Overview 2024
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students
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For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
"I have always been interested in mental health and know how much the creative arts benefit my own health. I have found the online delivery of the Creative Arts & Health course to be managed very well. There are activities to keep students connected and to encourage participation".
An ageing population and rising levels of depression and anxiety in youth, the elderly, and people living in rural areas are significant challenges for Tasmania, Australia and internationally. Research is demonstrating ways in which music, visual arts, theatre and other creative arts can contribute to addressing these challenges.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Creative Arts and Health will develop your understanding of the effects of the arts on the brain and body in social and cultural contexts. This course will introduce you to ethical and effective implementation of arts programmes in both community and healthcare settings. If you are studying to learn about self-care and explore your own creativity, we offer a range of creative arts and health units for you to choose from. You'll also have the option to study a unit on self-care, mindfulness, and stress management.
After completing this course, you will have a greater understanding of how different creative expressions can influence your own health and the wellbeing of others.
Commonwealth Supported Places are available for this course, see Fees & scholarships for more information.
Please visit our Certificates page for answers to frequently asked questions about the Job Ready Certificates.
Learning Outcomes
Practical experience
Learn beyond the classroom
Studying in Tasmania, our whole Island becomes your campus. Speak with your unit coordinator about how you can gain practical experience by volunteering in research initiatives, becoming an ambassador, or taking part in a work experience program.
Become a Student Ambassador
Improve your communication, teamwork and leadership skills, meet new people, inspire and help others, and developing lasting friendships and networks as a student ambassador. Our ambassadors proudly represent the University throughout Tasmania in schools, at University and community events, and support a range of recruitment and engagement activities. Though the Student Ambassador Program or STEM Outreach Team you will have many opportunities for training and professional development, experience in real-world community engagement and outreach, networking, and public speaking, plus end up with a key point of distinction on your CV.
Study overseas at one of our partner institutions
Our international exchange program offers opportunities to study at universities around the world, and it counts towards your degree. Exchange can allow you to have an affordable educational and cultural experience in a foreign country for a semester, or a full year. To facilitate this, we offer a range of scholarships and financial assistance. You may also be eligible for OS-HELP Loans or scholarship funding to assist with airfares, accommodation and other expenses. For more information, please visit Learning Abroad.
Work placement
The University of Tasmania is integrated into all areas of industry locally, nationally and internationally be it through research or work placement programs. Talk to your course coordinator about finding an opportunity to take part in a work experience, placement, or extracurricular activities during your degree.
Career outcomes
The Undergraduate Certificate in Creative Arts and Health provides valuable skills and health insights for a range of professional and personal contexts. If you’re already working in the health or community sectors or caring for an individual it will introduce you to interventions employing arts-based activities, including music, theatre, dance and visual arts. It is also an ideal pathways if you're looking to expand your creative arts practice, or interested in the way the arts can support your own wellbeing and personal growth.
This is an excellent opportunity to further your career in welfare, recreation and community arts as employment projections are upwards trending and set to grow by 28.2% by 2024*.
In addition to developing job-ready skills, you'll also have the option to pursue to further study in the Diploma of Creative Arts and Health.
* ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024
Course structure
The Undergraduate Certificate in Creative Arts and Health requires the completion of 50 credit points from the schedule of units comprising:
- 12.5 credit points of Core units
- 37.5 credit points of Elective units
Core units
Practical interventions employing arts-based activities, including music, theatre, dance and visual arts, are increasingly being employed nationally and internationally to improve mood and well-being, physical activity and cognitive processing for people with dementia. Arts-based programs have also been shown to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit will provide an introduction to existing evidence-based research on the benefits of engagement with the arts, through the lifespan and strategies employing creativity to support better ageing and mitigate risk factors for dementia. The unit offers opportunities for…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Spring school (extended) | ||||
Electives units
Now, more than ever, everyone needs the skills to communicate and work effectively across different cultural systems, values, perspectives and behaviours—whether these differences arise from national, Indigenous, religious, ethnic, workplace or other cultural contexts. This includes developing the capacity to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Health Study Period 1 | ||||
View all details for CZZ104 Living and Working with Cultural Diversity
We know the impact that photographic and digital images can have on us, individually and collectively. When images and words come together to tell a story they can be entertaining, revelatory, breath-taking, and even powerful agents of change. In this…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for FXA202 The Photo Essay: Storytelling with image and text
Research is providing increasing evidence for the positive benefits of engagement with the arts for individual and community wellbeing at all stages of life and can provide a non-pharmaceutical adjunct to health interventions. This unit explores case studies of successful…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit explores historical and current case studies of creative arts practitioners from a range of cultural contexts living with physical or mental illness and the ways this is reflected or subsumed in their work. This engagement with creative work…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for FXA302 Perspectives of the Arts on Health and Wellbeing
Brain and Behaviour provides an introduction to key topics in psychology with an emphasis on their biological basis. Topics include biological psychology, sensation and perception, learning, motivation, emotion, human development, language, and states of consciousness. Key theories and related research…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
In this online unit you will learn about a range of contemporary approaches to managing stress and enhancing well-being which can be applied by individuals. As a foundation, you will learn about stress, coping, well-being and happiness, considering different models…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for PSY214 Stress, Self-Care and Mindfulness
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
Domestic Applicants who have recently completed secondary education
- Completed the TCE (or equivalent)
Domestic Applicants with higher education study
- Completed at least one undergraduate unit (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points).
Domestic Applicants with VET / TAFE study
- A completed VET Certificate III or higher,
Domestic Applicants with work and life experience:
If you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Prerequisites
Nil
Special Consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors for special consideration, including economic hardship, a serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
Articulation
Students completing the Undergraduate Certificate of Creative Arts and Health may articulate into the Diploma of Creative Arts and Health or the Associate Degree in Applied Health and Community Support.
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries