Harness the therapeutic power of dance.
As dance/movement therapists, we believe that a person’s lived bodily experience is central to the therapeutic process, and that dancing is life-affirming. Relational bodily action is the primary agent of change. The DMT program presents both nonverbal and verbal approaches, enhanced by training in MFT. Students determine the methods that resonate with their professional identity as dance/movement therapists, and best serve a diverse clientele.
Our graduates work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in a variety of settings including psychiatric, VA, medical, rehabilitation, pediatric hospitals; community mental health facilities; schools; residential treatment centers for children, adolescents, elders; and correctional facilities.
The DMT program holds an abiding commitment to social justice, multicultural inclusion, and anti-oppressive practice by working to transform relationships of power.
This degree is offered by AU New England
Program Overview
The master’s program in Dance/Movement Therapy at Antioch University New England (AUNE) was one of the first to be accredited by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). Students become registered dance/movement therapists (R-DMT) upon completion of the master’s degree requirements. Antioch’s MA in Dance Movement Therapy with a concentration in Couple and Family Therapy also meets education requirements in many states for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist* (*Check with your state licensure board for verification). The CFT courses are offered through a Low Residency (LR) delivery with online classes and in-person residencies. All DMT courses are offered on-campus. For those who are unable to commute or move to the Keene area, there is an option to take the DMT courses via LR delivery.
Service-based experiential learning. Students integrate theory and practice in a small classroom setting concurrent with a broad range of fieldwork experiences:
- 1st year DMT practica with: (a) elders; (b) adults with intellectual disabilities; and (c) infants and their caretakers, learning from leading experts in the Kestenberg Movement Profile, a developmental movement assessment framework.
- 2nd year CFT practica near home (for LR students) or at the Antioch University Couple and Family Therapy Institute at Keene (for on-campus students)
- 3rd year board-certified DMT (BC-DMT) supervised 700-hour internship anywhere in the US or abroad.
Dance Therapy and social action. Dance can be a conduit for lifting the voices of marginalized persons and empowering communities. Our initiatives include:
- One Billion Rising – DMT students use dance to bring awareness to gender-based violence.
- Annual Dance Recital – DMT and other students celebrate personal experiences in- community through dance.
- Conferences – Students are encouraged and supported to present on their social locations and experiences.
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Visiting Home & Reservation! Community members share on the themes of home and reservation through the arts.
Other benefits of the program include:
- Alternate Route Drama Therapy Training: A student can opt to complete additional credits to become a registered drama therapist according to the National Association for Drama Therapy (NADT) Alternate Training Guidelines. AUNE offers up to 84% of the credits required.
- DMT students take dance classes at Keene State College for free; and attend their events at a reduced student rate.
Degree Requirements
Program Length
This 63-64-credit program of coursework and clinical training spans two and a half (2.5) to three (3) years in your choice of two delivery models.
On-Campus (a combination of on-campus and online classes and residencies)
A good choice for those who can/want to attend some face-to-face classes in Keene, NH
Year One:
- Classes (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, including DMT practica)
- 3 MFT residencies in Keene: 2 days in the Fall, 1 day in the Spring, and 3 days in Summer. Courses continue online through each semester
Year Two:
- Classes (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
- 2 MFT residencies: Fall and Spring. Courses continue online through each semester
- MFT practica (2 days/week)
Year Three:
- DMT Internship (700 hours, 6-9 months), anywhere in the US where there is an American Dance Therapy Association (BC-DMT) supervisor
- An accompanying online group internship seminar and one supervision weekend in December provides additional support
Total Credits 63-64
Low-residency (without attending weekly on-campus classes). The low-residency option has a summer entry only. The next available start term for this delivery is Summer 2021.
Year One:
- 2 DMT in-person residencies (June & Sept) and continue courses online
- 3 CFT in-person residencies (Sept, Jan & June) and continue courses online
Year Two:
- Courses online; CFT practica (2 days/week); 4 in-person residencies (2 CFT Sept & Jan, 2 DMT Jun & Sept)
Year Three
- DMT Internship (700 hours, 6-9 months) anywhere in the US where there is an American Dance Therapy Association (BC-DMT) supervisor; 3 in-person residencies (1 CFT May, 2 DMT June & Sept). An accompanying online group internship seminar and one supervision weekend in December provides additional support.
Total Credits 63
“Surmount,” a group project by students Kayla Hamilton, Kali Skodack, and Vincent Ardizzone. The poem “Shadow Within” was written by Kohwoon Kim.
Students in the Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Program at Antioch University New England joined the One Billion Rising global movement and dance
Credentials and Licensure
Graduates of the Dance/Movement Therapy: Marriage & Family Therapy program at AUNE are eligible to become registered with the American Dance Therapy Association for the R-DMT (Registered Dance/Movement Therapist) credential. After completing further requirements, including two years of work as a DMT, Registered Dance/Movement Therapists are eligible to apply for the BC-DMT (Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist) credential. For information on how to access requirements for Dance/Movement Therapy credentialing, contact The American Dance Therapy Association: www.ADTA.org.
Admissions
How to Apply
- Complete the online admissions application, including:
- Essay questions, admissions and program-specific
- Resume/curriculum vitae (CV)
- Non-refundable $50 application fee
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities where you earned a degree or certificate.
- email transcripts to [email protected], or
- mail to:
Office of Admissions
Antioch University New England
40 Avon Street
Keene NH 04341-3516
- Two letters of recommendation are required, from people who are in a position to evaluate your professional or academic work. The person making the recommendation may not be related to you.
- There are additional requirements for International applicants and applicants without a Bachelor’s degree
- Interview with a faculty member of the department to which you seek entry if selected. This can be in person, by phone, or via Skype.
- Master’s and Certificate Programs do not require the GRE or any other standardized test for admissions. We consider all of your application materials, and evaluate your academic potential in a variety of ways.
Official transcripts should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:
Office of Admissions
Antioch University New England
40 Avon Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03431-3516
All application materials submitted become part of an applicant’s file and cannot be returned.
Admissions Prerequisites
In accordance with the ADTA (American Dance Therapy Association) admissions standards,
- We look for candidates with an undergraduate degree in diverse backgrounds such as liberal arts, dance, psychology, biology, engineering, etc. (A degree in psychology and/or dance is not required.)
- Significant experience in at least two different dance/movement forms (such as ballet, modern, jazz, improvisation, popular/street/indigenous, liturgical, ballroom, traditional/ethnic/folk, African, Caribbean, Korean, Latin, Middle Eastern, Native American, Tai-chi, Aikido, etc.) and in-depth knowledge of one of them is required.
- Teaching, performing, and/or choreography experience is preferred.
- College-level psychology courses are recommended.
Admission Deadlines
| Program | Term | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| MA in Dance & Movement Therapy (On Campus) | Fall | July 1 |
| Spring | December 1 | |
| MA in Dance & Movement Therapy (Los-Res/Online) | Summer | April 15 |
| Certificate in Dance & Movement Therapy | Summer | April 15 |
Tuition & Financial Aid
A college education is an investment in your future. Let us help you understand the costs and explore the resources available to help make your college education even more affordable. The majority of AUNE students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public, and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants—are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AUNE.
Cost
| Degree | Tuition Cost per Credit | Total Program Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MA in Dance/Movement Therapy: Couple & Family Therapy | $1,046 | 64 |
| Dance Movement Therapy, Post Masters’ Respecialization Certificate | $732 | 29 |
Alternate Route Training Options
As research and understanding of the benefits of embodied and artistic approaches grow in our culture, DMT is increasingly sought by clients in individual, couple, and group therapy treatment to complement verbal approaches. Dance/movement therapists engage in a variety of clinical, community, and educational settings to support clients with depression, trauma, anxiety, relationship concerns, social/emotional development, eating disorders, dementia, and medical conditions.
Low Residency Dance/Movement Therapy Certificate (Keene)
Individuals with a master’s degree in education or mental health (Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Psychology, etc.) or those enrolled in a master’s degree can complete a 3-year certificate to fulfill the majority of requirements to become a registered dance/movement therapist via alternate route training. Students take DMT specific courses during one-week residencies in June and September and continue online over the year. The instructors incorporate hands-on clinical experience to complement experiential classroom sessions providing cutting-edge information on the discipline of DMT as a body-mind-spirit approach to healing. Supervision resources for the 700 hours of ADTA required internship are embedded in the certificate.
MA in CMHC or CFT (Seattle) with Low Residency DMT Certificate (Keene)
Individuals without a master’s degree who prefer to be a counselor or couple and family therapist and take DMT as a concentration can apply with Antioch Seattle’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Couple and Family Therapy with a concentration in Dance/Movement Therapy. Students learn how to integrate their skills and passion for dance and movement into clinical practice concurrently while earning a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Couple and Family Therapy. The DMT concentration meets educational requirements to become a registered dance/movement therapist (R-DMT) through the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) via Alternate Route (AR) training. Degrees with this concentration also meet the educational requirements for Washington State licensure in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and Couple and Family Therapy (CFT). DMT specific coursework will be offered through six one-week residencies over three years during quarter breaks in June and September. Online coursework will follow the September intensives.
Upcoming Events
Dance/Movement Therapy Info Session | AUNE
Dance/Movement Therapy Info Session | AUNE
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Info Session | AUNE
Recent News
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Antioch’s New Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute
by Malia Gaffney on October 9, 2021
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The CMCH Social Justice Pedagogy Committee on Decolonizing Curriculum Framework
by Malia Gaffney on September 9, 2021
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Dr. Devona Stalnaker-Shofner Receives Social Justice Award
by Antioch University on August 13, 2021
