The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute offers a postgraduate Diploma program in two hybrid delivery formats: campus hybrid and online hybrid.
We accept applications on an ongoing basis. After submitting a complete application form and all application materials, suitable candidates will be contacted to arrange for a personal interview, either in-person or online.
For further information, please feel welcome to call or email us with your questions.
How to Apply to the Program
Admission to the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute Diploma program is competitive as space is limited. The campus hybrid and online hybrid cohorts both begin in September. It is important to get your application materials in early to be considered for the upcoming academic year.
While we do accept applications until the cohorts are filled, we recommend applying by April 30 to increase your chances of securing a spot for the following September start date. Applications can be submitted any time during the calendar year.
We are currently accepting applications for the cohorts beginning in September 2024. Interviews will begin in late January 2024.
Application requirements
The following application materials are required for admission to the Diploma program:
Completed Admissions Form
Bachelor’s degree *
Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Institute.
Minimum of three post-secondary level courses collectively demonstrating critical thinking, skills in research and academic writing, an understanding of human development and an awareness of social and cultural contexts with an emphasis on understanding systems of oppression and privilege. Examples of applicable coursework include but are not limited to sociology, philosophy, gender studies, cultural studies, and psychology.
Portfolio including ten images of creative art
Criminal record check for working with vulnerable clients
Three letters of reference
Resumé
Personal autobiography (500 words max.)
Statement of intent (250 words max.)
Proficiency in English
* The Bachelor’s degree requirement may be met through a documented Equivalency Assessment
Online Hybrid students only
30-hour art therapy workshop
This requirement ensures that Online Hybrid students begin the program with the same experiential orientation to art therapy that campus hybrid students receive in the first weeks of the program. The requirement can be fulfilled with one of KATI’s own Intro Series workshops or an equivalent workshop can be submitted for consideration.
Recommended experience
Previous work or volunteer experience in education, counselling, rehabilitation, psychiatry, or social services
Participation in art therapy workshops or groups
Personal experience with therapy or art therapy
Admissions Form
Submit this form to begin the admissions process. A KATI staff member will contact you within a few days to walk you through the next step of the admissions process.
Fees
Application Fees
$175 for campus hybrid and online hybrid students
$450 for international students
Application fees are non-refundable and can be paid by e-transfer to the KATI administration office or by cheque, money order, or bank draft. Please inquire for more information if you would like to transfer funds to a KATI bank account.
Re-application fee
Students who have deferred acceptance to KATI may apply again within one year with a new letter of intent, a new interview, and a fee of $125.
Equivalency Assessment fee - $100
Read more about Equivalency Assessments >>
Tuition Fees
Campus Hybrid Tuition
1st year - $14,720
2nd year - $12,050
Technology Fee - $150
Student Fees - $150
Online Hybrid Tuition
1st year - $14,720
2nd year - $12,050
Technology Fee - $150
Student Fees - $150
International Campus Tuition
1st year - $17,070
2nd year - $15,810
Technology Fee - $150
Student Fees - $150
Additional Costs
Textbooks - Required textbook list amounts to approximately $1,400 per year, if purchased new. Students are responsible for purchasing their own required textbooks.
Supervision Fees
Supervision is included in the cost of tuition fees, provided the student maintains their expected clinical placement hours each week for the duration of their studies. If students require additional or summer semesters of supervision, additional course fees for supervision will apply.
If students are not able to complete the program within the scheduled time frame, a student may have to contract for further clinical supervision.
Fall 2024 Supervision (1 semester): $1500
Fall 2024 Supervision (2 months): $800
Course Re-take Fee
Individual courses unfinished or incomplete within the timeframe:
20-hour course: $700
30-hour course: $1050
40-hour course: $1400
45-hour course: $1500
Research Extension Course
$1840 per year
$920 per semester
Official Transcript Fee
$20 per transcript
Professional Registration Forms
$30 per form
NSF cheques
$25 per cheque
Equipment
Students will require a computer for coursework and a camera for documenting client artwork.
Thesis or Capstone Binding
Thesis or Capstone binding is at an additional cost to each student per copy. Students may refer to the Student Policy Manual for pricing.
Unpaid Debts
Student transcripts and diplomas are withheld until all debts to the Institute are paid. These debts include outstanding tuition, borrowed equipment, and books. All previous debts must be cleared before registration in a subsequent year.
Income Tax Receipts
All students receive T2202 education tax credit forms for each year tuition is paid. T2202 income tax receipts are provided in February for the previous year once all tuition is paid.
Refund Policy
Fees will be refunded in accordance with the PTIB (Private Training Institutions Branch) refund policy, as shown in the Student Contract and KATI Policy C9: Tuition Refunds. You may also refer to the PTIB Fee and Tuition Policy Compliance Standards for more information.
Financial Aid
The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute is Designated by the Private Training Institutions Branch of British Columbia (PTIB) and has Designation with Student Aid BC. Students who have financial need can apply for provincial and/or federal student loans or various student grants, depending upon their eligibility.
Equivalency Assessments
An Equivalency Assessment (EA) is available for applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
An EA is an assessment conducted by the Admissions Committee to establish what has been learned through formal and informal education, training, work, or life experience. There is a written component followed by an interview. The goal is to establish the quality of learning that has occurred, rather than just the experience itself. It is the applicant’s responsibility to produce documentation of evidence of learning that meets the entrance requirements to KATI. This process may be used to establish a documented equivalency of a Bachelor’s degree.
The fee for an EA application is $100.
It is important to recognize that each employer, professional association, and professional college has a unique set of application requirements. Those applying to KATI with an EA should be aware that other organizations may still require a Bachelor’s degree as an application requirement. Provincial art therapy associations accept applications for Professional membership from KATI graduates, but requirements for Registered membership may vary. The Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA) accepts both Professional and Registered membership applications from KATI graduates, regardless of whether or not they applied with an EA.
How to Apply for an Equivalency Assessment
To evaluate prior learning and clinical work experience in order to establish a documented equivalency, applicants are requested to contact the KATI administration office. We will provide you with an application format and requirements.
Click here to view KATI’s full Equivalency Assessment Policy
Transfer Agreements
The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute will consider up to 50% of course work as transfer credits from other recognized art therapy programs.
International Students
KATI is a Designated Learning Institution and welcomes International students each year. Please be sure to check with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for the specific requirements from your country. International students need a study permit to enroll.
Scholarships and Awards
KATI Scholarships
BIPOC Scholarship
The BIPOC Scholarship aims to uplift and support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) by awarding a $3500 tuition credit to a prospective first-year student. We believe that BIPOC perspectives and voices are critical in creating an equitable art therapy community. We recognize that BIPOC communities have faced and continue to face systemic inequalities in art therapy education, and we want to do our part to address these barriers. This scholarship is part of our ongoing efforts to undo the structural barriers that prevent BIPOC communities from pursuing their dreams in art therapy.
Maureen Pollack Memorial Scholarship
The Maureen Pollack Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student as a $250 tuition credit. The scholarship is awarded to a student who extends kindness, respect, and compassion to everyone in the KATI community. These are qualities that Maureen Pollack brought to her work as a member of the KATIA board, and we offer this scholarship in her honour.
Blake Parker Memorial Scholarship
The Blake Parker Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student as a $250 tuition credit. The student recognized for this award has shown one or all the following characteristics: "craziness" beyond the line of duty, commitment to creative writing, humour, and exceptional theoretical integration. Blake Parker was an instructor at KATI, and we offer this scholarship in honour of his legacy.
The Groundwater Scholarship
The Groundwater Scholarship is a $250 tuition scholarship. It is awarded to a student who is committed to facilitating culturally responsive healing arts practices for Indigenous peoples. This scholarship acknowledges the student’s contribution within a lineage of knowledge keepers who have activated and inspired KATI’s ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
Slocan Valley Lions Club Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded as a $250.00 tuition credit. The student who is awarded this scholarship will have demonstrated the following qualities:
Commitment to rural art therapy services, in particular, but not limited to the Slocan Valley;
Strong work ethics and quality art therapy services;
Loyalty to clients and the profession;
Demonstrated respectful communication skills in listening and speaking;
Generosity of spirit in offering services;
Citizenship to community and nation.
External Scholarships
Canadian Art Therapy Association Scholarships
The Canadian Art Therapy Association offers a student scholarship and research grants for CATA members. Several KATI students have been recipients of these scholarships and grants.
Application deadline is August 1st. KATI recommends that you become a student member.
Kootenay Co-Op Scholarship
The Kootenay Co-op in Nelson offers up to $3,000 in scholarships for co-op members pursuing post-secondary education
A lifetime membership to the co-op costs $50, which can be paid in 5 monthly installments of $10.
Priority is given to studies in food & environment, health, community development, and cooperation, but applications are welcome from any members. There is no age restriction and all members, and their children are eligible to apply. Deadline May 1st. Applications available on the Kootenay Co-op website.
Toronto-Dominion Bank
Columbia Basin Trust
KATI Awards (Non-monetary)
Janice Souza Award
The Janice Souza Award is awarded to a student who has made a significant contribution to the development of art therapy. Jan Souza was the first student at KATI, and she supervised and mentored many cohorts of students and graduates for over 20 years. She encouraged Monica to start the program because she believed in the transformative power of creativity, and she wanted to know how to facilitate art therapy in her work with children and youth at the Ministry of Children and Family Development here in Nelson. She was instrumental in establishing contracts for art therapists here in local community agencies and advocating for art therapy to happen in the schools. This award is given to a student who has demonstrated tenacity and courage in overcoming systemic barriers and expanding the profession of art therapy.
Jacqueline Fehlner Hope & Light Award
The Jacqueline Fehlner Hope and Light Award is given in recognition of qualities of compassion and the ability to attend to the spiritual dimensions of art therapy. Jacqueline Fehlner is a former KATI instructor who specialized in spiritual care and art therapy. The recipient will be recognized for one or all the following: qualities of compassion and attunement; ability to attend to the spiritual dimensions in art therapy; and commitment to work with one or all the following populations: the elderly; individuals living with serious life-threatening illnesses, and/or caregivers.
The Monica Carpendale Ecological Award
The Monica Carpendale Ecological Award is given in recognition of a student’s commitment to ecological work in the context of art therapy. Monica Carpendale has taught us to always put earth in the centre; and that as art therapists, we have a responsibility to cultivate care and reciprocity with the land and all beings. This award is given to a student who reflects these values in their art therapy practice and way of being.
The Lani Gerity-Granville Memorial Award
The Lani Gerity-Granville Memorial Award is to recognize an art therapy student who demonstrates immense creativity and diversity in the use of materials and media. Lani Gerity-Granville is noted for her puppets, little books, playfulness, humour, and working in an unassuming way to inspire creativity and innovation in groups and community. Lani was often ahead of the times, developing art therapy online and focusing on using art to inspire joy.
The Library and Research Award
The Library and Research Award is given to a student who has used the library extensively with joy and effectiveness as a resource for academic learning, and personal growth and development.
Special Recognition Award (Administration)
If you are interested in establishing a scholarship through KATI or a legacy fund for community services, please contact the Institute.