FAQs – Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy

You must apply online through the UNC Charlotte Graduate School.
These links will take you to the application:

• Apply Now!
• Online Application Login

• A minimum of 12 credit hours (4 courses, as outlined below)
• All courses must be taken at UNCC. 
• All course work must be completed within 4 years.
• Students must earn a 3.0 average to receive the Graduate Certificate.
• Currently admitted students in the Department of Counseling may take the coursework for the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy as a part of their M.A. program in counseling. 

Required courses:  

• CSLG 7142¹                     Introduction to Play Therapy  (spring/summer)
• CSLG 7144                     Contemporary Theories of Play Therapy (fall)
• CSLG 7143                       Filial Therapy (spring)

Select one class from the following:

• CSLG 7145                       Special Topics in Play Therapy
• CSLG 6200                       Introduction to Theories of Family Counseling (spring)

Beginning in Spring

Beginning in Summer

The following conditions must be met for your Practicum or Internship class to count as a part of the Certificate:

• You may only count one semester of a clinical course for the Certificate.
• The course must be taught by an instructor approved by the Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate
• Students must have 40 documented play therapy sessions.
• Students must be able to videotape play sessions for supervision purposes.
• The instructor must complete a form indicating that the conditions above were met.

The deadline for admission for spring is October 1 and for summer is April 1.

However, be advised that one can only begin taking classes in either the spring semester or summer semester. This is the semester that the Introduction to Play Therapy class (CSLG 7142) is offered, and this class is a pre-requisite to the other classes in the curriculum.

Yes. Students who are already students in the Department of Counseling MUST be apply for and be accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy prior to enrolling in their third class in the program.

4 courses (12 credit hours)

No you cannot take all the classes at once. There is a rotation for the classes, one each semester and/or summer session.

Yes.

Upon admission to the program, contact the Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate, Dr. Post (ppost@uncc.edu). You will complete a Program of Study outlining your plan for completion of the program. Dr. Post will also advise you about the paperwork required as you progress through the program.

No. Several of the courses have an online component, but the Certificate is an on-campus program.

The courses are offered during the day and in the evenings. In general, one course in the Graduate Certificate is offered each semester.

Yes. In several of the classes, you will work with children/parents and receive supervision on your work. However, only students currently admitted to the Department of Counseling will be able to do a Practicum or Internship as a part of the Graduate Certificate.

Yes. Unless you are currently in the Department of Counseling, you must have a master’s degree in counseling, social work, or psychology to be considered for the program.

Yes. Each course for the Graduate Certificate will count as 67.5 hours toward the RPT. However, the Graduate Certificate includes very few hours of the clinical component required for becoming an RPT.

For this information, consult the website for the Association for Play Therapy.

The Graduate Certificate will help the therapist get a better understanding of what play therapy is, why it is used, and how to integrate it into one’s practice.

Yes. This summer there will be a course offered much like the “McLeod Institute.” The course is open ONLY to students who are either current students in the Department of Counseling or accepted students in the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy. The course is in summer session 1 (Special Topics in Play Therapy: Conference. CSLG 7145/8145). The Intro to Play Therapy is a prerequisite for the course. All assignments are due prior to the conference. Students must attend all days of the conference to receive credit for the course. Students enroll in the summer session course, NOT for the conference.

To graduate with the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy, you must complete the following forms:  Application for Candidacy and Application for Degree.   These forms (and the process for completing them) can be found at the Graduate School Website.

The submissions deadlines for filing these forms are very early in the semester you plan to graduate, so be sure to get them completed and signed early!

After the forms have been completed, your Certificate will be signed by the Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy. The form must be sent to the Graduate School. Then the Certificate will be mailed to you.