An online course is a way to move forward and continue with your education without pressing pause on other aspects of your life. These courses are designed keeping in mind the schedules of working professionals. A certificate course is usually one that is designed for people who already have some experience in the subject or the field and are looking to hone their skills. This article will take you through some of the online psychology courses with certificates.
Online Psychology Certificate Courses
The following are some of the best online psychology courses with certificates:
Capella University
At Capella University, you can opt for two programs — Applied Behavior Analysis and Play Therapy. The first one focuses on ethical and professional conduct and takes you through applied behavior analysis techniques.
You will be expected to complete 30 credit hours for this course. The second course is a useful way to acquire skills that will be helpful in engaging with children and understanding their needs. This course is especially helpful for professional educators and school counselors. This course too requires you to complete 30 credit hours. Both courses are graduate certificate courses and cost approximately $19,800. The GuidedPathTM format means the schedule is designed by the school and you are expected to meet deadlines, but there are other formats too that offer more flexibility.
California Southern University
The School of Behavioral Sciences at California Southern University offers a variety of different graduate certificate programs, especially for those who are already working professionals in the field and would like to hone their skills. The psychology certificates the school offers are Addiction Studies, Advanced Addiction Studies, Healthcare Services, Industrial Psychology, Pastoral Counseling and Sports Psychology. Each of the courses has six three-credit classes, which means you need to complete 18 credit hours in total. These are post-baccalaureate certificate programs, which means that you need to have a bachelor’s degree. It costs $545 per semester credit.
Tufts University
Tufts University offers a School-Based Practice — Advanced Professional Certificate. The course has been designed especially for working school professionals. There are three courses that are delivered in serial order in an asynchronous online format and takes one year to complete. This has been created and designed to hone existing skills of and impart new skills to school-based therapists. The courses are focused on system considerations, evidence available for evaluation and intervention, self-reflection on practice patterns, etc. The courses are spread over the spring, summer and fall. Each required course costs $2,500. For those who are not pursuing a certificate, a cheaper course is available through the Graduate Career Advancement Program.
George Mason University
George Mason University offers a certificate course in Applied Behavior Analysis. The graduate certificate course is provided with a Master of Education (MEd) option. It is designed such that professionals responsible for designing and implementing behavioral treatment and verbal training programs in various areas, like hospitals, schools, private practices, etc., would have enhanced skills. The certificate is based on the standards set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. You will be required to complete 18 credit hours in total. Since this is a graduate certificate, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree before you apply.
Colorado State University
Colorado State University offers an online certificate course in Behavioral Health. This is a program taught by the Social Work department, it has key elements of psychology. Clinical social work requires training in the knowledge of current diagnoses, medications, ways of dealing with trauma, etc. Social workers should be able to meet the needs of those they work with and the problems they are grappling with, be it substance abuse or mental illness. This behavior health certificate helps to bridge the gap between social work and the principles of psychology and counseling. The course delivered entirely online and requires you to complete nine credit hours and costs $619 per credit. The course can be completed in three semesters.
Final Thoughts
The names mentioned above are some of the best online certificate courses in psychology. They are all graduate courses and require you to have completed your bachelor’s degree. They are usually designed for the graduate level as some of these are professional certificate courses or comprehensive courses for those who are already working professionals. For example, a school counselor will find some of these courses useful and will be able to hone their skills and become better at their job. The length of the courses differ but they are typically spread over a semester system.