Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy

Graduate Diploma
(Postgraduate)

Serves a wide range of professionals in the educational, health and social service sectors.

Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy

Applications Open: 16 April 2024

Applications Close: 15 April 2025

Next Available Intake: July 2025

Programme Type: Graduate

Fees: View More Details on Fees

Area of Interest: Social Services

School/Department: S R Nathan School of Human Development

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Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is in a unique position to offer an expressive arts therapy programme as it serves a wide range of professionals in the educational, health and social service sectors, and it is set up to deliver courses for adults already in practice. For many years, requests have been forthcoming for a part-time arts therapy course for those unable to pursue it full-time. Hence, the Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy (GDXAT) is designed for flexible, part-time learning and encompasses a diverse curriculum featuring play therapy, visual arts, mind and body practices, and narrative and storytelling techniques. Classes are conveniently offered on Saturdays to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals. Through in-depth opportunities provided by the programme, professionals could employ expressive arts therapy to combine psychology and the creative process to promote emotional growth and healing. This multi-arts approach uses our innate desire to create - via play, art, music, dance, poetry or any other artistic form - as a therapeutic tool to help initiate change.

Our GDXAT creates new connections with emerging Asian models of expressive arts therapy in India and Hong Kong. It presents a psychological approach that is humanistic in orientation. The Graduate Diploma serves as a stepping stone towards pursuing a full master's program in Expressive Arts Therapy or related therapeutic disciplines. Additionally, we are also a registered member with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.

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Refer to general admission criteria for graduate programmes.

In addition, it is preferred for applicants to meet the following requirements:

Additional Admission Requirements*

Experience or familiarity, preferably, in two expressive art forms (e.g. visual art, music, dance, theatre/drama, printmaking, sculpture, etc.) OR
Preferably to have experience or training in one counselling model or approach
Preferably to be in the helping profession for at least 2 years, OR volunteering for at least 2 years in the care profession.
Documentations or referral letters from organization(s) to verify work/volunteer experience (where relevant) could be sent to support your application.

Application Submissions (Essay, Portfolio and/or Certificates)

To support your application, For above additional requirements, you may submit either or all of the following:

Certificates of courses taken (where relevant and available)
A portfolio showcasing your artwork or interactions with individuals through art, presented in PowerPoint slides.
Essay (at least 1000 words): Why the interest in this programme? Why you think you should be in this programme? What do you hope to gain from this qualification?

*Applicants who do not fulfill the additional requirement(s) are still welcome to apply as each application will be considered on its own merits.

Admission Interview

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview.

This programme is currently unable to take in international students, i.e., you must be a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or a resident in Singapore (e.g., Employment Pass holder) in order to apply for admission.

The University offers course fee concession for selected graduate programmes. Please click here for more details.

Students of our GDXAT programme are required to complete 30 credit units (cu) consisting of six core courses, inclusive of a personal creative practice with reflective journalling and some supervised practice, before they graduate. All courses are 5 cu unless stated otherwise.

GDXAT is also stackable towards the Master of Social Sciences, subject to meeting programme requirements

ProgStruc_GDXAT

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Module Types
COMPULSORY	XAT501 Asian and Western Theories of Creativity XAT503 Techniques of Counselling and Therapy in an Asian Context: Core Skills and Methodologies XAT505 Play in Expressive Arts Therapy: Theory and Practice XAT507 Mind and Body Work in Expressive Arts Therapy XAT509 Art Making in Expressive Arts Therapy XAT511 Narrative and Storytelling	30 cu

Practitioners in counselling, social work, teaching, special education, eldercare.

This Graduate Diploma enhances the skill-sets of the abovementioned practitioners to bring about more efficacious therapeutic outcomes in their work with their clients.

How many intake(s) are there in a year for Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy (GDXAT)?
We have only one intake a year, in every July
What is the maximum candidature to complete the GDXAT?
The maximum candidature period is 2 years.
How many courses do students take in each semester?
Students are recommended to complete 3 courses per semester.
What is the assessment structure?
There will be two assignments and a written examination or end-of-course assessment for every course. Student will need to achieve a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.5 to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy.
When are the lessons scheduled?
Lessons are scheduled on four Saturdays per course from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with a lunch break of an hour.
What happens if I do not complete the graduate programmes (e.g. Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master) within the candidature period? Can I apply to take the remaining courses via CET pathway?
Students who have not completed their graduate programmes within the stipulated candidature period will not be eligible for the award of the qualification for such graduate programmes. Such students however may apply to take, via the CET pathway, the remaining courses which they did not complete under their graduate programmes as part of their personal learning and development. Such application will be subjected to the CET admission requirement. However, as such students have exceeded the candidature period for their graduate programmes, they will not be awarded the qualification for such graduate programmes even after taking and completing the remaining courses via the CET pathway (“Condition”).

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COURSE, IS ONE OF THE COURSES UNDER A GRADUATE PROGRAMME. THEREFORE, APPLICANTS FOR THIS COURSE ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING CONDITION. BY SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR THIS COURSE, THE APPLICANT AGREES TO BE SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING CONDITION.

SUSS's Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy provided a holistic foundation for my MA in Expressive Arts Therapy at EGS. Through creative exploration, I learned to empower clients with disabilities and mental health challenges to find new ways to express themselves and develop personalized rituals for well-being. This expanded my toolkit as a community social worker, allowing me to better support clients' holistic well-being.

Hui Naixiang
Community Social Worker and Expressive Arts Wellness Practitioner
Graduated 2021

GDXAT is about looking at art "as" therapy and art "in" therapy. The course also brings us through numerous class exercises to get us to experience firsthand the transformative and therapeutic powers of artistic creation and engagement. GDXAT is just the beginning of my journey to helping others through the arts!

Chia Woon Khien
Designing Impactful Ventures Pitching Challenge (2nd place Winner)
Graduated 2024

Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy