The University of Florida (UF) Center for Arts in Medicine is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for admission for a new online Master of Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine degree — the first graduate degree of its kind nationwide. The University of Florida Board of Governors approved the MA degree in June.
“The Center’s new offering is a direct result of inquiries and requests we received for graduate-level education,” said Jill Sonke, Center for Arts in Medicine director. “This interest reflects advancements in professionalism in the field of arts in medicine overall.”
The need for graduate-level education reflects the prevalence of arts programs in health care environments nationwide. The 2009 State of the Field Report on Arts in Healthcare produced by the Society for the Arts in Healthcare noted that respondents from a 2007 survey showed that 45% of health care institutions had arts programs of some sort, a slight increase from a 2004 survey. The report also shows significant increase in organizational support for the programs and the professionals who staff them.
Admission to the MA in Arts in Medicine program requires a bachelor’s degree in an arts, health or related field of study, a GRE exam score or previous graduate degree, and completion of the Introduction to the Arts in Healthcare course at UF, or completion of an Arts in Healthcare Summer Intensive, or a minimum of one year of professional experience as an artist or administrator in the field of Arts in Medicine. Requirements of the degree include completion of 35 credits of the following coursework with a 3.0 or higher GPA.
The MA in Arts in Medicine is designed to be completed in two years when students are enrolled in one class at a time (with one 8-week semester with two courses). Students should expect to dedicate 16 hours per week to each 8-week 3-credit hour course. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning June 23, 2014 and up to July 28, 2014 for fall 2014 admission. November 3, 2014 is the application deadline for spring 2015, and March 2, 2015 is the deadline for Summer 2015 admission.
“During the last quarter century, the benefits of alternative therapies for health have been emerging in the U.S.,” said Lucinda Lavelli, dean of UF’s College of the Arts. “The incorporation of the arts into health care protocols is an example. UF has been a leader in introducing the benefits of the arts in a clinical setting as well as in an educational setting, training students and artists for work in a medical setting. This new degree and mode of curriculum delivery allows for professionals around the globe access to training to improve their own skills for the benefit of their patients.”
More information about the program, application requirements and tuition costs can be found at www.arts.ufl.edu/cam/Masters.aspx. Individuals interested in applying to the program may contact the Center for more information at 352.273.1488, or e-mail Graduate Programs Advisor Dylan Klempner at dklempner@arts.ufl.edu.
About UF’s Center for Arts in Medicine
The Center for the Arts in Medicine was established at the University of Florida in 1999. The Center grew from the groundbreaking clinical work of the Shands Arts in Medicine program, and serves as the academic, research and community outreach component of the partner programs. It is the mission of the Center for the Arts in Medicine to facilitate research, education and training in the use of the arts to enhance the healing process, to further develop arts in health care as career options for artists and to promote art and creativity as catalysts for developing healthy lifestyles. The Center provides a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among University of Florida faculty and students, healthcare providers, clinical artists, and our local and global communities. The Center develops and effects interdisciplinary research studies and educational curricula on all levels and serves as a national model for the arts in healthcare research, education and training. To learn more, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/cam.
About the College of the Arts
The College of the Arts, previously known as the College of Fine Arts, is one the 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The College of the Arts offers baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its three fully-accredited schools — the School of Art + Art History, School of Music and School of Theatre + Dance. The college is home to the Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for World Arts, Digital Worlds Institute, University Galleries and the New World School of the Arts in Miami. More than 100 faculty members and more than 1,220 students work together daily to engage, inspire and create. The college hosts more than 300 performances, exhibitions and events each year. Faculty and students also exhibit and perform at other local, national and international venues. To learn more, visit www.arts.ufl.edu.
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Media Contact:
Leah Craig
University of Florida College of the Arts
Office: 352.273.1489 | Cell: 904.419.3346
