TAKING A PLAY THERAPY COURSE AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
While most mental health professionals can find their play therapy training needs met through our training workshops, some professionals may wish to take one of our academic semester play therapy courses offered at Georgia State University.
During most spring and fall semesters, we offer the Georgia State courses CPS 8400: Introduction to Play Therapy, as well as CPS 8600: Advanced Play Therapy (CPS 8400 is a mandatory prerequisite for CPS 8600). While spots in CPS 8400 and CPS 8600 are at first reserved for (and often entirely filled by) CPS department degree-seeking students, we occasionally have the opportunity to offer an available seat to a non-degree-seeking or transient student. If you are interested in becoming a non-degree or transient student so that you might take one of these spots if they become available, please see the following instructions below:
- A non-degree-seeking student wanting to enroll in CPS 8400 or CPS 8600
- A transient student wanting to enroll in CPS 8400 or CPS 8600
Mental health or education professionals hoping to enter Georgia State and enroll in a course such as CPS 8400 or CPS 8600 must complete the following steps:
1) You must complete a graduate application to the College of Education & Human Development’s “Mental Health Counseling, Non-degree” program by the listed deadline. Please note that all application materials listed (including GRE scores, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. ) are required. Do not forget to include the list of courses you are hoping to take (CPS 8400). Also, note that you are subject to all the rules and policies that govern the non-degree student in the College of Education & Human Development. These are detailed in the current graduate catalog.
2) The CPS department will be given the opportunity to consider your application (and request for a seat in CPS 8400) and other submitted materials once The Office of Graduate Student Services (GSS located in CEHD Suite 300) determines that your application is complete and you meet the minimum qualifications for non-degree status. Notification of the application decision can come (and usually does come) as late as one week prior to the course start date, simply because we must give all our degree-seeking students first priority registration. Please be flexible and patient. Notification is usually sent by email.
If you are accepted as a non-degree student for CPS 8400 (or CPS 8600), but cannot accept the seat open to you at that time (due to a schedule change, etc.), we will assist you in asking the Office of Graduate Student Services (GSS) to postpone your admission application until the next section of your desired play therapy course is offered — your application (and seat request) will be re-evaluated at that time. Previously admitted students are not guaranteed admission into the next term. Additional application fees may apply at that time.
CPS 8400 is generally offered every fall and spring semester — no summer offerings are available at this time. The course offerings are posted on PAWS. CPS 8600 is generally offered in the fall semester only. Class meeting times are usually on weekday mornings for both courses.
Graduate Transient Student (request to be a visiting student) — A student in good standing at another college or university may take classes in the College of Education & Human Development as a temporary or visiting student. In addition to the application, a student usually must also present documentation of being in good standing at the home institution. Also, the CPS department requires an official, sealed transcript to accompany the transient application. The transcript should be from the student’s current graduate program.
The transient graduate application is available online in the graduate application. Applicants would complete the online graduate application, submit their letter of good standing and upload a goal statement indicating that they have approval from their home institution and faculty advisor to take these two specific play therapy courses. Once the application is complete, it is routed to the program coordinator or the instructor teaching the play therapy courses for approval. Once the courses are completed, the student can request their official Georgia State transcript to their home institution for credit transfer.
Notification of the application decision can come (and usually does come) as late as one week before the course start date, simply because we must give all our degree-seeking students first priority registration. Please be flexible and patient. Notification is usually sent by email.
The CPS department will be given the opportunity to consider your transient application (and request for a seat in CPS 8400) and other submitted materials once The Office of Graduate Student Services (GSS) determines that your application is complete and you meet the minimum qualifications for transient student status. If there are multiple sections/offerings of your desired course, please specify which section is your first choice.
If you are accepted as a non-degree student for CPS 8400 (or CPS 8600), but cannot accept the seat open to you at that time (due to a schedule change, etc.), we will assist you in asking the Office of Graduate Student Services (GSS) to postpone your transient student application until the next section of your desired play therapy course is offered — your application (and seat request) will be re-evaluated at that time. Previously admitted students are not guaranteed admission into the next term. Additional application fees may apply at that time.
CPS 8400 is generally offered every fall and spring semester — no summer offerings are available at this time. The course offerings are posted on PAWS. CPS 8600 is generally offered in the fall semester only. Class meeting times are usually on weekday mornings for both courses.