Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Expressive Arts

This certificate is for students enrolled in or who have completed a Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: Social Work, Psychology (all concentrations), Educational Psychology, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Fine Arts, or related mental health discipline. Students enrolled in the certificate program will have previously completed coursework in psychopathology, ethics/professional practice, theory, and child and adult development.  The Expressive Arts Certificate will provide students with the required knowledge and skills around the use of the arts (e.g., music, theater, art, dance/movement, storytelling) to apply to their practice with various groups and at all levels (micro, mezzo, macro) of practice.  Additionally, upon completion of the certificate and then a subsequent 200 (social work, psychology, educational psychology, marriage and family counseling, related mental health discipline) or 500 (fine arts or another discipline) hour supervised internship in chosen art modality, the individual will be eligible to apply as a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist and/or Registered Expressive Arts Consultant through the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.

Required Courses and Electives

SOWK 607 Emergency Mental Health and Trauma (3) Provides an in-depth study of the concepts, policies, practices and research in crisis intervention during disasters. This course will provide an introduction to the disaster field, a detailed examination of the human service delivery systems and guidelines for attending to the emotional and mental-health needs of both disaster survivors and responders, using the Critical Incident Stress Management model. This course is offered online. Prereq: SOWK 601 or SOWK 531 or permission of instructor. Offered periodically

SOWK 609 Art Therapy and Social Work (3) This advanced elective course explores the principles and techniques of art therapy and considers the usefulness of art therapy in providing alternatives and supplements to the customary verbal methods of intervention. Ways of working with clients at various stages of the life cycle, childhood through later adulthood, and with clients who are on different levels of psychosocial functioning are examined. Issues in art therapy are explored both cognitively and experientially. Previous training in the visual arts and artistic ability are not required. This course will meet 2/3 online and 1/3 in the classroom. Offered periodically. Prereq or Coreq: SOWK 601 or SOWK 531.

ART 602 Qualitative Research and Arts-Based Research Methods (3) Intended for graduate students whose research questions may best be answered through qualitative and arts-based research methods. Provides students an opportunity to investigate and consider the applications of a number of qualitative and arts-based research methods to their emerging ideas and designs for a thesis or capstone project. The emphasis will be on identifying and evaluating prospective research problems and questions, examination of related research literature and development of a research project proposal. An intermediate-level methods class with a prerequisite of EDFN 601 or a comparable entry-level research course in the student's major department.

Students will select two from the following list of expressive arts courses:

ART 584: Introduction to Studio Art for Graduate Students: + Discipline

ART 585: Introduction to Studio Art for Graduate Students: + Discipline

ENGL 641 Poetry (3) The nature of poetry as genre; content as an extension of form; form as an extension of content; work in prosody; intensive reading in verse of all types and periods; projects in bibliography and explication. Offered annually.

ENGL 642 Drama (3) Drama as a literary genre; detailed study of specimens of drama of all types and periods; emphasis on masterpieces of drama from Aeschylus to Pinter; dramatic theory and criticism. Offered annually.

ENGL 643 Fiction (3) Fiction as a literary genre; in-depth study of specific works of various types and periods; emphasis on specimens of fiction from around the world. Fiction theory and criticism. Offered annually

ENGL 645 The Short Story (3) The rise and development of the short story as a literary genre. Offered periodically

ENGL 678 The Teacher as Writer I or II (3) This course is designed for teachers K-12 who would like to grow as writers. It consists of structured participation in an ongoing writing workshop where participants become increasingly sophisticated in their use of writing process strategies, conference and response skills, and various genres and styles. The course includes mini-workshops from local writers and is a place where we form a community of writers as we share and listen and grow. Participants experiment with new genres and submit at least one of their pieces for publication. Offered in summer.

ENGL 682: Genres in Nonfiction Writing (3) Exploration of theories and practices of creative nonfiction, including but not limited to memoirs, profiles, histories, biographies, travel literature, blogging and nature writing in diverse modes (print, digital and visual) for diverse audiences and purposes.


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