Apply to the Expressive Arts Therapy Program at CIIS

Online Admissions Application: Begin the application process by submitting an online graduate application and submitting the non-refundable $65 application fee payment.

Degree Requirement: An undergraduate degree (BA, BS, or the equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution.

Academic Prerequisites: Two undergraduate psychology courses from an accredited college or university are recommended but not required. Completion of coursework in one of the following areas is strongly recommended: human development, psychopathology, theories of personality, and/or introduction to psychology.

Minimum GPA: A GPA of 3.0 or higher in previous coursework is required. However, a GPA below 3.0 does not automatically disqualify an applicant and CIIS will consider a prospective student whose GPA is between 2.0 and 3.0. These individuals are required to submit a GPA Statement and are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions to discuss their options.

Transcripts: Official transcripts from all accredited academic institutions attended where 7 or more credits have been earned. If transcripts are being mailed to CIIS, they must arrive in their official, sealed envelopes. Transcripts from institutions outside the US or Canada require a foreign credit evaluation through World Education Services (WES) or CIIS will also accept foreign credential evaluations that are in a comprehensive course-by-course format from the current members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Short Essay Responses: Please write a series of brief responses, one for each of the following prompts in the order that they appear:

1. Why are you interested in applying to CIIS specifically to study Expressive Arts Therapy? (350 words maximum)
2. Describe the creative arts modalities you would bring with you into the Expressive Arts Therapy program. (350 word maximum)
3. Please describe the direct human services experiences you have had in either employment  and/or through volunteering. (200 word maximum)
4. What internal and external strengths and resources do you draw from to help you cope in your daily life? What social supports does this include? (200 word maximum)
5. Our graduates are expected to be able to work with people from very diverse social, cultural, sexual/affectional preference, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. What is your experience of relating across dimensions of difference? (200 word maximum)
6. (Please answer only if applying for low-residency program) The low-residency program requires a high level of self-directed, autonomous work in addition to the ability to work in groups. Please describe your experience a.) working individually, and b.) working collaboratively in a group to meet a deadline. (200 word maximum)
7. Due to the changing nature of education delivery formats, students must demonstrate the ability to work with/navigate online and virtual learning formats. Please describe a challenge you have encountered in working in an online learning environment and how you overcame (or imagine overcoming) the challenge. (200 word maximum)

Two Letters of Recommendation: letters of recommendation will be accepted from academic advisors, professors, professional supervisors, or someone able to attest to your ability to undertake the work required for your program. Recommenders should use standard business format and include full contact information- name, email, phone number, and mailing address.

Academic Writing Sample: a five page sample of  a piece of your academic writing (typed, double-spaced) that demonstrates your capacity to think critically and reflectively and demonstrates graduate level writing abilities. You may submit copies of previous work, such as a recent academic paper, article, or report that reflects scholarly abilities. The selected samply must be five consecutive pages. A sample that uses outside sources must include proper citations.  Please include the reference pages from this writing sample. (The reference pages are not included in the five page limit.)

An Up-To-Date C.V. detailing your educational and professional experience.