Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate
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The Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate is a fully online, 15-hour certificate program designed to provide students from different mental health educational backgrounds with the opportunity to broaden their scope of practice; thus, increasing counseling skills and increasing job opportunities by helping practitioners become more competitive in the job market. This program is for master's- or doctoral-level mental health providers as well as current graduate level counseling/mental health students. Students who complete this master’s level, online certificate will be able to provide enhanced expressive arts therapies.
*This program is offered 100% ONLINE.
Admission Requirements
Step #1: Submit a UTRGV Graduate Application at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply. There is no application fee.
Step #2: Request your official transcripts to be sent electronically to or mailed to:
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Graduate College
Marialice Shary Shivers Bldg. 1.158
1201 W. University Drive
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
*Please Note: If you are a graduate of UTPA, UTB/TSC, or UTRGV you do not need to request an official transcript to be sent to the Graduate College.
Admission requirements
Meets all UTRGV Graduate College admission requirements; and be either a:
- Current graduate student in a counseling or related program in their final semester, or
- Graduate of a graduate-level counseling or related programs. (Relevant counseling programs include rehabilitation counseling, school counseling, clinical psychology, addictions/substance abuse counseling, and other mental health counseling discipline.)
Additional requirements for domestic applicants who attended foreign universities:
- For additional information, visit the Additional Documents for Domestic Applicants who Attend Foreign Universities section of our website.
Additional requirements for international applicants:
- For additional information, visit the International Admission page of our website.
Application Deadlines & Program Contact
To view a list of application deadlines and program contacts for our traditional programs, click here.
Tuition and Fees Estimate
Fall 2021-Summer 2022 Rates Tuition and Mandatory Fees | ||||
Graduate | ||||
Resident | Non-Resident* | |||
Number of graduate course(s) (hours per course) | Fall or Spring | Summer Session (each) | Fall or Spring | Summer Session (each) |
One graduate course (3 hours a semester) | $1,584.89 | $1,437.79 | $2,808.89 | $2,661.79 |
Two graduate courses (6 hours a semester) | $2,875.58 | $2,728.48 | $5,323.58 | $5,176.48 |
Three graduate courses (9 hours a semester) | $4,166.27 | $4,019.17 | $7,838.27 | $7,691.17 |
Fees included above:
- University Services Fee - $38.10 per hour ($457.20 maximum)
- Student Services Fee - $5.83 per hour ($69.96 maximum)
- Intercollegiate Athletics Fee - $15.00 per hour ($180.00 maximum)
- Recreation Fee ‐ $75 per Fall or Spring; $37.50 per summer term
- Medical Services Fee ‐ $30 per Fall or Spring; $15 per summer term
- Student Union Fee ‐ $30 per Fall or Spring; $15 per summer term
All resident tuition and mandatory fees shown above remain the same for hours over 20. Add $408 nonresident tuition for each hour over 20.
*Includes nonresident statutory tuition charges set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and subject to annual change.
Total does not include Lab and Supplemental Instruction Fees which vary by course, or Differential Tuition. To view graduate tuition and fees rates, visit UTRGV’s U Central.
Course Requirements
Click here to view the program's course requirements from the current catalog.
A master’s degree is required for entry level practice in art therapy from institutions of higher education recognized by regional accreditation bodies approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Minimum educational, professional, and ethical standards for the profession are established by the American Art Therapy Association, a membership and advocacy organization which serves its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence, and developing and promoting knowledge in, and of, the field of art therapy.
The Association is dedicated to the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life enhancing. The American Art Therapy Association’s Education Committee establishes the Educational Standards used by the Educational Program Approval Board (EPAB) to review art therapy masters programs for compliance and accreditation. Approved programs can be found on the American Art Therapy Association’s website. Educational requirements include theories of art therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy; ethics and standards of practice; assessment and evaluation; individual, group, and family art therapy techniques; human and creative development; multicultural issues; research methods; and internship experiences in clinical, community, and/or other settings.
Click Here for more information from the American Art Therapy Association.