Assistant Program Director Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Assistant Program Director roles sit at the intersection of management and specialized program delivery, making them strong candidates for H-1B visa specialty occupation sponsorship. Employers in nonprofits, healthcare, and education routinely file Labor Condition Applications for this title, and international candidates with relevant degrees have a clear path to offer and petition.
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The Department of Counseling at Springfield College invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Counseling to oversee the Art Therapy concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) major. We seek a collaborative counselor educator and credentialed art therapist committed to teaching, clinical preparation, and preparing culturally responsive practitioners.
About Springfield College
Founded in 1885, Springfield College is a private, coeducational institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs that reflect its distinctive Humanics philosophy—the education of the whole person in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity. The Counseling Department seeks colleagues whose teaching, scholarship, and service advance this mission. For more information, visit springfield.edu.
Actual salaries will vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to degrees attained, experience, and other considerations permitted by law. Comprehensive compensation details, including any additional benefits, will be communicated upon finalization of the employment offer.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will provide leadership for the Art Therapy concentration and teach graduate courses in art therapy and clinical mental health counseling. This position offers opportunities for leadership, creativity, and collaboration in helping to shape our newly designed Art Therapy concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the Department of Counseling, expanding students’ pathways to licensure and employment while preserving fine art focus and preparation for professional art therapy credentials.
The position includes teaching and administrative responsibilities equivalent to a 12 credit load per semester, with assigned administrative responsibilities recognized within that load. Courses may be offered face-to-face and online. Responsibilities include:
- Directing the Art Therapy concentration, including administration, organization, curriculum development, course scheduling, recruitment, and program assessment.
- Consult on the recruitment and hire of qualified faculty to support teaching within the art therapy concentration, and regularly convene an advisory committee for the purpose of maintaining accreditation and guiding curricular development.
- Leading our re-accreditation and annual review of CAAHEP/ACATE, including documentation, reporting, continuous quality review and improvement, and coordination with Counseling Department leadership.
- Providing academic oversight and supporting the integration of art therapy preparation with the CMHC curriculum and applicable accreditation and professional credentialing requirements.
- Ensuring that all Art Therapy students have faculty advisors and receive support for academic progress, professional development, and credentialing preparation.
- Teaching courses aligned with the candidate’s expertise, potentially including art therapy foundations and theory, assessment, human development and specialized populations, research, advanced seminar, and core counseling courses.
- Coordinating art therapy fieldwork with the department’s clinical coordinator, including identifying appropriate placements, supporting site supervisors, and monitoring students’ clinical development.
- Providing clinical instruction and supervision consistent with the candidate’s qualifications and applicable program requirements.
- Engaging in scholarship, professional service, and collaborative departmental and College initiatives.
- Promoting an inclusive learning environment that supports students’ professional identities as counselors and art therapists.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- A doctorate in Counseling or related field
- A master’s degree in Art Therapy or a closely related degree that meets professional art therapy credentialing requirements.
- Current Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) certification through the Art Therapy Credentials Board, or an equivalent national art therapy certification meeting CAAHEP/ACATE requirements through a certification organization accredited by NCCA, ANSI, or under ISO.
- Licensure or ability to obtain licensure as a mental health counselor in Massachusetts within one year of hire.
- At least three years of relevant clinical experience.
- Demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive practice, ethical professional preparation, and student success.
- Strong organizational, communication, and collaborative leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- An earned doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision, ideally from a CACREP-accredited Counselor Education and Supervision program, is highly preferred.
- Experience teaching graduate courses in art therapy and counseling.
- Experience with CAAHEP/ACATE accreditation, program assessment, curriculum development, or program administration.
- Experience supervising art therapy students and coordinating clinical placements.
- Evidence of scholarship or a developing research agenda relevant to art therapy, counseling, or counselor education.
Application Information
Applicants should submit a letter of interest addressing their qualifications for teaching and Art Therapy program leadership; a curriculum vitae; a statement of teaching philosophy and research interests; and the names and contact information of three to five professional references. Applications will be reviewed starting January 1, 2027 and continue until the position is filled.
Description
The Department of Counseling at Springfield College invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Counseling to oversee the Art Therapy concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) major. We seek a collaborative counselor educator and credentialed art therapist committed to teaching, clinical preparation, and preparing culturally responsive practitioners.
About Springfield College
Founded in 1885, Springfield College is a private, coeducational institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs that reflect its distinctive Humanics philosophy—the education of the whole person in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity. The Counseling Department seeks colleagues whose teaching, scholarship, and service advance this mission. For more information, visit springfield.edu.
Actual salaries will vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to degrees attained, experience, and other considerations permitted by law. Comprehensive compensation details, including any additional benefits, will be communicated upon finalization of the employment offer.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will provide leadership for the Art Therapy concentration and teach graduate courses in art therapy and clinical mental health counseling. This position offers opportunities for leadership, creativity, and collaboration in helping to shape our newly designed Art Therapy concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the Department of Counseling, expanding students’ pathways to licensure and employment while preserving fine art focus and preparation for professional art therapy credentials.
The position includes teaching and administrative responsibilities equivalent to a 12 credit load per semester, with assigned administrative responsibilities recognized within that load. Courses may be offered face-to-face and online. Responsibilities include:
- Directing the Art Therapy concentration, including administration, organization, curriculum development, course scheduling, recruitment, and program assessment.
- Consult on the recruitment and hire of qualified faculty to support teaching within the art therapy concentration, and regularly convene an advisory committee for the purpose of maintaining accreditation and guiding curricular development.
- Leading our re-accreditation and annual review of CAAHEP/ACATE, including documentation, reporting, continuous quality review and improvement, and coordination with Counseling Department leadership.
- Providing academic oversight and supporting the integration of art therapy preparation with the CMHC curriculum and applicable accreditation and professional credentialing requirements.
- Ensuring that all Art Therapy students have faculty advisors and receive support for academic progress, professional development, and credentialing preparation.
- Teaching courses aligned with the candidate’s expertise, potentially including art therapy foundations and theory, assessment, human development and specialized populations, research, advanced seminar, and core counseling courses.
- Coordinating art therapy fieldwork with the department’s clinical coordinator, including identifying appropriate placements, supporting site supervisors, and monitoring students’ clinical development.
- Providing clinical instruction and supervision consistent with the candidate’s qualifications and applicable program requirements.
- Engaging in scholarship, professional service, and collaborative departmental and College initiatives.
- Promoting an inclusive learning environment that supports students’ professional identities as counselors and art therapists.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- A doctorate in Counseling or related field
- A master’s degree in Art Therapy or a closely related degree that meets professional art therapy credentialing requirements.
- Current Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) certification through the Art Therapy Credentials Board, or an equivalent national art therapy certification meeting CAAHEP/ACATE requirements through a certification organization accredited by NCCA, ANSI, or under ISO.
- Licensure or ability to obtain licensure as a mental health counselor in Massachusetts within one year of hire.
- At least three years of relevant clinical experience.
- Demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive practice, ethical professional preparation, and student success.
- Strong organizational, communication, and collaborative leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- An earned doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision, ideally from a CACREP-accredited Counselor Education and Supervision program, is highly preferred.
- Experience teaching graduate courses in art therapy and counseling.
- Experience with CAAHEP/ACATE accreditation, program assessment, curriculum development, or program administration.
- Experience supervising art therapy students and coordinating clinical placements.
- Evidence of scholarship or a developing research agenda relevant to art therapy, counseling, or counselor education.
Application Information
Applicants should submit a letter of interest addressing their qualifications for teaching and Art Therapy program leadership; a curriculum vitae; a statement of teaching philosophy and research interests; and the names and contact information of three to five professional references. Applications will be reviewed starting January 1, 2027 and continue until the position is filled.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Assistant Program Director Jobs
Match your degree field to the role
Assistant Program Director positions qualify as specialty occupations only when the employer can show a bachelor's degree in a directly related field is a genuine requirement. Social work, public health, education administration, or public policy degrees typically satisfy this, but a general business degree alone may not.
Pull prevailing wage data before negotiating
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for your target city before you receive an offer. Your employer's LCA must certify at least that wage level, so knowing the floor beforehand prevents surprises that stall or kill the sponsorship filing.
Target nonprofits and academic medical centers first
Organizations with 501(c)(3) status or affiliated with universities often qualify as H-1B cap-exempt employers, meaning they can file year-round without entering the annual lottery. Assistant Program Director roles in these settings move from offer to petition faster than corporate equivalents.
Verify the O*NET profile before your interview
Review the O*NET occupation profile for Program Directors to understand how USCIS evaluates whether this title meets specialty occupation standards. Walking into an interview able to articulate why the role requires a specific degree field strengthens your employer's confidence in sponsoring you.
Use Migrate Mate to find verified sponsorship history
Search Assistant Program Director roles on Migrate Mate to see employers with confirmed LCA filing history for this title. Targeting companies that have sponsored the role before shortens the internal approval process and reduces the risk that your offer stalls at HR.
Clarify PERM intent before accepting an offer
If your long-term goal is a green card, ask during offer negotiation whether the employer is willing to pursue PERM labor certification after your H-1B is approved. Program management roles in government-funded programs often have PERM precedent, but not all nonprofit employers budget for it upfront.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Assistant Program Director role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but the employer must demonstrate the position genuinely requires a bachelor's degree in a specific related field, not just any bachelor's degree. Roles in public health, social services, or education program management typically meet this standard. Employers who list degree requirements as preferred rather than required risk an RFE from USCIS, so the job description wording matters significantly.
Which visa types realistically cover Assistant Program Director positions?
The H-1B is the most common path for this title. Canadians and Mexicans may qualify under TN visa if the role maps to an eligible USMCA profession. Australians with a qualifying degree and a U.S. job offer can apply for an E-3 visa, which has no lottery and renews indefinitely. The EB-2 or EB-3 green card routes are also viable for candidates with sponsoring employers willing to file PERM.
What degree background do employers typically require for sponsored Assistant Program Director roles?
Most employers sponsoring this title expect a bachelor's degree in social work, public health, education administration, public policy, or a closely related field. Some positions in healthcare or government-funded programs require a master's degree, which also strengthens an EB-2 green card petition. A degree in an unrelated field, even combined with years of experience, creates specialty occupation problems at USCIS.
How do I find employers who have sponsored Assistant Program Director roles before?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA filing history for this job title, so you can focus your applications on organizations that have already navigated the sponsorship process for this role. Targeting experienced sponsors reduces the risk of an employer backing out mid-process because they're unfamiliar with the H-1B requirements.
Does the H-1B cap and lottery apply to Assistant Program Director roles at nonprofits?
Not always. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status affiliated with a university, government research organization, or nonprofit research institution may qualify as cap-exempt employers. If your target organization qualifies, it can file an H-1B petition at any time of year, bypassing the annual cap of 65,000 regular slots and 20,000 advanced-degree exemptions. Confirm the employer's cap-exempt status before accepting an offer.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Assistant Program Director jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.