The development of doctoral education in art therapy is essential due to the increasing demand for research and evidence-based practice. This demand warrants the allocation of resources to prepare art therapy researchers or stewards of the profession charged with generating a strong evidence-base to sustain and advance the field. The American Art Therapy Association Doctoral Education Subcommittee explored defining features and factors influencing the growth and development of art therapy doctoral education. These factors include socio-economic, institutional infrastructural, professional trans-disciplinary and intra-disciplinary, and curricular and pedagogical issues that impact the mission, vision, degree type, operation, and outcomes of art therapy doctoral education. An investigation of the current status and challenges offers future directions for doctoral education in art therapy.