Specialist Certificate in Creativity and Health

Please note: This course is not running in 2024. For information on future intakes please register for updates.

Developed in partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation the Specialist Certificate in Creativity and Health is a 100% online course that equips students to contribute to the overall health and well-being of children and young people across a range of diverse health settings.

The benefits of the arts on our health are well documented, particularly for children and young people receiving specialised healthcare. Creative performance and practise have been proven to improve the effectiveness of conventional medical treatment on physical and mental health.

Who is this course for?

This unique course is suited to health practitioners or human services professionals interested in utilising creative skills in their current practice.

It’s ideal for individuals who want to work in health settings, such as employees or volunteers in the not-for-profit sector. You might be a current team member of the Starlight Foundation, or a volunteer at a children’s charity.

The course is also suitable for people with a performance-based background who’d like to use their creativity to assist young people to cope better during their recovery from prolonged or short-term illness.

International students are welcome to study this course. However, please note that this course is not available to international students who require a student visa to study in Australia as it does not meet the onshore study requirements and it is not registered with CRICOS.

The course is aligned with a range of professionals who already work as:

• Child and Adolescent Psychologists
• Counsellors
• Diversional therapists
• Hospital-based teachers (primary and secondary)
• Nurses (Mental Health, General, Maternal and Child Health)
• Occupational Therapists
• Paediatric Social Workers
• Pain Specialists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech Pathologists
• Youth Workers.

Course aims

This course has been designed to develop the skills of students to use art and performance to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of children and young people.

The course provides foundational knowledge of theories of performance as well as child and adolescent development. As a student, you will have the opportunity to develop and evaluate creative programs that improve the lives of children and young people.

Pathways

You may also be interested in the following courses:

• Graduate Certificate in Youth Mental Health
• Graduate Certificate in Managing Youth Self-Harm and Suicide
• Master of Narrative Therapy & Community Work

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

• English language test score requirements

• If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

  IELTS

  7.0

  ---

  with no band less than 6.0

  TOEFL

  94+

  ---

  with writing 27; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13

  PEARSON

  72+

  ---

  with written communicative skill of 75 and no other communicative skill below 60

  CAMBRIDGE

  185+

  ---

  with no less than 185 in writing and no less than 169 in each other skill

  *Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.

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