Counseling Skills Graduate Certificate

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Program Information

The Graduate Certificate in Counseling Skills is designed for students who wish to develop counseling skills without pursuing licensure as a psychotherapist. Counseling skill is a critical asset in many professions, especially those that involve working with people.

See Admission to Certificate Programs for more information.

All courses must be completed at Golden Gate University with a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (“B” average) or better in courses taken at Golden Gate University that are applicable to the program’s requirements. See Graduate Student Academic Standing Standards for more information.

Course prerequisites are indicated in the course description for each course and must be satisfied prior to enrolling in a given course. Prerequisites may be satisfied through transfer of equivalent coursework from external institutions or by taking the courses at GGU.

Applicability of Undergraduate Psychology Courses (Pathway Programs)

As a pathway to the graduate-level counseling programs, students who complete certain undergraduate-level courses at Golden Gate University in pursuit of certain bachelor’s degrees may have the comparable graduate-level required courses waived from the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology , the Graduate Certificate in Counseling Skills, or the Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution program requirements.

The following courses are eligible for this waiver option: PSYCH 102 Lifespan Development: Theories and Applications satisfies the PSYCH 302 Lifespan Development: Theories and Applications for Therapists requirement. PSYCH 120 Principles and Methods of Counseling satisfies the PSYCH 320 Therapeutic Communication and Counseling Skills requirement. As a consequence of having these courses waived, the total number of units required to complete the program will be reduced accordingly. Note: Students who have not completed (or are expected to complete) the Bachelor of Arts in Management with a Concentration in Psychology, the Bachelor of Science with a Concentration in Psychology, or the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology are not eligible for this waiver.

Required Course - 3 units

PSYCH 320 Therapeutic Communication and Counseling Skills 3 unit(s)

Elective Courses - 12 units

Select four of the following:

PSYCH 302 Lifespan Development: Theories and Applications for Therapists 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 304 Cross-Cultural Aspects of Psychology 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 306 Group Models of Counseling 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 308 Applied Psychological Research 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 321 Psychopathology 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 322 Psychological Assessment 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 323 Psychodynamic Models of Counseling 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 324 Child/Adolescent Psychology, Assessment and Treatment 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 325 Principles of Couple and Family Counseling 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 326 Legal and Ethical Responsibility for Counselors 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 329 The Neuroscience of Counseling and Psychopharmacology 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 331 Human Sexuality 1 unit(s)
PSYCH 333 Substance Use, Co-Occurring Disorders and Addiction 1 unit(s)
PSYCH 334 Relational Abuse: Assessment, Treatment and Reporting 1 unit(s)
PSYCH 335 Special Issues in the Treatment of Families 2 unit(s)
PSYCH 337 Community Mental Health 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 339 Cognitive-Behavioral and Short-Term Models of Counseling 3 unit(s)
PSYCH 351 Career Counseling and Development 3 unit(s)
Other courses, such as those in the MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program, may be selected instead of the elective courses listed above, in consultation with the program director.