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, a Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Human Health, or a Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Social Psychology. 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.