Guidance for Art Therapy Program Directors on Outcomes Standards
10. Annual Report (2023) Portal Instructions - provided for example of annual processes once accredited. Related webinar and Word version of these materials may also be requested from ACATE.
11. ACATE Policies and Procedures Manual
12. Post-Graduate master's degrees also offered by art therapy programs
14. Student Brochure About ACATE and Accreditation
1. Adding a Degree Form (Word)
2. Change in Mission or Goals Form (Word)
3. Change of Curriculum Form (Word)
4. Change or Addition of Instructional Delivery Method Form (Word)
5. Program Personnel Change Form (Word)
6. Change in Program Sponsorship- Substantive Change Report Form (Word)
Upcoming Council Meetings: May 25, June 26, July 27, and August 24, 2023
Survey Templates Referenced in Self Study and Annual Report process:
ACATE Webinar Series
Using SLOs as Outcomes Summative Measures May 16, 2023 (No passcode needed to access recording)
Graduate, Employment, and Employer Surveys May 31, 2023 (Passcode to access recording: ^cz7+6V5)
Frequently Cited Annual Report Concerns June 2, 2023 (Passcode to access recording: M61N7+@V)
De-mystifying the Role of the Advisory Committee July 7, 2023 (No passcode needed to access recording)
Consider becoming an ACATE Site Visitor
Download Site Evaluator brochure
Download Site Evaluator application