Graduate Certificate in Counseling Skills
Program at a Glance
Program
Counseling Skills
Format
Online, Hybrid
Total Units
12
Summer ’25 Early Application Deadline
March 9
Program Overview
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.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US institution or the equivalent from a recognized foreign (outside the US) institution, and provide official transcripts.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirements.
- Certificate students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- To apply for certificate programs, students should submit an admission application and fee.
Important Note: Graduate certificate admission is limited to domestic students. Students that plan to study on an F or J Visa may apply to graduate programs only.
Curriculum
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.
Select from the following:
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.
Undergraduate Psychology 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 Conflict Resolution and Coaching Graduate Certificate 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 graduate program will be reduced accordingly.
Note: Students who have not completed bachelor’s degrees at GGU with majors or minors (formerly concentrations) in Psychology are not eligible for this waiver.
