BA (Hons) Creative and Therapeutic Arts

Year One: Creative and Therapeutic Arts Degree

Your first year focuses on building a creative learning community among your fellow students to support you throughout your studies. Youll work independently and collaboratively, sharing knowledge and constructively critiquing each others work. Youll also engage in an intensive project of professional engagement and training. This will culminate in expressive arts workshops in the community through collaborative working.

• Art (1)
• Professional Practice (1)
• Creativity and Wellbeing: Theoretical Underpinnings
• Academic Skills for Inclusive Practice

Year Two: Creative and Therapeutic Arts Degree

In the second year, youll have opportunities to diversify. Theoretical modules offer insight into a range of specialist contexts and ideas on how to work creatively within these, as well as exploring the nature of collaboration and participation. This learning is developed, applied and assessed while you work creatively and therapeutically on a placement.

• Art (2)
• Professional Practice/Placement (2)
• Working Creatively to Facilitate Wellbeing

Year Three: Creative and Therapeutic Arts Degree

The final year provides scope for you to hone your identity as a creative arts practitioner. Youll learn about the importance of evidence-based practice and evaluation, and refine your chosen specialist area through further placement opportunities in community, education and health settings. This year ends with a graduate exhibition, which has a keen focus on the therapeutic and inclusive potential of this practice.

• Art (3)
• Critical Reflection of Therapeutic Principles
• Evidence-based practice
• Professional Practice/Placement

You will take part in collaborative classes, workshops and lectures as well as learning through work-based placements in a range of community, educational and health settings. 

Find out more about our current research into learning disabilities and developmental disorders.

Assessment methods on the course are varied and are typically coursework and practical in orientation. Assessment consists of coursework, essays, peer presentations, creative and therapeutic peer workshops, independent study and professional work on placement.

There are no examinations within the Creative and Therapeutic Arts programme.

The entry criteria below shows the qualification range within which the University will make offers. The University has a Contextual Admissions Policy, therefore, whilst most offers we make are at the top of the range, under the Policy we take certain aspects of an application into consideration and eligible UCAS applicants can receive a personalised offer or have results considered individually when you receive them.Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy Statement. 

Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. 

Additional Requirements

The interview will include a discussion of your current involvement with art. You will also be required to produce a portfolio of work, which should be no less than 20 pages, demonstrating your art practice.Where Art has not been studied as part of formal education, applicants should look to pursue art classes, night school and/or independent studio practice. 

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child & Adult Workforce and Child Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants)

Typical A-Level Offer

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Typical BTEC Offer

Typical IB Offer

Typical Access to HE Offer

Additional Requirements

International Entry Requirements

Employment opportunities exist within education, health and the third sector, including community arts projects.

This Creative and Therapeutic Arts degree is a potential pathway to postgraduate study, including the MA Art Psychotherapy leading to Health and Care Professions Council (HPC) registration as an Art Psychotherapist. Students have also progressed to the MA Arts Practice (Arts, Health and Wellbeing) as well as developing their own companies and freelance practices.

Our Careers and Employability Service

As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.

This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.