Graduate Certificate In Career Counseling

Advance Your Career In The Helping Professions

Are you driven to support and inspire others through a career in counseling? Do you already hold a bachelorâs degree but would like to focus your interests so youâre better able to serve? A graduate certificate in Counseling will help you reach your goal.

Choose from seven concentrations that lead to unique careers, all offered 100% online through PennWestâs highly regarded Global Online program.

Youâll be mentored by expert faculty who are committed to providing you with additional knowledge and a developmentally sound academic experience. Upon completion, you will have the skills you need to become an effective leader and practitioner.

The nation’s first online graduate program in Sports Management.

Months of full-time study is all it takes to complete your degree. You can also choose to complete your degree part-time while you continue to work in your current role.

12 creditsIf you hold a masterâs degree in Counseling or a related field and are seeking licensure or certification in Pennsylvania or another state, PennWestâs Post-Masterâs Certificate program might be just what you need. It will help you meet the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor , gain school counselor certification, or ACT 48 and other professional development credits.

Delivered 100% online, this program allows you to work in a professional capacity while earning an additional certification or gaining graduate credits for licensure.

Should You Earn A Graduate Certificate

Another credential that you should strongly consider is a graduate certificate. A graduate certificate tends to take less time to earn than a masters degree . However, do note that youll still need to earn a masters in order to qualify to pursue licensure.

A graduate certificate can serve as an effective supplement to your masters degree. This is particularly true if you earned a masters degree in counseling, but not specifically in grief and bereavement counseling. A graduate certificate in grief and bereavement counseling will allow you to narrow your professional focus and build advanced knowledge in the area.

Find Yourself In Your Interests

Priscillas active volunteering in community-based organizationincluding on the Commission on the Status of Women of Sonoma Countyled her to reconsider her own career path. She knew she would eventually reenter the workforceand that she did not want to go back to engineering or programming.

As a women’s commissioner and a strong feminist, it seemed like contributing my time to a nonprofit might be a good course of action so I completed an online professional certificate in nonprofit management from The University of Chicago. I put many of the practices into use as president and leader of my children’s middle school and high school parent foundations, on their high school site council and with the county school board, in addition to becoming chair of the Junior Commissioners, the mentoring arm of the Sonoma County Women’s Commission.

As I continued to volunteer, and as our children all reached high school, I knew I was ready to reenter the workforce, she says. I completed general-education coursework through a few Massive Open Online Course platformsmostly for personal enrichmentand completed an online certificate in professional organizing, as I had considered this as a career.

Even as an adult, Priscilla could have used a career counselor or coach to provide clarity on her ideal future career. Instead, destiny played the role.

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Graduate Certificate In Careers Education And Development

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Become A School Counselor

As part of a wider educational team, school counselors work at the K-12 level to provide personalized academic, social, and developmental support to students. They may help students choose their class schedules, plan their career goals, or connect with other social and educational resources.

Outside of their one-on-one relationships with students, school counselors may also engage with the school and community as a whole, such as through awareness campaigns about bullying, eating disorders, or domestic abuse.

Due to their position of authority and influence over a young segment of society, school counselors will need to be certified and licensed by the state in which they practice. While precise requirements for licensure vary from state to state, they generally include a masters degree in school counseling, a background check, and a state-administered exam. Those who already have a masters degree in another area of counseling may pursue a graduate certificate in order to meet the didactic and supervisory requirements of licensure.

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Graduate Certificate In College And Career Counseling

The University of Memphis’ certification in college and career counseling is an online and field based post-degree program designed to address contemporary issues related to career and college counseling in schools. The certification focuses on developing technical skills and expertise to effectively prepare students to transition from high school to college or from high school to vocational programs. The curriculum is designed to offer insight into every facet of career and college planning, including the usage of assessment data, the college application and admissions process, financial aid planning, vocational options, and working with special populations. The program is committed to addressing contemporary issues influencing the field, by building awareness of social justice issues in the college going process and utilizing student achievement data as a lever to design programs that strategically target the achievement gap. Knowledge and technical expertise are enhanced by a comprehensive field experience that places students in area high schools and colleges, affording extensive opportunities to consolidate learning, and build professional competency.

How To Become A Grief Counselor

Up to one-third of people who have experienced a significant loss report suffering from major, adverse effects on their physical and/or mental health. Roughly one-quarter of bereaved partners suffer from clinical depression and anxiety.1 Grief and bereavement are some of the most challenging and complicated issues to cope with, yet all people must confront grief at some point.

If you are an empathetic individual who is looking for a career that would enable you to truly make a positive difference in the lives of others in your community, then you might consider pursuing a job in counseling. As a grief and bereavement counselor, you could help uplift people who are experiencing some of the most challenging times in their life. You may ask, What does a grief counselor do and whats the process of how to become a grief counselor? This career guide explains.

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Master Of Science Degree In Career Counseling Florida State University United States

This program combines clinical training with expertise in career counseling, and students can pursue a specialty in either career counseling or clinical mental health.

The diversity that the program offers gives students the opportunity to combine their knowledge about career counseling with clinical mental health, giving them the option of working with their clients to assist in both areas.

Prospective students also have the opportunity to pursue an education specialist degree, if they are working in educational settings and want to upgrade their qualifications, while the MS is geared more toward students looking for a central specialization.

Students in both programs have the opportunity to work in the career counseling field, as the university has a partnership with the Florida State University Counseling Center.

This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs , which governs counseling standards in the United States.

Find out more on their website.

Welcome To Certificate In Higher Education And Career Counseling

The certificate provides postbaccalaureate students the competencies needed to succeed in the field of higher education counseling and career counseling. Students will acquire competencies in the areas of: job development, integrated life planning, lifestyle career development theory, career counseling, higher education counseling, occupational information, community resources, cross-cultural counseling, and career counseling for special populations. The certificate is designed for students in the Rehabilitation Counseling option within the M.S. Counseling degree, and includes an emphasis on the intersection of Rehabilitation Counseling and Higher Education and Career Counseling.

Admission to the program requires current enrollment in the M.S. in Counseling option in Rehabilitation Counseling program at California State University, Los Angeles.

The certificate requires evidence of completion of 12 required units, with a minimum B average. Refer to Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Studies: General Information for general regulations governing all certificate programs.

Certificate in Higher Education and Career Counseling

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Training In Career Counseling 101

The field of career counseling has evolved to help provide guidance surrounding what vocation will fit an individualâs lifestyle, personality, and educational qualifications.

More specifically, career counseling is the pursuit of any therapeutic intervention whose scope is to affect the career decision-making process based on elements/theories of traditional counseling .

The life-design framework for counseling is an intersubjective process which defines client experience through using personal accounts to frame their unique pathway .

In terms of applying the life-design model to career counseling, practitioners focus more on discovering the intention, purpose, and calling of the individual, rather than simply administering aptitude tests to discover what model fits the client best .

It is important to incorporate life-design strategies alongside career counseling strategies to ensure that you are addressing the individual, as well as examining the career path they want to take.

Below are strategies that are in line with the life-design framework, which can be incorporated alongside any formal career counseling training :

When engaging in career counseling, the most effective results are not based on the modality of counseling that the practitioner employs, but the number of sessions the client completes, as well as the quality of exercises and amount of occupational information the counselor employs in their practice .

B Suggested Course Sequence By Semester*

*All programs must be approved by the program coordinator. This listing is provided for information purposes only, is subject to change without notice and is not guaranteed to be correct. The student should consult the University Catalog and the program coordinator for further details and course descriptions. Students must also complete a professional development requirement.

Semester 1

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Where Can I Find Information On Gainful Employment Tuition Rates Or Fees For This Program

For more information, contact Moody Crews at or 803-777-0390, or visit the academic bulletin. We invite you to read the gainful employment information for this program, as well as our general gainful employment information. Visit the Bursars Office webpage for information on tuition rates and fees.

Obtain Licensure As A Mental Health Counselor

After graduation and passing the licensing exam, you will begin your supervised clinical hours in the profession leading, eventually, to independent licensure.

You should set aside plenty of time to study for the exam ahead of your test date. The NBCC offers test preparation materials available for purchase. There are also other preparation materials offered by third-party entities, such as practice tests and flash cards.

After you successfully pass the exam and complete any other requirements established by your state, youll be ready to begin practicing as a mental health counselor who specializes in grief counseling. Note that youll need to complete continuing education credits periodically to keep your license active.

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Become A Sports Counselor

Sports counselors use specialized knowledge around psychology and counseling to improve the well-being, mental functioning, and physical performance of athletes. Through the lens of athletics, they can help children and adults to develop their social, physical, and athletic skills. They may act as mediators, coaches, or confidants. On top of their conceptual expertise, theyll also leverage experience in designing, organizing, and managing athletics programs that take into account the mental and physical well-being of their participants.

While sports counselors do not need to be licensed by the state in which they practice, many choose to pursue certification, such as the certified mental performance consultant credential from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology . CMPC holders have obtained objective validation of their expertise in helping their clients. While applicants will need a masters degree in some area of counseling in order to be eligible for the CMPC designation, an online graduate certificate in sports counseling will give an applicant the specialized knowledge they need to earn it.

Matt Zbrog

Is There A Demand For Grief Counselors

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , which tracks employment data in the U.S., groups grief counselors in the same category as substance abuse, behavioral disorder and all other mental health counselors. According to the BLS, the job growth rate for mental health counselors is expected to be 23% through 2030. At this rate of growth, about 41,000 new job openings for these professionals are expected to become available each year through the end of the decade.6

Grand Canyon University celebrates your aspirations to devote your career toward helping other people. In addition to our many psychology and counseling undergraduate degrees, GCU is pleased to offer the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, the Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Grief and Bereavement degree and the Graduate Certificate of Completion in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Grief and Bereavement. Emerge with strong competencies in counseling theories and applications, professional ethics and grief coping strategies.

Retrieved from:

1 National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, BMJ, Bereavement in adult life in August 2022

2 National Library of Medicine, Omega, Cautioning Health-Care Professionals in December 2022.

3 American Psychiatric Association, Prolonged Grief Disorder in December 2022.

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Career Counseling Courses & Degrees

Becoming a career counselor requires you to have a bachelorâs degree and a masters degree in counseling. A background in counseling and therapy is essential in pursuing career counseling.

While clients might not start off seeking emotional support or challenging negative thinking patterns, these are elements that can emerge and keep a client from being successful in their chosen career path .

Therefore, career counselors may need to provide elements from traditional counseling and therapeutic techniques to ensure their client is in the right headspace to put their energy toward pursuing their career goals.

Below, we have provided you with a few graduate programs that are specific to career counseling.

Graduate Certificate In Counseling And Life Transitions

The graduate certificate in Counseling & Life Transitions equips students with a range of skills that can be used to assist the community in coping with the different transitions that may occur in their lives. Students may choose to focus in one of three concentrations: Career & Workforce Development, Grief, Loss & Life Transition, and Counseling Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Persons.

Career & Workforce Development: This certificate prepares career practitioners to assist students, workers, employers, and retirees navigate the challenges that are inherent in a global workplace.

Grief, Loss & Life Transition: This certificate prepares counselors with the knowledge to effectively and compassionately counsel the chronically ill, dying, their caregivers, bereaved loved ones, or to work with others facing difficult life transitions such as unemployment. This specialized program is ideal for counselors, social workers, clergy, and other professionals who work with those facing loss and life transitions.

Counseling Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Persons: This certificate expands the skills of counselors, teachers, and other professionals to better understand cultural and linguistic diversity within the workplace, school, and community settings, and, in the process, enhance their understanding of their own psycho-social identity.

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The Power Of Pennwest

PennWestâs three campuses, California, Clarion and Edinboro universities, have been delivering award-winning online programs for more than 20 years. Youâll graduate with a degree from Pennsylvania Western University, completely supported by the expertise and community of learners on our brick-and-mortar campuses.

What Can You Do With A Graduate Certificate In Professional Counseling

Bottom line, a graduate Certificate in Professional Counselingis designed to take your counseling skills and career to the next level. Continuing your counseling career often takes additional education to stay up to date on the latest techniques in the industry. This program will help you stay abreast of industry innovations while offering a focused course to help you better help you specific patients and their ailments, from mental health to substance abuse issues. Students may complete this certificate for personal or professional edification or may work towards completing requirements for a clinical mental health counseling license. While the Professional Counseling Certificate is not designed to fulfill licensure requirements in an individual state, the program can be used to partially fulfill licensure requirements. Professional credentials vary by state and include requirements outside of education, which may include exams, background checks, work experience, and more. Post University does not guarantee licensure, and there are licensure requirements outside of education. It is ultimately the responsibility of individual students to be in charge of their own licensure process and to make sure that all requirements are met in obtaining licensure. Post University does not speak on behalf of any licensing board or body.

Visit the for Curriculum, Course Descriptions, and Program Outcomes.

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