The first year provides initial personal exploration and development of your chosen art or music pathway, within a therapeutic framework. The focus is on exploring, developing and applying an understanding of personal and participant creativity. A study of human development will help raise awareness of a range of developmental issues. You will learn about the basic principles of working therapeutically and how to construct beneficial and experimental creative activities. A placement in an educational setting provides an opportunity to link theory with practice within a structured environment. Year 2 While extending knowledge of the art form within a therapeutic context, you will continue to develop your practical art or music pathway skills. You will explore issues connected with working as part of a multi- disciplinary team and collaborate with your fellow students from the other pathway. Learning is consolidated, developed, applied and assessed while working creatively and therapeutically with small groups on selected education or community arts placements, which also provide a stimulus for consideration of a research focus for year 3. Year 3 You will focus upon personal research linked to placement and your chosen art or music pathway. Students are required to plan and develop a focused research project by way of an Independent Study. This involves the production of protocol and ethics documentation for consideration and approval by the University’s Research and Ethics Committee. Further development of the chosen art or music pathway is pivotal at this stage, as is research linked to practice while on placement. This will provide an opportunity for you to explore and direct your emerging professional practice in preparation for employment. View our Year 3 students graduate work from the SEE SAW exhibition

Employment opportunities exist within education, health and the third sector, including community arts projects. This programme is a potential pathway to postgraduate study, including the MA Art Psychotherapy or MA Music Therapy, leading to Health Professions Council (HPC) registration as an Art Psychotherapist or Music Psychotherapist (subject to specific entry requirements).