Counseling and Psychology

Career and self-fulfillment opportunities are rewarding and plentiful in the health and helping professions: counseling, psychotherapy, social work, clinical psychology, psychiatric nursing and health education. The Preparatory Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions is ideal if you are a career changer who needs to complete undergraduate course prerequisites or if you want to gain a deeper understanding of the field of counseling and psychology. Designed for career changers with bachelor's degrees, the curriculum comprises a range of upper-division psychology courses that are required or strongly recommended for professional or graduate school admission and careers in social work, counseling and psychology. The program also offers advising workshops to help you excel in your education at Extension and in your future career.

Who Will Benefit

The program is ideal if you have a bachelor's degree in a field other than psychology and want to apply to a competitive professional or graduate school or pursue a career in psychology, mental health or counseling.

Prerequisites for Admission

International students in the Preparatory Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions must have a bachelor's degree.

Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum comprises eight required courses (six undergraduate-level courses and two workshops) and two elective courses for a minimum of 25 semester units and 2.4 ceu (399 hours of instruction).

This certificate can be completed in nine months and concludes with a required career seminar that assists you in writing an effective statement of purpose. Admission is only available for the fall and spring terms.