Career Preparation: Counseling/Therapy

Counselors and therapists provide support for people with mental health challenges and difficult life circumstances.  Students interested in careers related to Counseling or Therapy will go on, after graduating from UC San Diego, to graduate study (M.A., Ph.D., or Psy.D.) in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, and will need to obtain licensure in order to practice as a counselor or therapist.

During their time as an Undergraduate, students interested in Counseling or Therapy may choose any of our degree tracks. However, we suggest that you consider earning a Bachelor of Arts degree and focus heavily on obtaining related experience through internships, jobs, and volunteer opportunities to best prepare for your future career.  However, you may also be interested in earning a Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Clinical Psychology or Experimental Psychology Bachelor of Science. You may also be interested in a double major or minor in Sociology, Human Development, Critical Gender Studies, or Ethnic Studies. You may wish to consider post-graduate courses through UC San Diego Extension in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling or Play Therapy, The following courses may be of interest to you:

• PSYC-100: Clinical Psychology
• PSYC-101: Developmental Psychology
• PSYC-104: Social Psychology
• PSYC-124: Clinical Assessment and Treatment
• PSYC-125: Clinical Neuropsychology
• PSYC-134: Eating Disorders
• PSYC-137: Social Cognition
• PSYC-147: Gender
• PSYC-153: Psychology of Emotion
• PSYC-155: Social Psychology and Medicine
• PSYC-157: Happiness
• PSYC-158: Interpersonal Relationships
• PSYC-168: Psychological Disorders of Childhood
• PSYC-172: The Psychology of Human Sexuality
• PSYC-173: Psychology of Food and Behavior
• PSYC-179: Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders
• PSYC-180: Adolescence
• PSYC-181: Drugs and Behavior
• PSYC-188: Impulse Control Disorders
• PSYC-190: Science of Parenting

Students interested in the field of Counseling or Therapy should contact the Career Center for further career advising.

For resources on the process of applying to graduate programs in psychology and related fields, please visit our applying to graduate programs section.