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Certificate in Professional Counseling

Graduate Certificate in Professional Counseling

Description
Individuals already possessing a master's degree in school counseling, student affairs, psychology, human development, education, special education, social work, or any other mental health field at another institution may qualify for licensure certificate program status. The Graduate Certificate for Professional Counseling is intended to lead to state licensure. This program requires students to complete the equivalent of our degree program through transfer courses and courses taken at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Specified courses must be taken from MSUM. Contact the CNSA program coordinator for further information.

Admission Requirements

 Information on admission requirements can be found on the Graduate Studies webpage.

Student Learning Outcomes

Candidates who complete the Graduate Certificate in Professional Counseling will be able to:

  • Understand the roles and functions of clinical mental health counselors in various practice settings and the importance of relationships between counselors and other professionals, including interdisciplinary treatment teams.
  • Understand a variety of models and theories related to clinical mental health counseling, including the methods, models, and principles of clinical supervision.
  • Use the principles and practices of diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders to initiate, maintain, and terminate counseling.
  • Demonstrate the ability to recognize his or her own limitations as a clinical mental health counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.
  • Demonstrate the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, techniques, and interventions to make them culturally appropriate for diverse populations.
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of diagnostic tools, including the current edition of the DSM, to describe the symptoms and clinical presentation of clients with mental and emotional impairments.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Plus: offered entirely online with face-to-face options available for some/all sections

Core Requirements

Professional Counseling Grad Certificate - 17 credits

CNSA 670 Administration of Clinical Mental Health Services & Clinical Counseling Skills (3)
CNSA 672 Clinical Appraisal & Diagnosis, Intervention & Treatment Planning (3)
CNSA 674 Childhood Through Adulthood Psychopathology for Mental Health Professionals (3)
CNSA 676 Clinical Supervision and Ethics (3)
CNSA 691D Practicum in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – 150 hours (1)
CNSA 669D Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – 550 hours (4) *was CNSA 692D

Students who have a Master's Degree other than Counseling 

CNSA 605 Counseling Research, Statistical Methods and Program Evaluation (3)
CNSA 610 Foundations of Counseling (3)
CNSA 611 Theories of Individual and Family Counseling (3)
CNSA 612 Counseling Assessment & Appraisal (3)
CNSA 613 Career Development (3)
CNSA 614 Human Growth and Development for Counselors (3)
CNSA 615 Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling (3)
CNSA 620 Counseling Skills I (3)
CNSA 630 Group Counseling (3)
CNSA 640 Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling (3)
CNSA 682 Trauma Informed & Crisis Management (3)

**Due to recent licensure law changes in North Dakota, individuals must possess a Master's degree in counseling to be eligible for licensure in North Dakota.