Advanced Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Counseling

The Department of Educational and Clinical Studies offers Advanced Graduate Certificates in Community Mental Health Counseling. The certificate program is designed for individuals already holding master’s degrees in counseling who are seeking to enhance their professional counseling practice and licensure options.

The Advanced Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Counseling is targeted primarily toward those individuals who have graduated from CACREP accredited or equivalent programs, but do not meet the necessary educational requirements for the LPC in the State of Nevada.

Faculty members in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies endeavor to promote excellence in counselor education and counseling research. Our graduate counseling programs prepare students to:

1. Serve as professional counselors, advocates, and leaders who maximize opportunities for individuals, groups, and communities with a particular emphasis on helping underserved and oppressed client populations;
2. Address developmental, academic, career, mental health, socio-cultural, and wellness needs of clients seeking counseling;
3. Help individuals, groups and communities strive to find meaning, involvement, worth, and dignity in their lives;
4. Engage in action research and program evaluations to further the knowledge base and best practice initiatives of the counseling profession; and
5. Advocate with local, state, and national organizations to promote client and societal wellbeing.

Certificate Requirements

The Advanced Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Counseling is an extension of the M.S. degree and is geared for those individuals who have graduated from CACREP accredited or equivalent programs, but do not meet the necessary educational requirements for the Nevada licensure for Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC). The certificate consists of 12-24 credits, based on the student’s master’s degree training. For example: 1) students who have completed a 54-credit CACREP accredited program of study in Community Counseling will be required to complete 12 additional credits; 2) students enrolled in the Department of Counselor Education school counseling program might take 12-24 credits; 3) students with a non-CACREP counseling degree might take 24 credits; and 4) students with a counseling related degree such as psychology or social work, might take up to 24 credits.

To earn a certificate, students must have a grade point average of 3.00 or better in each course. Students who receive an F or more than two Cs will be separated from the program. A minimum of six semester hours of credit must be taken each semester, including summer.