2023 Best Online Certificates in Clinical Psychology

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is a public university offering an online Undergraduate Certificate in Clinical Mental Health Care that requires 18 credit hours. Students can complete this certificate program online in approximately one year while studying full time. The acceptance rate at UMGC is 100%, with 30% of students reaching their degrees.

At UMGCl, students use LEO for remote courses, which they can use to complete their certificate entirely online and asynchronously. This certificate program teaches basic psychological principles and therapeutic strategies while utilizing the latest research to understand various disorders and issues. Required classes include Research Methods in Psychology, Theories of Personality, and Abnormal Psychology. Graduates may explore nonlicensure mental health roles in hospitals, behavioral health agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is a private, nonprofit institution with an online Graduate Certificate in Clinical Trials requiring 18 credit hours. Students studying full time will likely complete the certificate in approximately one year. JHU accepts 8% of its applicants, while 93% of students graduate.

JHU uses Canvas to deliver its online coursework. This learning management software allows students to finish their certificate completely online, with courses offered synchronously and asynchronously. The core curriculum develops students' understanding of randomized clinical trials to evaluate medical products and includes the history, designs, guidelines, and ethics involved therein. Required classes include Principles of Epidemiology, Statistical Reasoning in Public Health, and Academic and Research Ethics. Career paths for graduates of similar programs include clinical research coordinators, clinical research associates, and data research specialists.

Arizona State University (ASU) is a public university with an online Graduate Certificate in Integrated Behavioral Health - Clinical. This graduate certificate requires 15 credit hours, which full-time students can complete in approximately one year. Students are accepted into ASU at a rate of 70%, with 47% graduating.

ASU students use Canvas as its primary learning management system, where they can complete courses 100% online and asynchronously. The curriculum for this program focuses on behavioral health models alongside a range of related issues such as food security, neuroscience, diseases, and technology. Among the required classes are Models of Integrated Primary Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Clinical Medicine/Pathophysiology. Career opportunities may be available as behavioral health consultants, behavioral health providers, and behavioral health directors.

Regent University Online (RU) is a private, nonprofit, and Christian institution that hosts an online Certificate of Graduate Studies in Psychology & Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling requiring nine credit hours. The completion time for this professional certificate is approximately one year for full-time students. The acceptance rate at RU is 41%, and the graduation rate is 49%.

At RU, students use Canvas as their learning management system, where courses are delivered entirely online and asynchronously. The core curriculum for this program teaches students how to utilize counseling instruments and interventions in various settings and identify and diagnose behavioral disorders. Learning is done through a Christian worldview with courses including Psychopathology and Diagnosis; Crisis, Trauma, and Clinical Mental Health; and Theories of Attachment and Affect Regulation. Although this certificate does not provide a license, it does endorse for licensure and continuing education. Graduates may gain employment in correctional institutions, health clinics, and hospitals.

Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university offering an online Education Specialist in Clinical Mental Health Counseling requiring 30 credit hours. Students studying on a full-time schedule can complete this program in two years. The acceptance rate at AUM is 97%, and the graduation rate is 38%.

Students at AUM use the Blackboard Ultra learning management system to access their core online courses, which are 100% online and asynchronous. The curriculum teaches how to incorporate practical and theoretical experience to design interventions for diverse clients. There are required courses — such as Supervision in Counseling and Advanced Studies in Counselor Education — as well as electives in Early Childhood Mental Health and Grief Counseling. Once the internship is finished, graduates may qualify for career opportunities in schools, adult development facilities, and private practices.