Expressive Arts Therapy Graduate Certificate

About

Expressive Arts Therapy is the practice of using storytelling, dance, music, drama, poetry, dreamwork, visual arts and other artistic modalities in an integrated way to foster human growth, development and healing. It is about reclaiming our innate capacity as human beings for the creative expression of our individual and collective human experience in artistic form. It is also about experiencing the natural capacity of creative expression and creative community for healing.

This type of therapy is different from other creative therapies — such as Art Therapy or Music Therapy — in that it emphasizes the interdisciplinary use of multiple art modalities.

App State’s Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate is available both to current master’s students in the helping professions as well as working professionals who already have a master’s degree in the helping professions.

More Information
Expressive Arts Therapy

Courses

Graduate Bulletin and Course Catalog
- Expressive Arts Therapy Graduate Certificate

Application Essentials

Required Entrance Exam: None

Required number of references to specify in the online form: None

Supplemental Information: Resume (Required upload for application submission); HPC Department Questionnaire (upload on the Additional Information page in the online application)

Basic Conditions for Consideration of Admission: The Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate requires the applicant to have completed or be near completion of a master’s degree (or higher) in the mental health or arts therapy field.

Individuals enrolled in or applying to a master’s degree program in a mental health-related field at App State are eligible to apply to complete the certificate program concurrently with their degree.

Employers

Graduates are working at these and other employers:

a variety of educational, counseling, arts and medical settings

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Degrees

Application Deadlines

Summer Session 1: x
Summer Session 2: x
Fall: 4/1
Spring: 11/1

Why Appalachian?

The Expressive Arts Therapy program was founded by Dr. Sally Atkins and the Appalachian Expressive Arts Collective.
This is one of the oldest expressive arts programs in the world, and it is well respected internationally.
It is the only expressive arts program housed in a public university.
All graduate programs at Appalachian have small class sizes, providing intimate classroom interaction.
The School of Graduate Studies offers scholarships, fellowships and assistantships to support eligible, full-time, degree-seeking students.

Location

On campus

Careers

Expressive Arts Therapist
Mental Health Counselor

Contacts

Dr. Amy Milsom
Program Director
milsomas@appstate.edu
828-262-3133

Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

Reich College of Education

Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

The Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education is responsible for organizing and providing instructional programs in counseling and other human development functions for public schools, colleges and universities and various agencies. The department offers Master of Arts degrees in clinical mental health counseling, professional school counseling, student affairs administration and marriage and family therapy. Learn more at https://cth.appstate.edu/.

Reich College of Education
Approximately 2,400 students
- The Reich College of Education enrolls approximately 2,400 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. It houses five departments: Curriculum and Instruction, Family and Child Studies, Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Leadership and Educational Studies, and Reading Education and Special Education.
Teacher preparation
- Appalachian has been training quality educators for more than 100 years and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- Appalachian offers the largest undergraduate teacher preparation program in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. There is at least one RCOE graduate working in every county in North Carolina.
- The Reich College of Education is recognized consistently in the annual Institution of Higher Education Performance Report by the State Board of Education.
Close ties to public schools
- The Appalachian State University Public School Partnership – which includes 125 schools in nine surrounding districts – provides sites for student teachers and interns as well as professional development opportunities for teachers.
- The Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork, located in Walkertown, North Carolina, serves over 300 K-5 students. The Academy provides a balanced education through the implementation of research-based practices, state-of-the-art literacy instruction, and exemplary classroom instruction and administration.
Graduate programs
- The School of Graduate Studies’ Accelerated Admission program, in which select undergraduate students can fulfill both undergraduate and graduate course requirements in their senior year toward the completion of a graduate degree program, is offered in: higher education, reading education and special education.
- Other education-related master’s degrees, graduate certificates and specialist degrees are listed on Appalachian’s School of Graduate Studies website.