phd in community mental health

PhD, Behavioral and Community Health

Conduct research to develop innovative public health interventions

Acquire and apply essential research skills to determine the health needs of populations, design, implement and evaluate programs and policies aimed at improving the public's health.

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Perfect for...

• Students who are passionate about designing interventions to influence individual and community-level health behavior and health policy
• Students looking for a full-time in-person experience
• Students who want exceptional and tailored advising
• Students who seek to excel as public health leaders 

Career Paths

• Public Health Analyst
• Senior Study Director
• Behavioral Epidemiologist
• Senior Research Analyst
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Assistant Scientist
• Assistant Professor
• Director of Healthy Equity Research

Program Overview

The doctoral program in Behavioral and Community Health develops health professionals competent in understanding the health needs of populations and qualified to conduct research to inform programs and policies aimed at improving the public's health. Students will develop research skills essential in making significant contributions to the scientific and professional literature in behavioral and community health.

See all Behavioral and Community Health graduate student resources .

For more information, see the Behavioral and Community Health Flyer .

• Build emergent themes and sub-themes within qualitative data which require re-reading of text and an iterative process of data aggregation and interpretation;
• Discuss the appropriateness of a variety of statistical techniques to analyze quantitative data;
• Run intermediate-level quantitative statistical techniques using a packaged program; 
• Choose major social, behavioral and public health theories to use with the design and evaluation of interventions;
• Apply behavior change theories in the development of research questions and hypotheses, intervention development, evaluation approaches;
• Identify and use mobile/computer apps to gather information or collect data for use in the evaluation of research;
• Manage traditional and new media to communicate health information (e.g., statistics, reports) effectively;
• Build data validation tools to measure behavioral factors that influence community health;
• Write a research proposal for theory-based research;
• Select an appropriate research design;
• Conceptualize theoretical framework to be studied;
• Conduct all aspects of single item and multi-item scale variable creation;
• Conduct univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis; interpret the results;
• Write a manuscript including introduction, methods, results, conclusions, tables, and figures;
• Develop and communicate a comprehensive evaluation plan for health-related interventions at both the environmental and individual level, including a selection of a sample strategy, evaluation design, and appropriate statistical analyses;
• Apply evidence-based approaches in the development and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions

Students admitted to the doctoral program in behavioral and community health will complete 78 credit hours of coursework/dissertation research.

Katherine Sharp, PhD Director of Graduate Studies

[email protected] (301) 405-2464

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Ph.D. in Community Well-Being

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The program in Community Well-Being trains community-engaged action-researchers committed to promoting social justice through rigorous theoretical analysis and community-based research. The program is grounded in the discipline of community psychology and focuses on community - engaged scholarship that involves the researcher in a mutually beneficial partnership with the community. The program prepares scholars for careers in academia, research, and public policy.

Admission Requirements

Admission to all graduate-degree concentrations in the School of Education and Human Development is based on the recommendation of the faculty. Admissions decisions are based on faculty review of the following general requirements that apply to  all  Graduate Programs in the School as well as specific documents listed under each concentration.

Applicants must:

• provide official transcripts showing completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and an acceptable undergraduate grade point average. A minimum of 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required. Official transcripts from every institution attended by an applicant, whether or not the applicant completed a degree program at the institution, are required;
• provide three letters of recommendation that address the issues and meet the criteria established by the program being applied to;
• provide a personal statement that addresses the mission and purpose of the program being applied to;
• submit a writing sample of at least ten pages;
• take part in an admissions interview (required by some programs); 
• exhibit personal and professional experiences and characteristics that are relevant to the profession and/or field and/or degree program for which the application is being submitted; and
• International applicants whose native language is not English or applicants whose degrees are from a non-U.S. University must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

In addition to  the factors listed as general requirements for all applications to the SEHD’s graduate programs, consideration for admission to the Ph.D. program will include the following:

• letters of recommendation should address the applicant’s  academic  potential;
• available student space in the program;

International Applications

All international applications must provide additional information and meet additional requirements as required by the UM Graduate School and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. For an appropriate link to these requirements, please visit the Graduate School website.

Admission Decision

Once an applicant has been admitted to graduate study, that individual should meet with the faculty advisor who was appointed to serve in that capacity and whose name appears in the admissions letter. This advisor will help the student enroll in courses that are appropriate to the program; to develop and to refine a Program of Study that must be on file in the Office of Graduate Studies by the end of the first academic year of enrollment.

Honor Code/Handbook of Policies and Procedures

The School of Education and Human Development follows the Graduate School’s Honor Code. All students are required to review the Graduate Student Honor Code and the School of Education and Human Development’s Handbook of Policies and Procedures for Graduate Students and submit the signed Acknowledgement of Receipt located on page 3 by the end of their first semester of enrollment.

Curriculum Requirements

See Graduate Program Director for assistance.

Sample Plan of Study

This is a sample Plan of Study. Your actual course sequence may vary depending on your previous academic experience as well as current course offerings. Students should meet with their academic advisor each semester to determine the appropriate course selection.

The mission of the program is to produce community-engaged scholars who promote individual, relational, and collective well-being through community-based research and action.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and understanding of the main perspectives, theoretical approaches, and meta-competences in community psychology.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills with research designs and methods used in community research.
• Students will demonstrate a deep understanding and mastery of ONE SPECIFIC AREA OF FOCUS that contributes to scholarship and generates new knowledge relevant to community psychology and community well-being.

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Mental Health, PhD

Bloomberg school of public health, phd program description.

The PhD program is designed to provide key knowledge and skill-based competencies in the field of public mental health. To gain the knowledge and skills, all PhD students will be expected to complete required coursework, including courses that meet the CEPH competency requirements and research ethics; successfully pass the departmental comprehensive exam; select and meet regularly with a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) as part of advancing to doctoral candidacy; present a public seminar on their dissertation proposal; successfully pass the departmental and school-wide Preliminary Oral Exams; complete a doctoral thesis followed by a formal school-wide Final Oral Defense; participate as a Teaching Assistant (TA); attend Grand Rounds in the Department of Psychiatry; and provide a formal public seminar on their own research.  Each of these components is described in more detail below. The Introduction to Online Learning course is taken before the start of the first term.

Department Organization

The PhD Program Director, Dr. Rashelle Musci ( [email protected] ), works with the Vice-Chair for Education, Dr. Judy Bass ( [email protected] ), to support new doctoral students, together with their advisers, to formulate their academic plans; oversee their completion of ethics training; assist with connections to faculty who may serve as advisers or sources for data or special guidance; provide guidance to students in their roles as teaching assistants; and act as a general resource for all departmental doctoral students. The Vice-Chair also leads the Department Committee on Academic Standards and sits on the School Wide Academic Standards Committee. Students can contact Drs. Musci or Bass directly if they have questions or concerns.

Within the department structure, there are several standing and ad-hoc committees that oversee faculty and student research, practice and education. For specific questions on committee mandate and make-up, please contact Dr. Bass or the Academic Program Administrator, Patty Scott, [email protected] .

Academic Training Programs

The Department of Mental Health houses multiple NIH-funded doctoral and postdoctoral institutional training programs:

Psychiatric Epidemiology Training (PET) Program

This interdisciplinary doctoral and postdoctoral program is affiliated with the Department of Epidemiology and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Medicine. The Program is co-directed by Dr. Peter Zandi ( [email protected] ) and Dr. Heather Volk ( [email protected] ). The goal of the program is to increase the epidemiologic expertise of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals and to increase the number of epidemiologists with the interest and capacity to study psychiatric disorders. Graduates are expected to undertake careers in research on the etiology, classification, distribution, course, and outcome of mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors. The Program is funded with a training grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the four-term series in Epidemiologic Methods (340.751-340.754), as well as the four-term series in Biostatistics (140.621-624). In addition to the other departmental requirements for the doctoral degree, pre-doctoral trainees must also take four advanced courses in one of the domains of expertise they have selected to pursue: Genetic and Environmental Etiology of Mental Disorders, Mental Health Services and Outcomes, Mental Health and Aging, and Global Mental Health. Pre-doctoral trainees should consult with their adviser and the program director to select courses consistent with their training goals.

Postdoctoral fellows take some courses, depending on background and experience, and engage in original research under the supervision of a faculty member. They are expected to have mastery of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and biostatistics. Thus, fellows are required to take 340.721 Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health, 330.603 Psychiatric Epidemiology, and some equivalent of 140.621 Statistical Methods in Public Health I and 140.622 Statistical Methods in Public Health II. They may be waived from these requirements by the program director if they can demonstrate equivalent prior coursework.

Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training (DDET) Program

This training program is co-led by Dr. Renee M. Johnson ( [email protected] ) and Dr. Brion Maher ( [email protected] ). The DDET program is designed to train scientists in the area of substance use and substance use disorders. Research training within the DDET Program focuses on: (1) genetic, biological, social, and environmental factors associated with substance use, (2) medical and social consequences of drug use, including HIV/AIDS and violence, (3) co-morbid mental health problems, and (4) substance use disorder treatment and services. The DDET program is funded by the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The program supports both pre-doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Pre-doctoral trainees have a maximum of four years of support on the training grant. After completing required coursework, pre-doctoral trainees are expected to complete original research under the supervision of a faculty member affiliated with the DDET program. Postdoctoral trainees typically have two years of support on the training grant. They are required to engage in original research on a full-time basis, under the supervision of a DDET faculty member. Trainees’ research projects must be relevant to the field of substance use.

All trainees are required to attend a weekly seminar series focused on career development and substance use research. The DDET program supports trainees’ attendance at relevant academic meetings, including the Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) each June. Training grant appointments are awarded annually and are renewable given adequate progress in the academic program, successful completion of program and departmental requirements, and approval of the training director.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the required series in epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as The Epidemiology of Substance Use and Related Problems (330.602). In addition, they must take three advanced courses that enhance skills or content expertise in substance use and related problems: one in epidemiology (e.g., HIV/AIDS epidemiology), one in biostatistics, and one in social and behavioral science or health policy. The most appropriate biostatistics course will provide instruction on a method the trainee will use during the thesis research (e.g., survival analysis, longitudinal analysis methods). (Course requirements for trainees from other departments will be decided on a case-by-case basis.)

Postdoctoral trainees are expected to enter the program with mastery of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and biostatistics. They are required to take The Epidemiology of Substance Use and Related Problems in their first year (330.602), as well as required ethics courses. Postdoctoral trainees are encouraged to take courses in scientific writing and grant writing.

Global Mental Health Training (GMH) Program

The Global Mental Health Training (GMH) Program is a training program to provide public health research training in the field of Global Mental Health. It is housed in the Department of Mental Health , in collaboration with the Departments of International Health and Epidemiology. The GMH Program is supported by a T32 research training grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Judy Bass ( [email protected] ) is the training program director. 

As part of this training program, trainees will undertake a rigorous program of coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, public mental health and global mental health, field-based research experiences, and integrative activities that will provide trainees with a solid foundation in the core proficiencies of global mental health while giving trainees the opportunity to pursue specialized training in one of three concentration areas that are recognized as high priority: (1) Prevention Research; (2) Intervention Research; or (3) Integration of Mental Health Services Research.

Pre-doctoral trainees are required to take the required series in epidemiology and biostatistics and department of mental health required courses. In addition, they must take three courses that will enhance skills and content expertise in global mental health: 330.620 Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Mental Health and Psychosocial Research in Low Resource Settings, 224.694 Mental Health Intervention Programming in Low and Middle Income Countries, and 330.680 Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Disorder in Low and Middle Income Countries.

The Mental Health Services and Systems (MHSS) Program

The Mental Health Services and Systems (MHSS) program is an NIMH-funded T32 training program run jointly by the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health Policy and Management and also has a close affiliation with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Drs. Elizabeth Stuart ( [email protected] ) and Ramin Mojtabai ( [email protected] ) are the training program co-directors.

The goal of the MHSS Program is to train scholars who will become leaders in mental health services and systems research. This program focuses on producing researchers who can address critical gaps in knowledge with a focus on: (1) how healthcare services, delivery settings, and financing systems affect the well-being of persons with mental illness; (2) how cutting-edge statistical and econometric methods can be used in intervention design, policies, and programs to improve care; and (3) how implementation science can be used to most effectively disseminate evidence-based advances into routine practice. The program strongly emphasizes the fundamental principles of research translation and dissemination throughout its curriculum.

Pre-doctoral trainees in the MHSS program are expected to take a set of core coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics, 5 core courses related to the core elements of mental health services and systems (330.662:  Public Mental Health, 330.664: Introduction to Mental Health Services, 140.664:  Causal Inference in Medicine and Public Health, 550.601: Implementation Research and Practice, and 306.665:  Research Ethics and Integrity), and to specialize in one of 3 tracks: (1) health services and economics; (2) statistics and methodology; or (3) implementation science applied to mental health. Trainees are also expected to participate in a biweekly training grant seminar every year of the program and take a year-long practicum course exposing them to real-world mental health service systems and settings. 

For more details see this webpage:   http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-mental-health-and-addiction-policy-research/training-opportunities/

Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging

This program offers training in the methodology and conduct of significant clinical- and population-based research in older adults. This training grant, funded by the National Institute on Aging, has the specific mission to prepare epidemiologists and biostatisticians who will be both leaders and essential members of the multidisciplinary research needed to define models of healthy, productive aging and the prevention and interventions that will accomplish this goal. The Associate Director of this program is Dr. Michelle Carlson ( [email protected]) .

The EBA training grant has as its aims:

• Train pre- and post-doctoral fellows by providing a structured program consisting of: a) course work, b) seminars and working groups, c) practica, d) directed multidisciplinary collaborative experience through a training program research project, and e) directed research.
• Ensure hands-on participation in multidisciplinary research bringing trainees together with infrastructure, mentors, and resources, thus developing essential skills and experience for launching their research careers.
• Provide in-depth knowledge in established areas of concentration, including a) the epidemiology and course of late-life disability, b) the epidemiology of chronic diseases common to older persons, c) cognition, d) social epidemiology, e) the molecular, epidemiological and statistical genetics of aging, f) measurement and analysis of complex gerontological outcomes (e.g, frailty), and g) analysis of longitudinal and survival data.
• Expand the areas of emphasis to which trainees are exposed by developing new training opportunities in: a) clinical trials; b) causal inference; c) screening and prevention; and d) frailty and the integration of longitudinal physiologic investigation into epidemiology.
• Integrate epidemiology and biostatistics training to form a seamless, synthesized approach whose result is greater than the sum of its parts, to best prepare trainees to tackle aging-related research questions.

These aims are designed to provide the fields of geriatrics and gerontology with epidemiologists and biostatisticians who have an appreciation for and understanding of the public health and scientific issues in human aging, and who have the experience collaborating across disciplines that is essential to high-quality research on aging. More information can be found at: https://coah.jhu.edu/graduate-programs-and-postdoctoral-training/epidemiology-and-biostatistics-of-aging/ .

Aging and Dementia Training Program

This interdisciplinary pre- and post-doctoral training program is an interdisciplinary program, funded by the National Institute on Aging, affiliated with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, the Department of Mental Health at the School of Public Health and the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the School of Arts and Sciences. The Department of Mental Health contact is Dr. Michelle Carlson ( [email protected] ). The goal of this training program is to train young investigators in age-related cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Program Requirements 

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website .

Residence Requirements

All doctoral students must complete and register for four full-time terms of a regular academic year, in succession, starting with Term 1 registration in August-September of the academic year and continuing through Term 4 ending in May of that same academic year. Full-time registration entails a minimum of 16 credits of registration each term and a maximum of 22 credits per term.

Full-time residence means more than registration. It means active participation in department seminars and lectures, research work group meetings, and other socializing experiences within our academic community. As such, doctoral trainees are expected to be in attendance on campus for the full academic year except on official University holidays and vacation leave.

Course Requirements

Not all courses are required to be taken in the first year alone; students typically take 2 years to complete all course requirements. 

Students must obtain an A or B in all required courses. If a grade of C or below is received, the student will be required to repeat the course. An exception is given if a student receives a C (but not a D) in either of the first two terms of the required biostatistics series, but then receives a B or better in both of the final two terms of the series; then a student will not be required to retake the earlier biostatistics course. However, the student cannot have a cumulative GPA lower than 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. Any other exceptions to this grade requirement must be reviewed and approved by the departmental CAS and academic adviser.

Below are the required courses for the PhD; further Information can be found on the PhD in Mental Health webpage. 

BIOSTATISTICS

Must be completed to be eligible to sit for the departmental written comprehensive exams.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Department of mental health courses.

For Department of Mental Health doctoral students, a research paper is required entailing one additional course credit.  PH.330.840 Special Studies and Research Mental Health  listing Dr. Eaton as the mentor.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH

The School requires that at least 18 credit units must be satisfactorily completed in formal courses outside the student's primary department. Among these 18 credit units, no fewer than three courses (totaling at least 9 credits) must be satisfactorily completed in two or more departments of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The remaining outside credit units may be earned in any department or division of the University. This requirement is usually satisfied with the biostatistics and epidemiology courses required by the department.

Candidates who have completed a master’s program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health may apply 12 credits from that program toward this School requirement. Contact the Academic Office for further information.

SCHOOL-WIDE COURSES

Introduction to Online Learning  taken before the first year.

ETHICS TRAINING

PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH  (0 credit - pass/fail)  required of all students in the first term of registration.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) connotes a broad range of career development topics that goes beyond the more narrowly focused “research ethics” and includes issues such as conflict of interest, authorship responsibilities, research misconduct, animal use and care, and human subjects research. RCR training requirements for JHPSH students are based on two circumstances: their degree program and their source of funding, which may overlap. 

• All PhD students are required to take one of two courses in Responsible Conduct of Research, detailed below one time, in any year, during their doctoral studies.
• All students, regardless of degree program, who receive funding from one of the federal grant mechanisms outlined in the NIH notice below, must take one of the two courses listed below to satisfy the 8 in-person hours of training in specific topic areas specified by NIH (e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, research misconduct, human and animal subject ethics, etc.).

The two courses that satisfy either requirement are:

• PH.550.600 Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research  [1 credit, Evans]. Once per week, 1st term.
• PH.306.665 Research Ethics and integrity  [3 credits, Kass]. Twice per week, 3rd term.

Registration in either course is recorded on the student’s transcript and serves as documentation of completion of the requirement.

• If a non-PhD or postdoctoral student is unsure whether or not their source of funding requires in-person RCR training, they or the PI should contact the project officer for the award.
• Students who have conflicts that make it impossible for them to take either course can attend a similar course offered by Sharon Krag at Homewood during several intensive sessions (sequential full days or half days) that meet either on weekends in October or April, a week in June, or intersessions in January. Permission is required. Elizabeth Peterson ( [email protected] ) can provide details on dates and times.
• Students who may have taken the REWards course (Research Ethics Workshops About Responsibilities and Duties of Scientists) in the SOM can request that this serve as a replacement, as long as they can provide documentation of at least 8 in-person contact hours.
• Postdoctoral students are permitted to enroll in either course but BSPH does not require them to take RCR training. However, terms of their funding might require RCR training and it is their obligation to fulfill the requirement.
• The required Academic Ethics module is independent of the RCR training requirement. It is a standalone module that must be completed by all students at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. This module covers topics associated with maintaining academic integrity, including plagiarism, proper citations, and cheating.

PhD in Mental Health  

Department of Mental Health candidates for the degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) must fulfill all University and School requirements. These include, but are not limited to, a minimum of four consecutive academic terms at the School in full-time residency (some programs require 6 terms), continuous registration throughout their tenure as a PhD student, satisfactory completion of a Departmental Written Comprehensive Examination, satisfactory performance on a University Preliminary Oral Examination, readiness to undertake research, and preparation and successful defense of a thesis based upon independent research.

PhD Students are required to be registered full-time for a minimum of 16 credits per term and courses must be taken for letter grade or pass/fail. Courses taken for audit do not count toward the 16-credit registration minimum.

Students having already earned credit at BSPH from a master's program or as a Special Student Limited within the past three years for any of the required courses may be able to use them toward satisfaction of doctoral course requirements.

For a full list of program policies, please visit the PhD in Mental Health  page where students can find more information and links to our handbook.

Completion of Requirements

The University places a seven-year maximum limit upon the period of doctoral study. The Department of Mental Health students are expected to complete all requirements in an average of 4-5 years. 

Learning Outcomes

The PhD program is designed to provide key knowledge and skill-based competencies in the field of public mental health. Upon successful completion of the PhD in Mental Health, students will have mastered the following competencies:

• Evaluate the clinical presentations, incidence, prevalence, course and risk/protective factors for major mental and behavioral health disorders.
• Differentiate important known biological, psychological and social risk and protective factors for major mental and behavioral disorders and assess how to advance understanding of the causes of these disorders in populations.
• Evaluate and explain factors associated with resiliency and recovery from major mental and behavioral disorders.
• Evaluate, select, and implement effective methods and measurement strategies for assessment of major mental and behavioral disorders across a range of epidemiologic settings.
• Critically evaluate strategies for the prevention and treatment of major mental and behavioral disorders as well as utilization and delivery of mental health services over the life course, across a range of settings, and in a range of national contexts.
• Assess preventive and treatment interventions likely to prove effective in optimizing mental health of the population, reducing the incidence of mental and behavioral disorders, raising rates of recovery from disorders, and reducing risk of later disorder recurrence. 

According  to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the  list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type .

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About the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences Program

The PhD program in Social and Behavioral Sciences is designed for individuals seeking training for careers as social and behavioral scientists, health educators, and health promotion or communication specialists in the public health arena. The curriculum centers on the application of social and behavioral science perspectives to research on contemporary health problems, with a focus on understanding and influencing the social contexts and behaviors relevant to health. In addition to coursework, students complete a written exam at the end of the first year and gain experience in research skills and approaches. With faculty guidance, students develop and present a dissertation protocol in an oral exam. The final dissertation defense is conducted as an oral exam that includes a public seminar.

The program provides rigorous training in research methodology, theory, and program design and evaluation. Research is primarily focused in two areas—health education and communication, and social and psychological influences on health.

PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences Program Highlights

Interdisciplinary theory.

with multi-level perspective

Rigorous methods

with practical application to contemporary health problems

Application of behavioral and social science perspectives

with attention to context

Community engagement

to understand and influence health behaviors that are risk factors in disease and illness

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Social and Behavioral Sciences?

Visit the  Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

Sample Careers

• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Research Public Health Analyst
• Social Scientist, Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products
• Health Scientist-Alcohol Program
• Project Director
• Senior Communications Adviser
• Tenure Track Faculty
• Senior Program Officer
• Director of Clinical and Academic Research
• Senior Consultant
• Research and Evaluation Officer
• Program Director, Department of Public Health

Curriculum for the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue , explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory , and find many more details in the program's Student Handbook . 

Research Areas

The emphasis of the curriculum is on the application of behavioral and social science perspectives to research on contemporary health problems. Understanding and influencing health behaviors that are risk factors in disease and illness, as well as behaviors that can be considered protective and health enhancing, are strengths of the program.

Rigorous training in research methods and program design and evaluation are also key elements of the curriculum. The program focuses its research in the following areas.

This area focuses on the application of principles from education, communication, behavioral, social science and psychological theories to encourage health behaviors conducive to optimal health in individuals, groups and communities. Students are exposed to current research on health education and communication, with particular focus on multilevel, ecological models of health and health behavior, design and evaluation of multifaceted intervention programs and patient-provider communication.

This area focuses on social and psychological factors and processes in the etiology and prevalence of disease in health-care-seeking behavior, disease prevention, long-term care and rehabilitation. Students are exposed to current research on health knowledge, attitudes and beliefs; social and psychological factors in disease etiology; risk reduction; and cultural influences in public health, including cross-cultural and multilevel studies.

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page.

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE) are  optional  for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Program Faculty Spotlight

Katherine Clegg Smith

Katherine Clegg Smith, PhD, MA, is a sociologist who examines health experiences and health communication, with a research focus on cancer and chronic disease.

Carl Latkin

Carl Latkin, PhD, conducts biobehavioral interventions for disadvantaged communities, with a focus on social networks, substance use, infectious diseases, and mental health.

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr.

Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., PhD, MS, is a gerontologist and social epidemiologist with nationally-recognized expertise in minority aging, men’s health, and place-based disparities.

Carol R. Underwood

Carol Underwood, PhD '93, MA, MA, studies the role of gender, social class, and marginalization in global health outcomes to contribute to the wellbeing of populations.

Get to Know Our Current Doctoral Students

Learn more about our doctoral students' research interests, publications, and more through our HBS doctoral student pages.

Full-time PhD students matriculating in or after 2022 will receive the following support for the first four years of the program: full tuition and matriculation fee, individual health insurance, University Health Services clinic fee, vision insurance, and dental insurance.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU  starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Application and Admissions Procedural Questions

Please direct questions about application and admissions procedures to the BSPH Admissions Office.

Email:   [email protected] Phone:   410-955-3543

General Academic Questions

For general academic questions about the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences program, please contact our Department's doctoral program coordinator, Krystal Lee, EdD, MPA.

Email:   [email protected]

Doctoral Program

Phd-phs in social and behavioral sciences.

Prospective doctoral students interested in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD ) Program in  Population Health Sciences  and choose  Social & Behavioral Sciences as their Field of Study.

The PhD in Population Health Sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Students in this program will gain broad, interdisciplinary knowledge in quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry for understanding the health of populations, and developmental approaches to population health science. In addition, students will belong to one of the following Fields of Study associated with the departments of: Environmental Health , Epidemiology , Global Health and Population , Nutrition , or Social and Behavioral Sciences .

For further details on the PhD program, please visit this website .

Curriculum Guide

2023-24 SBS-PhD Curriculum Guide

What are the admission requirements for the PhD program?

For applicants that are applying into the PhD in Population Health Sciences check out this admission requirement  checklist .

I’m applying to the PhD program in Population Health Sciences, do I need to secure an advisor? Do faculty make advising commitments before applying to the program?

Advisors for PhD students in the PHS program are chosen after we know who will be joining us in the new cohort. Generally, the assignment takes place in early to mid-May. An essential part of the PhD admissions process is the consideration of appropriate mentoring faculty for the applicant. Therefore applicants do not get prior advising commitments from a potential faculty mentor prior to applying to the program. We recommend listing up to three faculty members of interest in your personal statement, articulating how your current research interests align with the faculty listed.

I’m applying to the PhD program in Population Health Sciences, do I need to have prior quantitative coursework?

Our program has a strong emphasis on quantitative methods so showing preparation in this area is strongly recommended. The doctoral program in SBS is very quantitative-focused and we do require students to take a year of Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences (PHS 2000 A + B). Although the committee looks at the application holistically, some emphasis is placed on how well applicants do in specific course areas such as Biostats, EPI and the social sciences.

It’s always helpful to the admissions committee to be able to assess quantitative skills in an applicant’s background and that is usually demonstrated through coursework, professional experiences and letters of recommendation.

What are you looking for in applicants to the PhD program?

While applications are looked at holistically, the admissions committee does place an emphasis on prior coursework in biostatistics, epidemiology and the social sciences, so highlighting these types of courses in your application will be useful.  Additionally, it could be helpful if one of your recommenders is a professor from your last degree program who can comment positively on your quantitative abilities.  Your statement of purpose is a chance for you to tell the committee about your motivation for pursuing doctoral work in SBS and to describe yourself as a researcher. A key part of the admissions review process is making sure there is appropriate mentorship, so we suggest naming up to three SBS faculty whose interests align with your own. You can read about the faculty here .

You may find the information on this page helpful as you prepare your application.

Will graduate course work from my master’s degree be accepted for some of the coursework required in the PhD (e.g. statistics courses etc.)?

You can submit a substitution form with the course syllabus for courses you have taken in your Master’s program. Substitution requests are carefully reviewed by the instructor of the required HSPH course to determine if the course is truly equivalent.

Where can I find out more information on the research in the SBS department?

You can get some information on faculty research by viewing their profiles on the department website.

You can read about the research areas of current students here .

News from the School

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Exploring the intersection of health, mindfulness, and climate change

Conference aims to help experts foster health equity

Building solidarity to face global injustice

The Ph.D. in Behavioral & Community Sciences is an interdisciplinary major focusing on research and policy in the area of behavioral health and community sciences. Behavioral and Community Sciences refers to the development and evaluation of services and interventions that promote resiliency and social well-being for at-risk populations and addresses these issues within the context of community settings.

Major Research Areas: Substance Abuse & Co-Occurring Disorders; Community Based Behavioral Health Systems & Services; Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health; Behavioral Health, Law, and the Justice System; Behavioral Health Disparities;Positive Behavior Intervention & Support; Disability & Rehabilitation Research & Policy; and Language and Literacy Assessment and Intervention.

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below. 

To be given full consideration for financial assistance, students should apply by December 15 for admission for the Fall semester. 

• A bachelor’s GPA of 3.50 or higher based on a 4.00 grading scale.  The completed degree must be in a field related to behavioral and community sciences, e.g., behavioral healthcare, human services, human development, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, public health, social work, counseling education, education.
• GRE with a preferred  minimum of Verbal - 150 (50th percentile), Quantitative- 147 (30th percentile), and Analytical Writing - 4.0 (50th percentile). Although students who have completed a master’s degree are not required to submit GRE scores, all students are encouraged to submit GRE scores because they are considered in applications for fellowship, scholarship, and assistantship opportunities.
• Students who do not meet the minimum criteria may be admitted based on strong records reflected by other aspects of their applications (GPA, Letters of Recommendation, Writing Samples, and prior research experiences).
• A writing sample, such as a major paper, thesis, or research paper of which the student is the sole author, and
• A personal goal statement of 2-3 pages that describes why you want to obtain the Ph.D. in Behavioral & Community Sciences. Applicants are expected to communicate with potential advisors to find a good match for one’s research training. The personal statement should cover: how the degree will help you in achieving your professional goals; unique qualities, life experiences, and knowledge related to the field; obstacles overcome to achieve your educational goals thus far; obstacles that may challenge you in pursuing a graduate degree; your research and teaching goals; and the USF professor you would like to work with and why. 
• Two formal letters of recommendation from faculty members or other professional personnel who have knowledge of the applicant’s academic background, potential for success in graduate school, and/or commitment to a research career. 
• Applicants with a master’s degree: Transcripts from the master’s degree will be evaluated to determine coursework that will be applicable toward the 90 hours of credit required for the doctoral major

Prior to applying for the major, applicants are encouraged to contact faculty with whom they would like to study and discuss the fit between the student’s area of research interest and the faculty member’s research focus.

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours - 90 (Post-Bachelor’s)

• Core requirements - 9 credit hours
• Additional required courses - 6 credit hours
• Research/statistics foundation courses - 6 credit hours
• Advanced research courses - 12 credit hours
• Didactic courses in behavioral & community sciences - 18 credit hours
• Specialization courses - 9 credit hours
• Directed research - 18 credit hours
• Dissertation - 12 credit hours

Core Requirements (9 Credit Hours)

• MHS 6742 Community Based Research and Evaluation in Behavioral Sciences Credit Hours: 3
• MHS 6409 Evidence-Based Practice in Behavioral and Community Sciences Credit Hours: 3
• MHS 7707 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Policy and System Change in Behavioral Health Credit Hours: 3

Additional Required Courses (6 Credit Hours)

• MHS 7720 Proseminar in Behavioral and Community Sciences Credit Hours: 1-3 (3 credits for this program)
• EDF 6213 Biological Bases for Learning Behavior Credit Hours: 3
• PSB 6056 Physiological Psychology Credit Hours: 3

Research/Statistics Foundation Courses (6 Credit Hours)

In consultation with their academic advisor, students will select two Research Methods or Statistics courses that provide a foundation for advanced research courses.  Additional courses not in the list below can be approved by the advisor and Graduate Director.

• EDF 6407 Statistical Analysis for Educational Research I Credit Hours: 4
• MHS 6900 Special Topics in Planning, Evaluation and Accountability Credit Hours: 1-3 taken as Research Methods and Design (3 Credit Hours)
• GEY 6402 Statistical Methods in Aging Research Credit Hours: 3
• EDF 6481 Foundations of Educational Research Credit Hours: 3
• MHS 6743 Qualitative Research Foundations Credit Hours: 3

Advanced Research Courses (12 Credit Hours)

Advanced statistics.

• MHS 7748 Statistical Applications in Translational Research and Evaluation Credit Hours: 3
• GEY 6403 Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Aging Research Credit Hours: 3
• PHC 6054 Applications of Advanced Biostatistical Methods in Public Health Credit Hours: 3
• PHC 7056 Longitudinal Data Analysis Credit Hours: 3
• EDF 7412 Application of Structural Equation Modeling in Education Credit Hours: 3
• EDF 7474 Applied Multilevel Modeling in Education Credit Hours: 3

Research Design

• PSY 6217 Research Methods and Measurement Credit Hours: 2-4 (3 credits for this program)
• SPA 7931 Seminar in Communication Sciences and Disorders Credit Hours: 3
• MHS 6744 Single Case Experimental Design Credit Hours: 3

Program Evaluation

• MHS 7740 Survey Course in Planning, Evaluation and Accountability Credit Hours: 3
• PHC 6708 Evaluation and Research Methods in Community Health Credit Hours: 3

Qualitative Methods

• PHC 6193 Qualitative Methods in Community Health Research Credit Hours: 3
• PHC 6725 Focus Group Research Strategies Credit Hours: 3
• EDF 7477 Qualitative Research in Education Part I Credit Hours: 4

Measurement

*Pre requisite course EDF 6432    or equivalent

• EDF 6432 Foundations of Measurement Credit Hours: 3
• EDF 7436 Rasch Measurement Models Credit Hours: 3 *
• EDF 7439 Foundations of Item Response Theory Credit Hours: 3 *

Didactic Courses in Behavioral & Community Sciences (18 Credit Hours)

In consultation with their academic advisor, students will design an appropriate curriculum to obtain foundational content and skills in their area of interest that will prepare them for Advanced Study. Graduate courses in the behavioral and community sciences (e.g., psychology, behavioral health, public health, education, economics, sociology) within and outside the college can be used to satisfy this requirement.

Specialization Courses (9 Credit Hours)

Students will complete a minimum of nine hours in a specialty area. The specialty area will be developed on an individual basis with each student and the student’s faculty advisor. Examples of possible specialties include:

• Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health
• Positive Behavior Intervention & Support
• Substance Abuse & Co-Occurring Disorders
• Community Based Behavioral Health Systems & Services
• Behavioral Health, Law, and the Justice System
• Recovery Oriented Behavioral Health
• Disability & Rehabilitation Studies
• Behavioral Health Disparities

Directed Research (18 Credit Hours)

Following the completion of the first six-hours of directed research, students will complete a research “product” such as a conference presentation, poster session, publication, portions of a grant proposal, literature review or other comparable product to demonstrate their progress in developing research proficiency. Ideally, this product will be associated with their dissertation topic. The remaining 12 hours of Directed Research will be conducted during the second and third year of study and will be conducted with the guidance of the student’s major professor with research outcomes specified in the student’s plan of study related to their eventual dissertation proposal.

• MHS 6915 Directed Research in Behavioral and Social Sciences Credit Hours: 1-6

Qualifying Exam/Doctoral Candidacy

Dissertation (12 credit hours minimum).

The dissertation will consist of original research designed and supervised by a faculty advisor.  The student will select the faculty member who will serve as the major advisor within the first year of study. Each student will have a dissertation committee consisting of the major advisor and three other faculty members from different disciplines to reflect the interdisciplinary approach of the major. The student will write a dissertation proposal that outlines the completed project and will defend the proposal to obtain committee approval for beginning the dissertation. The dissertation will consist of a series of three articles with an introductory and conclusion chapter. The student will complete a public oral defense of the dissertation and the committee will judge the adequacy of the final document and the oral defense for approval for the Ph.D. degree.

• MHS 7980 Dissertation Credit Hours: 2-30

Other Requirements

The Plan of Study must include at least 18 hours of coursework in an area that will fulfill the SACS teaching requirement of 18 hours in the field to ensure eligibility for university positions.

Public Health PhD: Community & Behavioral Health Promotion PHD

Students in our community and behavioral health doctorate program are trained at the graduate level in health promotion and behavior change from a public health perspective.

Focal areas of coursework and research include maternal, infant and child health, adolescent health, teen parents, health disparities, obesity, nutrition, food security, HIV and STDs, adolescent health, substance abuse, mental health and built environment. 

Program Type

Program format, spotlight on research.

African-American babies in Milwaukee are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. It’s a fact that’s remained stubbornly resistant to change, despite widespread community efforts.

Emmanuel Ngui, associate professor in community and behavioral health promotion, is working to improve those numbers. He says social determinants — poverty, lack of jobs, discrimination, lack of access to health care — are underlying factors that make it hard to move the needle on infant mortality rates. Within that context, though, he’s focused much of his work on one particular piece of the effort — looking at the impact of African-American fathers on maternal and child health.

Students in the PhD in community and behavioral health promotion program gain experience and exposure in key areas of public health (environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and policy and administration), which allows them to be integrated into the broader public health profession upon graduation.

Public Health PhD: Community & Behavioral Health Promotion

A minimum of 72 credits of coursework beyond the bachelor’s level must be completed to earn the degree, at least 35 of which must be earned in residence at UW-Milwaukee. The course list consists of required common Ph.D. core courses, CBHP core courses, research and methods courses, and elective courses. Also, students will be required to complete three credits of supervised research under the tutelage of the primary advisor prior to the required dissertation research requirement. This is to ensure that all students obtain hands-on, supervised research training. After achieving dissertation status, students will enroll in three research credits per semester for at least two semesters.

Required Core PhD Courses (12 credits)

Cbhp phd required courses (36 credits), required advanced quantitative courses (three credits), cbhp elective courses (nine credits), pre-dissertation research (three credits), doctoral thesis (nine credits).

Total Credits (72)  Please note: All courses subject to change. Please consult the  Academic Catalog  for the most up-to-date information.

Community and Behavioral Health Doctorate Competencies

Phd core competencies.

• Formulate and test a hypothesis using basic statistical methods.
• Apply statistical inference to guide research decision-making relevant to public health problems and issues.
• Critically evaluate scientific literature and identify how epidemiological and population health data can be used to answer research questions and inform program development and policy decisions aimed at promoting health equity.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills necessary for formulating research questions, identifying theory to frame research questions, and identify and employ appropriate methodologies for addressing a public health research question.
• Apply social and environmental justice framework when asking and addressing research questions impacting the public’s health.

Community and Behavioral Health Program Competencies

• Describe and critically evaluate the utility of key social and behavioral science theories for public health research.
• Design and implement theory driven community and behavioral health promotion research.
• Apply social and environmental justice philosophies, theories, and frameworks to public health research and the interpretation of research findings
• Describe the social-political-historical contexts that have shaped the development of community engaged research including community based participatory approaches
• Describe the contributions of community engaged approaches to community and behavioral health research and interventions
• Critically appraise different methodological strategies in developing and implementing community engaged research
• Apply qualitative and advanced quantitative methods to the study of public health problems, the assessment of community strengths and the evaluation of prevention and intervention programs.
• Use research findings to advocate for policies, programs, and resources that improve the health of communities.
• Demonstrate respect for the integrity and perspectives of others in all professional contexts
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of how to manage ethical issues in community and behavioral health research and practice

Careers in Community & Behavioral Health Promotion

Studying public health at UW-Milwaukee allows for opportunities to apply doctoral research to real-world settings. Community and behavioral health doctorate graduates will be well-prepared scientist-practitioners, able to lead interdisciplinary research and work with a range of communities on our most pressing population health issues. Demand for public health professionals is high in local, state and federal government, academia, and within non-governmental and community-based organizations across the United States and around the world. This PhD program prepares students to work in these sectors and more.

• Associate Professor, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
• [email protected]
• 414-227-3001

• Professor and Program Lead, Community and Behavioral Health Promotion, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
• [email protected]
• 414-227-4490

• Interim Dean and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
• [email protected]
• 414-227-4342

• Associate Professor and MPH Director
• [email protected]
• 414-227-3267

• Associate Dean for Research. Professor, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
• [email protected]
• 414-227-5139

Community and Behavioral Health Doctorate Faculty Expertise

• Substance abuse risk factors among minority populations.
• Effective substance abuse intervention and treatment programs.
• Public health issues relevant to high-risk adolescents.
• Interpersonal developmental processes related to health and mental health across the lifespan.
• Physical activity participation, healthy food consumption and subsequently chronic disease prevalence in low-income and racial/ethnic minority communities.
• Health inequalities in maternal and child health populations. 
• Disparities in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease with a focus on the role of social determinants of health. 
• Disparities in the neighborhood food environment and in access to healthy and nutritious foods.
• Developing effective primary and secondary HIV-prevention interventions for resource-poor settings.

Academic & Career Resources

• Academic Catalog
• Academic Programs
• Academic Forms
• Career Services
• Advising – Undergraduate
• Advising – Graduate
• Field Experience
• Plans of Study
• Schedule of Classes
• Sport & Recreation Courses
• Student Handbook

Department of Community and Behavioral Health

Phd in community and behavioral health, degree description and learner objectives.

Prepares individuals for academic, research, and policy-making careers in the social and behavioral health sciences. Graduates of this Ph.D. program will be able to do the following:

• Apply social and behavioral science theories in public health research
• Produce effective scientific writing
• Demonstrate grant-writing skills
• Participate in interdisciplinary research
• Communicate research findings to various audiences, including policy makers and community members
• Design a research study that incorporates knowledge of pertinent cultural, social, behavioral, and biological factors
• Design a theory-informed community-based intervention research project
• Design an implementation and evaluation plan for a theory-informed community-based intervention
• Formulate focused research questions to address gaps in community and behavioral health knowledge
• Evaluate social and behavioral science research design, methodology, and analysis related to public health
• Evaluate how structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and societal levels

Prerequisites

A master’s degree in a related area is required.

Supervision of a Ph.D. program

It is necessary for all Ph.D. students to be matched with appropriate department faculty who are available to advise their program of study and chair their dissertation committee. Prospective students should begin this matching process by speaking with the Graduate Program Coordinator, about which faculty members are currently available for the advisement and dissertation chair roles. The Graduate Program Coordinator will suggest personal contact with likely advisors as needed. Acceptance into the Ph.D. program will be in part dependent on the identification and agreement of an appropriate and available advisor and dissertation chair.

PhD Curriculum

During their first semester, students will work with their academic adviser to develop a Plan of Study that will satisfy both the students’ individual goals. The curriculum for the doctoral program requires that students complete at least 75 semester hours of course work past the baccalaureate degree. The transfer credit given for a master’s degree counts towards these 75 semester hours. The University of Iowa General Catalog has the specific degree requirements.

PhD Qualifying Exam

The qualifying examination should be completed early in the doctoral program. For students with a relevant Master’s degree, the qualifying exam is to be taken at the end of the second semester of full-time study.  For students without a relevant Master’s degree or enrolled part-time the qualifying exam should be taken by the end of the third semester, or upon completion of sufficient coursework.  Students will work with their advisor to determine the best time to sit for the exam.

PhD Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive examination is taken after the majority of coursework for the Ph.D. degree has been completed. It tests the student’s ability to integrate relevant theories, analytical skills, research design and methodology in the behavioral and social sciences related to public health.

Dissertation Defense

The goal of the dissertation is to produce a document that is publishable in a peer-reviewed journal. Original thought is required in the formulation and conduct of the research, although neither original data collection nor data analysis are strictly required. During the dissertation defense, a specially formed committee will thoroughly examine the student’s area of knowledge associated with the context of the work.

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School of Public Health

Phd concentration in community health sciences.

The PhD concentration in Community Health Sciences provides students with an understanding of a substantive area of public health knowledge, and advanced research and analytical skills within a public and community health context. Graduates are equipped with the conceptual, theoretical, and analytic tools to conduct cutting-edge research and translate knowledge into information and practice to improve health at the community level.  Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, students explore a wide variety of public health issues across diverse populations and communities, with a focus on addressing healthcare disparities and the impact of these disparities on health status throughout the life course.

The division of Community Health Sciences offers its doctoral students the opportunity to engage with experts in their area of interest within the School of Public Health, the broader UI Health and UIC communities, Chicago, and abroad.  Our PhD program graduates play leading roles in research conducted through myriad organizations such as the Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, UIC Cancer Center, and the Institute for Health Research and Policy; and serve as faculty at a variety of institutions including the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Wayne State University College of Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, DePaul University, and Rush University.

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Diversity and Community Mental Health Emphasis

Unique approaches for underserved communities.

Clinician. Consultant. Researcher. Policy advocate. Community organizer. The Diversity and Community Mental Health (DCMH) area of emphasis at PAU gives you specialized knowledge and clinical training to provide psychological services for the public mental health sector.

You’ll work with diverse populations who have been underserved – or even unserved – with unique combinations of mental health problems. Your consumers might include trauma survivors, LGBTQ families, dual diagnosis/substance abuse patients, or participants in community-specific integrated health programs.

Community mental health addresses challenges on both an individual and systemic level. Services are often atypical, as care involves the consumer and family members, and is integrated with the community in collaborative interdisciplinary teams. In addition, issues of crisis and risk management are particularly important.

Emphasis Objectives

• Recruit, train, and mentor psychologists proficient in the unique theoretical bases, models of practice, and organizational and policy issues of community mental health. 
• Prepare students to become competent clinicians, researchers, and future leaders in the public mental health sector.
• Prepare a cohort of psychologists to serve the diverse needs of unserved and underserved communities.
• Prepare culturally competent public and community mental health-focused clinical psychologists able to meet the needs of the diverse communities in the public mental health sector.

Not only do we aim to prepare students to be public sector professionals, but we expect you to become a leader in the field. As such, DCMH students will be exposed to the skills and mentorship necessary for these leadership roles. 

The DCMH emphasis provides students with the specialized skills and knowledge to assume a variety of roles – not only as CMH clinicians, but also consultants, researchers, policy advocates, community organizers, and administrators.

Emphasis Requirements

Training in community mental health is typically learned piecemeal and on-the-job. PAU’s approach is deliberately systematic. 

Our curriculum focuses on specific competency areas:

• Theories and practice models of community mental health
• Vulnerable populations and special diagnoses (e.g., substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, chronic and serious mental illness, homelessness, monolingual clients)
• Cultural competence as related to mental health disparities and underserved communities.
• Discrimination and stigma reduction.
• Risk management: suicidality, homicidally, child and elder abuse
• Organizational, economic, advocacy, and policy issues in the public mental health system
• Program evaluation and organizational research

Consumer-driven education is a key component of your training. In your courses, you will work with or visit different community mental health organizations to learn directly from consumers and families themselves.

We also invite consumers to share their experiences and offer invaluable perspectives, through organizations such as NAMI and Momentum for Mental Health.

The DCMH area of emphasis includes 15 units (5 courses) over the course of two years (the 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th years of the PhD program). These 15 units are encompassed within the 18 units of elective coursework required of students in the PhD program.

Five courses required for all PhD students are also requirements in the DCMH emphasis:

• E212A: Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis I
• E212B: Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis II
• T303B: Psychological Science III:  Biological Bases of Behavior II: Psychopharmacology
• T300: Cultural Differences: Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychology
• T301A: Psychological Science I: History and Systems

Your coursework sequence is designed to supplement the PhD program’s general clinical psychology training with an emphasis in diversity and community mental health:

Year 1 (typically the 2nd year of the PhD program):

• DCMH course #1: Community Mental Health I (3 units)
• DCMH course #2: Serious Mental Illness (3 units)

Year 2 (typically the 3rd year of the PhD program):

• DCMH course #3: Community Mental Health II: Organizational Management and Consultation (3 units)
• Timing Optional (take the course during the spring quarter of whichever year preferred):
• DCMH course #4: Mental Health Disparities (3 units)
• DCMH course #5: Choice from numerous existing PAU elective courses including, but not limited to: substance abuse, child/family, trauma, health, forensic, global mental health, technology and mental health, LGBTQ, Black/African American mental health, or Latinx mental health.

Timing Optional  (take the course during the spring quarter of whichever year preferred):

• DCMH course #5: Choice from numerous existing PAU elective courses on topics that include but are not limited to: substance abuse, child/family, trauma, health, forensic, global mental health, technology and mental health, LGBTQ, Black/African American mental health, or Latinx mental health. DCMH students should contact Dr. Chu for approval of eligibility for the 5th course.

Consumer-driven education is a key component of training in Diversity and Community Mental Health. Students in the DCMH emphasis will be required in the context of different DCMH courses to work with or visit different community mental health organizations to learn experientially from consumers and families themselves. Consumers are also invited as speakers in DCMH curriculum to share their experiences and offer invaluable perspectives, through organizations such as NAMI and Momentum for Mental Health.

Research Training

Your DCMH coursework will be paired with both research and clinical training. You will complete dissertation work with one of PAU’s numerous research groups that support an emphasis in community mental health topics.

Research focused on cultural diversity issues, serious mental illness, substance abuse, systems-based interventions, or other special populations are only a small example of acceptable research topics.

Program evaluation or organizational research is typically needed in community mental health leadership, and is particularly encouraged in the DCMH area of emphasis.

The DCMH director will qualifying dissertation research projects.

Clinical Training: Practicum

All DCMH students, like other PhD students, will participate in a second-year practicum at the Gronowski Clinic. During your third or fourth, you will participate in at least one community mental health practicum training site.

Clinical Training: Internships

Two internship spots in the APA-accredited Serious Mental Illness Recovery Track of Marin County Mental Health are available to PAU DCHM students each year. Clients are diverse, with intern opportunities to provide services (and receive supervision/consultation) in Spanish and Vietnamese.

These positions include supervised training in integrated psychology services for adults and older adults with acute or serious/persistent mental illness. You will provide individual and group psychotherapy, as well as learning skills for crisis intervention, stabilization and assertive case management.

Interns also provide intensive IDDT and case management services and field interventions to the homeless, older adults, in the medication clinic, in the Health and Wellness Campus, and in client homes.

Eligibility & Completion

All PAU PhD students are eligible for the DCMH emphasis area. 

Applications for the emphasis can be submitted after completion of coursework, practicum, and dissertation proposal at  this link .

Students can only report completion of the Diversity and Community Mental Health Area of Emphasis if they have fulfilled all requirements of the emphasis listed above (coursework, practicum, and dissertation defense completion).

Dr. Chu co-leads the Multicultural Suicide and Ethnic Minority Mental Health Research Groups at PAU, and is also Director of the Diversity and Community Mental Health (DCMH) emphasis which trains future psychologists to work with underserved populations in the public mental health sector.

Core Course Descriptions

Community mental health i (3 units).

This course is the first of a two-course sequence covering the history, theory, research, and practice of community mental health. Students will learn about the historical emergence and future directions of community mental health in the field.

Theoretical, research, and clinical foundations central to working in community mental health will be covered, including systems and ecological models, empowerment, wellness and recovery approaches, community organizations, the wraparound process, strength-based work, self-help, and psychoeducation.

We will also discuss the unique role of psychologists in community mental health, addressing research and organization-based knowledge needed in such roles as consultant, administrator, researcher, director, or supervisor.

Community Mental Health II: Organizational Management and Consultation (3 units)

This course is the second of a two-course sequence covering the history, theory, research, and practice of community mental health. Students will learn about the new roles and skills psychologists are expected and required to have to operate in the 21st century community mental health setting.

Psychologists are often viewed as change agents in the community necessitating a diversity of skills to be effective in their roles.

These skills include but are not limited to administrative, fiscal and procurement, policy development, advocacy, consultation and supervision, research, organizational analysis and strategic thinking. Embracing the ‘2nd curve’ opportunities, psychologists are poised to be organizational leaders needing administrative and management skills not traditionally taught in traditional clinical programs.

Conceptual and applied multileveled administrative skills will be explored and practiced. Prerequisite: Community Mental Health I.

Mental Health Disparities (3 units)

This course will engage students with the literature of mental health disparities in underserved and unserved communities, including ethnic and racial minorities, recent immigrants and refugees, sexual minorities, elderly, and individuals with disability, limited English proficiency, or low socioeconomic status.

Students will learn extant knowledge about emic versus etic symptom expression, diagnosis, and treatment. We will attend to special issues in culturally diverse individuals, including the influence of stigma, acculturation, identity, and other culturally specific values and practices.

The course will also cover common practices and models of working with and engaging underserved communities, with the aim of effectively serving the needs of these individuals, often within the context of community mental health.

Serious Mental Illness (3 units)

This course follows the foundational Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis courses to provide more in-depth coverage of serious mental illness (SMI) with a focus on psychotic and affective disorders.

This Serious Mental Illness course is also part of a Diversity and Community Mental Health course sequence covering the history, theory, research, and practice of community mental health. We will examine literature on diagnosis, symptom presentation, and best treatment practices in working with clients with chronic and serious mental illness.

The course will focus particularly on providing a broad survey of evidence based treatment for serious mental illness focusing on the dissemination and transportation of evidence based treatment programs in real world community settings.

Prerequisites: Psychopathology and Psychodiagnosis I.

Community mental health involves a perspective of care that addresses challenges on both an individual and systemic level, and revolves around philosophies of wellness, recovery and consultation. CMH services are often atypical of traditional clinical psychology training; community mental health care involves the consumer and family members, and is integrated with the community in collaborative interdisciplinary teams.

Not only is CMH work embedded within unique approaches to care, but it is devoted to the service of clients dealing with a unique combination of mental health problems (e.g., co-occurring disorders, chronic and serious mental illness) from diverse underserved and unserved communities (e.g., homeless, disability, LGBTQ, racial and linguistic ethnic minorities, indigent, elderly, rural). 

“I was interviewing for a position in Professor Joyce Chu’s Ethnic Minority Mental Health Research Lab when I learned I could work in suicide prevention within the Palo Alto community,” said Lorna. The laboratory work provided the ideal portal for Lorna to pursue her doctorate while serving the mental health needs of her community.

PAU alumna Jessica Byrd-Olmstead, PhD, describes her career as an adventure, a river trip with many twists and turns. Lots of rapids, too, it seems.

The DCMH program prepares students for early career options that may qualify for application to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program or the National Health Service Corps Scholarship or Loan Repayment Program. Other potential loan forgiveness programs are listed on the APA Loan Forgiveness website.

Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

Mental Health PhD Program

A multidisciplinary PhD Program in Mental Health

This Program brings together graduate researchers addressing mental health from diverse disciplinary perspectives - psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology and community mental health, history and philosophy of psychiatry, general practice, paediatrics, psychiatric nursing and social work, among others. Launched in March 2018, the Program is a joint initiative of the University of Melbourne's School of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Mental Health and the Department of Psychiatry. These were joined in 2020 by the Centre for Youth Mental Health and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health.

Our goal is to provide all University of Melbourne PhD students researching mental health with a platform to connect, share and discover new disciplines so that they can become fully-rounded researchers who can approach the field of mental health from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

Host departments

The  Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences is one of the most highly regarded schools of psychology in Australia. The School attracts some of the best students nationally and internationally to its broad range of APAC-accredited undergraduate, graduate, professional and research programs. The School's teaching is underpinned by excellence in research across a range of fields, including cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, quantitative psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology and clinical science.

The  Centre for Mental Health is part of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and aims to improve mental health and mitigate the impact of mental illness at a population level. It does this through high-quality, collaborative, interdisciplinary research, academic teaching, professional and community education, and mental health system development. The Centre contributes to evidence-informed mental health policy and practice in Australia and internationally through the work of its three units:

• Global and Cultural Mental Health
• Mental Health Policy and Practice
• Population Mental Health.

The Centre's three units are involved in active and productive collaborations within the University and beyond. These relationships range from not-for-profit agencies like Mind Australia through to international NGOs such as the World Health Organization, and enables the translation of their research into policy and practice.

The   Department of Psychiatry is committed to the prevention of mental illness and improved quality of life for individuals affected by mental illness, both nationally and internationally. The Department has unique strengths around biological and translational psychiatry research which are internationally recognised. Together with clinical collaborations and involvement in mental health policy and practice, this provides a stimulating environment for learning and research training programs. Their research is driven by pure and applied questions that require cross-disciplinary approaches and partnerships with diverse community organisations - especially those effected with mental illness. The research informs our teaching and clinical training and engagement with the wider community.

The Centre for Youth Mental Health brings together the experience and expertise of world leaders in the field of youth mental health and has become an internationally renowned research centre in this field. The Centre focuses on understanding the biological, psychological and social factors that influence onset, remission and relapse of mental illnesses in young people. Its research findings are actively translated into improved policy, practice and training that inform the development of better interventions, treatments and service systems for young people at different stages of mental ill-health. The multidisciplinary nature of its research provides a diverse and stimulating environment for students. The local and international collaborations with other universities and research institutes link it with a broader research community, with unique global perspectives and the opportunity for an exciting exchange of ideas.

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health (The Florey) is the largest brain research group in the southern hemisphere and one of the world’s top brain research centres. It is an independent medical research institute with strong connections to other research groups, globally. Our scientists are found at three research facilities, one on the grounds of the University of Melbourne in Parkville, one in the adjacent Royal Melbourne Hospital and the other at Austin Health in Heidelberg.

Program activities

Mental health is a multidisciplinary, complex and rapidly growing research domain. Your years as a graduate researcher at the University of Melbourne are the perfect time for you to broaden your skill set, build your network and expand your understanding of this dynamic field. At the moment we have over 70 graduate researchers in our community who come from over a dozen different Centres and Schools within the University and we would love for you to join us!

Our online platform

In order for you to get to know others and learn from the MHPP community's wide variety of disciplines and expertise, we have an online platform with different channels offering a host of opportunities:

• PhD Progress and Professional Development Channel: Ask any questions  you might have about all aspects of your PhD, get peer support and develop your research skills by making the most of professional development opportunities such as online workshops and skills training.
• MHPP Events Channel: Find information here about the events organised by the Program , including social get-togethers, webinars and workshops.
• Members and Alumni Channel: Connect with your fellow PhD students across the many different institutes and schools represented in the Program, learn from alumni and build your research network.
• Items of Interest Channel: Be kept up to date about University of Melbourne events related to mental health and get invited to attend colloquium talks  by local and visiting experts across the different academic host units, offering unparalleled access to cutting-edge research in mental health.

And more…

In addition, you can also use the MHPP as a unique opportunity to expand your CV by working on your transferable skills and help run an event or become a Mental Health PhD Program Event Coordinator ( not mandatory ).

Program structure

Mhpp co-directors team.

“This PhD Program provides currently enrolled University of Melbourne PhD students working within the domain of mental health with the opportunity to become accomplished graduate researchers who are not only prepared to engage with their own discipline, but are equipped with the capacity to place their work in a broader multidisciplinary context within mental health.”

Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

“A PhD position is a big commitment and this program creates a platform to support a true cohort experience and provide a network of support, aimed to help PhD candidates working within the mental health domain through their doctorate and beyond.”

Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School

“Undertaking a PhD can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life, yet sometimes, as one buries deeper into their topic, there is risk of feeling quite isolated and disconnected. The Mental Health PhD Program provides a wonderful opportunity to share the journey, connect with others with similar interests, and gain exposure to the broader mental health research landscape.”

Centre for Youth Mental Health

“The Mental Health PhD Program is a vibrant community of post-graduate students who share a common passion and interest in creating new knowledge in the field of mental health, but who come at this through different disciplines, lenses and research methodologies. This program provides a wonderful and unique opportunity for exposure to different ways of thinking about similar problems in a supportive, collaborative and engaging way.”

Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health

“To transform our understandings into mental health and metal ill-health, we really need multifaceted complimentary approaches that span preclinical tools to clinical approaches and services. This PhD Program provides a unique opportunity for students to be exposed to this breadth of multidisciplinary research that is available within Parkville and the University of Melbourne, and to share their PhD journey with a diverse cohort that will get them thinking about all the levels at which we need to tackle research in the mental health field.”

MHPP Operations Manager

The Mental Health PhD Program now has a wonderful Operations Manager: Brendan Pearl (Department of Psychiatry). Brendan is involved in the organisation, coordination and promotion of many of our great events.

MHPP Event Coordinators

The Mental Health PhD Program has a new online platform with a team of Event Coordinators. This is a team of current MHPP PhD students who help organise events and provide a true cohort experience.  The invaluable contributions of these wonderful MHPP members is what makes the Program truly great!

It is also a great way for members to work on their transferable skills, expand their CVs and create a vast multidisciplinary network with the University of Melbourne. If you would like to join the MHPP and are perhaps interested in taking on the role of Event Coordinator for some time during your PhD journey then please visit the application tab here . We would love to hear from you!

Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health

Centre for Mental Health

Department of General Practice

Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry

Department of Psychiatry

Please find below testimonials from some of our current graduate researchers about their experience of the Mental Health PhD Program.

If you are a mental health graduate researcher, this program is a fundamental building block to understanding how dynamic, complex, inspirational, positive and exciting the field of mental health can be.

Tam Dennis - Graduate Researcher at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

I am very fortunate to be a part of this amazing community and highly recommend it for any PhD student in the area of mental health!

Kavisha Fernando - Graduate Researcher at the Department of Psychiatry

The Mental Health PhD Program (MHPP) is a wonderful program which promotes learning and professional development during your PhD journey.

Carra Simpson - Graduate Researcher at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

What I like about the MHPP is that it provides a platform which is graduate-researcher driven and truly multidisciplinary; it provides opportunities for developing skills which we identify as useful and are above and beyond the scope of our individual departments.

Brendan Pearl - Graduate Researcher at the Department of Psychiatry

I recommend all students with a project related to mental health join the program, get involved and reap the benefits!

Hannah Savage -Graduate Researcher at the Department of Psychiatry

I highly recommend this program to any PhD students in the field of mental health research.

Phoebe Thomson - Graduate Researcher at the Department of Paediatrics

The Mental Health PhD Program creates an inspiring and supportive community of researchers who are united by a common passion for improving mental health and well-being.

Annai Charlton - Graduate Researcher at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

The Mental Health PhD Program provides me with lots of different opportunities; networking, career development and the opportunity to ask experts from interdisciplinary fields for advice.

"The MHPP has helped me develop skills that I otherwise wouldn’t have developed, such as being able to communicate about research to people who work in related fields but use very different research techniques (animal work or qualitative research). It’s also a very social program, and I’ve met a lot of other very friendly PhD students. Being an off-campus PhD student, I sometimes felt a bit disconnected from the university, but this program has helped alleviate this feeling. The new online Teams platform is great, I get to check it whenever I want and there are optional events to join. I’ve found lots of them very useful and I ended spending about 1.5 hours a fortnight engaged with the program (5 minutes a day reading updates and chatting to other students and 1 hour attending an event such as an expert discussion, watching an interview or a coffee moment). I’m hoping to meet you soon and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!"

Yara Toenders - Graduate Researcher at the Centre for Youth Mental Health

Being a part of the MHPP community has been one of the best parts of my PhD.

Anna Ross, Graduate Researcher at the Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

How to apply?

The Mental Health PhD Program is offered by the University's School of Psychological Sciences, the Centre for Mental Health, the Department of Psychiatry, the Centre for Youth Mental Health and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health.

Graduate researchers at any stage of their PhD candidature and in any Department, Centre or School at the University of Melbourne are eligible to participate.

The Mental Health PhD Program is intended to be a supplement to the training graduate researchers receive in their home department. Program participants will remain enrolled in their current faculties and departments.

Eligibility

To be eligible, graduate researchers must be currently enrolled in a PhD, have their primary supervisor based at the University of Melbourne and be undertaking doctoral research on a topic related to mental health.

Prospective graduate researchers

If you are not currently enrolled, you will need to apply separately for entry to a PhD in a relevant field. This will generally involve finding an appropriate supervisor in a suitable academic Department, School or Faculty. Once you have commenced your mental health-related PhD course, you can then register to join the Mental Health PhD Program.

Check that you meet the University's eligibility and entry requirements to undertake a PhD, and find instructions on how to apply on MDHS' Graduate Research pages . You can also read more general information about the MDHS PhD course .

Applications

The application procedure is currently closed. Due to unforeseen technical issues, the opening for 2021 applications has unfortunately been delayed until February 8, 2020. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Applications to join the Program can be submitted throughout the year and graduate researchers can join the Program at any time during their candidature.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and you are interested in meeting your peers from throughout the University of Melbourne and creating a more multidisciplinary understanding of mental health research then please apply below. We look forward to welcoming you to our community!

Apply for the Program

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us .

Frequently Asked Questions

What will i get out of the program.

It has never been more important for PhD students to be strategic about career moves, build broad networks and master the right skills to get into their career of choice. The Mental Health PhD Program offers you a platform to:

• Increase your understanding of the multidisciplinary field of mental health
• Save you time finding support and learning about events and resources at the University of Melbourne
• Engage in professional development opportunities specific to the domain of mental health
• Expand your CV
• Present your work, to practice your conference talks or poster presentations
• Get access to extra professional development opportunities workshops, lectures and events that are organised within the University of Melbourne PhD Program Network and only advertised to PhD students who are enrolled in one of the University of Melbourne PhD Programs
• Socialise, share, reflect and learn with and from your peers.

What will the time investment be?

We understand that as a PhD student you have a busy schedule and often competing demands, so we have created an online platform that you can access when and where you like. As a member of the MHPP, we kindly ask you to meet the following time commitment of around three hours per month:

• A weekly active contribution to the online platform. This can be done by posting a question, sharing a tip with your peers, replying to a question posted by another member, liking a post, etc (5-10 minutes per week).
• Join our bi-weekly online events. We really encourage you to attend these live online events so you can ask any questions or join the discussion and share your expertise. That way we really can learn with and from each other. However, we understand you might not always be able to make it so we record most of our events so you can access them at a later point (one hour fortnightly).
• Read any emails you get from the MHPP carefully and reply promptly when needed.

Do I need formal approval from my supervisor to be part of the Mental Health PhD Program?

As of 2020, the Mental Health PhD Program has a new model and formal proof of approval from your Primary Supervisor is no longer required. However, we strongly encourage you to discuss your enrolment into this specific program, as well as your professional development in general, with your supervisor before signing up.

Does the Mental Health PhD Program offer PhD positions?

This multidisciplinary PhD Program is an academic and professional development initiative for currently-enrolled PhD students who are researching a topic within Mental Health. Therefore, this program does not directly enrol students.

Eligible students will need to apply separately for entry to a PhD in a relevant field. This will typically involve finding an appropriate supervisor in a suitable academic Department, School or Faculty. Once students have commenced their mental health-related PhD course, they can register to join the Mental Health PhD Program, which is intended to be a supplement to the training that students receive in their home department.

How can I unsubscribe?

If you need to terminate your enrolment you can do so by unsubscribing from the Mental Health PhD Program Newsletter.

Where can I go for further information?

Please email Anna Schroeder at [email protected] with any questions or feedback. I’d love to hear from you.

This interdisciplinary PhD Program provides participants with the opportunity to become accomplished graduate researchers who are not only prepared to engage with their own discipline, but are also equipped with the capacity to place their work in a broader multidisciplinary context within mental health, maximising their graduate career outcomes.

If you have any questions about the Program or our events, please contact the Program Coordinator Anna Schroeder at [email protected] .

Program Co-Directors

Professor Nick Haslam Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

Professor Jane Pirkis Centre for Mental Health

Professor Chris Davey Department of Psychiatry

Associate Professor Kelly Allot Centre for Youth Mental Health

Professor Andrew Lawrence Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health

Operations Manager

Brendan Pearl Department of Psychiatry

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

PhD/MPhil Mental Health / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

• View full page

We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.

Full entry requirements

See full guidance on how to choose a project and submit an application on our websi te . You should then complete the online admissions application form to apply for this programme. Ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, or this may delay the processing of your application.

Application deadlines

You must submit your application for a postgraduate research programme before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

• January entry: 15 October (of the year prior entry)
• April entry: 15 January (year of entry)
• September entry: 15 June (year of entry)

Programme options

Programme overview.

• Learn from some of Europe's leading researchers while undertaking your own project.
• Access some of the best research facilities in the world at both the University and in hospitals around Greater Manchester.
• Undergo training in transferable skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals through the Doctoral Academy's training programme.
• Conduct research at a university ranked 6th in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2023).

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): Standard £4,786, Low £11,000, Medium £17,500, High £23,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £27,000, Low £28,500, Medium £34,500, High £40,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): Standard £2393, Low £5,500, Medium £8,750, High £11,500 International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £13,500, Low £14,250, Medium £17,250, High £20,250

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Contact details

Programmes in related subject areas.

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Josephine M. Kim

Faculty Info

Areas of expertise, course listings.

Visit my.Harvard

Contact Information

Office hours, faculty coordinator.

Josephine M. Kim is senior lecturer on education at Harvard University and former faculty director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Harvard School of Dental Medicine where she launched award-winning K-16 pipeline programs. She is a licensed mental health counselor, national certified counselor, and affiliated faculty at the Center for Cross Cultural Student Emotional Wellness at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her work encompasses the cultural and racial identity development in youth; intergenerational trauma and cultural adjustment in immigrant families; promotion of mental health and prevention of psychological risk in children and adolescents; intercultural understanding and cultural brokering in migratory populations; culturally relevant counseling and advocacy; and anti-racist pedagogy and practices. As a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) scholar, she steers equity and anti-racist practices of senior executives in nonprofit organizations, corporations, and schools. She is an internationally known speaker and consultant who lends her expertise on mental health, cross-cultural, diversity and inclusion, parenting, and anti-racist practices to media sources, organizations, corporations, and schools in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. She is a DEI expert in the University Managers Training Executive Series at the Center for Workplace Development and former resident fellow in the Administrative Fellowship Program at the Office of the Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity and Equity at Harvard University. She is USA Today 's collegiate case study expert on school violence, expert on diversity and inclusion training design focused on anti-racism in the workplace at United Nations, expert in The Inclusive Policy Lab at UNESCO, and a diversity scholar at the National Center for Institutional Diversity.

Publications

• Kim, J. M. (2014). Self-Esteem in the classroom: A handbook for teachers. Duranno Publications, Inc. Seoul, Korea.
• Kim, J. M. (2011). The Secret of Children’s Self-Esteem. BB Books Seoul Publishing Co., Seoul, Korea.
• Kim, J. M. (2009). Administering and assessing culture-specific interventions to address culture-bound issues among Asian Americans. New Directions for Institutional Research. Jossey-Bass.
• Kim, J. M. (2007). Caring imposition against passive tolerance. Harvard Educational Review, 77, 3, Harvard Education Publishing Group.
• "Ethnic Minority Counselors as Cultural Brokers: Using the Self as an Instrument to Bridge the Gap" in VISTAS 2006: Compelling Perspectives on Counseling
• "Culture-specific Psychoeducational Induction Talk as an Intervention to Increase Service Utilization amongst Minority Populations: The Case of Korean Americans" in VISTAS 2005: Compelling Perspectives on Counseling
• "Structural Family Therapy and its Implications for Working with the Asian-American Family" in The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families
• The William Van Hoose Memorial Award, Curry School of Education Foundation, University of Virginia (2005)
• Robert T. Canevari Scholarship, Curry School of Education Foundation, University of Virginia (2004)
• The Buffett Fellowship Award, The Center on Children, Families, and the Law, University of Virginia (2004)
• Emerging Leaders Award, Southern Association of Counseling Education and Supervision (2003)

Associations

• Board of Allied Health and Human Services Professions,(2015-present)
• NACUA, National Association of College and University Attorneys,(2015-present)
• NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education,(2015-present)
• National Board of Certified Counselors,(2004-present)
• American Counseling Association,(2002-present)

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Featured articles.

Tackling Unhealed Trauma in Communities and Schools

An exploration of healing-centered engagement, a social-emotional learning approach that promotes self-esteem and offers a holistic view of recovery for young people of color managing trauma while also creating positive conditions for academic achievement.

Understanding the Relationship Between Parent and Teen Mental Health

Strategies to better support the mental well-being of parents and caregivers, with a view to preventing anxiety and depression in adolescents

Josephine Kim Named Senior Lecturer

Talking the Talk

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PhD in Climate & Human Health

Quick facts, careers, and skills.

When you complete this program, you’ll have the knowledge and skills you need to lead research projects and interventions that help address one of the most pressing challenges of our time—climate change and its impact on our health.

Quick facts

Program location: CU Anschutz Credit hours: 73 Est. time to complete: 5-7 years

Transdisciplinary Education and Training in Climate Health

Sample careers

Sustainability Research Academic Government Non-Profit Corporate & more

Skills you'll gain

Research methods Modeling and data science Research to action Communications Project management Community and business partnerships & more

Climate & human health courses

Biostatistics & analytics courses, research methods courses, communications & ethics courses, additional coursework, dissertation, total credits: 73.

View the course book and course schedule >

Competencies

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The 100% online PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy (60 credits) is specially designed for people looking to expand their hearts and minds while developing skills to meet the challenges of 21st Century life. Research and study in counseling theories and practice are integrated with theological inquiry in this vibrant doctoral program.  

You may also be interested in: Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy .

Program Details

• Note: Internship placements will be in-person at a location near you.
• Additional credits required until the completion of dissertation; additional credits may also be required if interested in pursuing state license)
• Enrolling New Students: August
• $28,800 total in tuition & fees for the full 60-credit program (2023-2024)
• Financial Aid: Explore our federal financial aid options that may be available to you.

100% Online. Flexible. Affordable.

• Integration of Psychology & Christianity : Students assess individuals, couples, families, and congregations from an integrated point of view, incorporating theological issues with Marriage and Family systems theory and pertinent psychological perspectives in pastoral or clinical settings.
• Broad Audience : Students demonstrate advanced counseling skills appropriate to meet the needs of individuals, couples, families, and congregations seeking mental health services and programs.
• Self-Reflection : Students practice in-depth self-reflection to enhance their ongoing personal and professional development.
• Significant Research Project: Students create and present a significant research project resulting in a dissertation that contributes to the field of marriage and family therapy.
• Enrichment Programs : Students create and deliver integrated psychological and spiritual enrichment programs.  Examples of previous enrichment programs created by Eastern doctoral students include workshops for individuals, couples, and families, as well as seminars offered on special topics in a clinical or church setting.

Our Mission

The PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy trains students in professional mental health and pastoral counseling fields to be skilled scholar/practitioners in marriage and family therapy who apply their minds and hearts to promoting processes of change and growth in individuals, couples, families, and communities. This scholar/practitioner research program prepares students for leadership roles in academia, research, behavioral healthcare, and pastoral care.

State Authorizations

Please check the  State Authorizations page  to determine if Eastern University’s program fulfills your state credentialing requirements. Students who seek similar credentialing in states other than Pennsylvania are advised to contact the appropriate credentialing agency within their home state to seek information and additional guidance about credentialing in your state of residence. Additional state or local requirements may exist for field placements or practica in this state. Out-of-state student placements/practica cannot be guaranteed by the program or the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Students are responsible for following all state and local requirements and regulations for their field placement/practica coursework.

Learn More: PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy

• Admissions Requirements
• Course Descriptions
• Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy
• DMin in Contextual Leadership
• PhD in Organizational Leadership

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MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Online CACREP Accredited

Credit Hours

View Courses

Online* with required intensives

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Empower Others to Create Positive Change by Earning a Licensure-Track Master’s in Counseling Online

Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree online is designed to equip you with the specialized training you need to gain state licensure and become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).**

An LPC is a licensed mental health professional who is trained to work with individuals, families, and groups in treating mental health and behavioral problems. By earning this online counseling degree, you can enhance your understanding of human psychology through field-tested techniques and learn best practices for promoting the mental health and holistic wellness of clients in diverse communities.

Our master’s in counseling degree online can help you become an ethical, well-trained mental health counselor with the knowledge, values, and skills you need to empower others to make positive changes in their lives. Completing Liberty University’s counseling degree online prepares you for counseling practice through rigorous academic courses, dynamic interaction with mentors and faculty, and a carefully structured practicum and internship process.

*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.

**Individual state licensure requirements may vary, please verify licensure requirements for the state in which you reside.

What is an LPC degree?

An LPC degree is a “license for professional counseling” degree, or a degree designed to help graduates obtain a professional counseling license. Liberty’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is an LPC degree.

You may also be able to use your state’s approved pathways to transition from a general LPC to a specialized field. See your state’s board of counseling website for details.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s Online Master’s in Mental Health Counseling?

Do you want to empower others to conquer their challenges and become healthy and productive? Liberty University’s online clinical mental health counseling degree can help prepare you for a rewarding career as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Learn evidence-based, field-tested skills from professors who not only have years of real-world counseling experience but who are also committed to mentoring their students.

Counseling is a unique calling that requires a special kind of person. As a counselor, you’ll seek to help people overcome challenges that can seem insurmountable. At times, you will serve as a place of solace for your clients – a beacon of hope in a world that can seem ruthless, endless, and devoid of meaning.

The clients you serve may have just come stateside from a long tour in the Middle East, from an impoverished area, or from the highest echelons of society. Indeed, mental health challenges don’t discriminate – they affect people from all walks of life. Your clients may be broken, disheartened, depressed, or angry. They may also appear to be high on life – but on the inside, masquerading deep, shut-away feelings of insecurity, mental duress, and regret.

Fortunately for your future clients – and for you – people do not have to face their challenges alone. Just as your clients will depend on you, you can depend on Liberty University to help equip you with the skills, knowledge, experience, and credentials needed to offer hope to the hopeless and refuge to the restless.

At Liberty, our professors can be a tremendous asset to you. You’ll have the opportunity to meet with some of them personally during your visits to Liberty’s beautiful campus, located in Central Virginia, for 2 on-campus intensives. You’ll also observe professional counselors in their own practices during your counseling practicum and start honing your counseling skills throughout a 2-semester internship.

Once you complete your master’s degree in counseling online and pass your state licensure exam, you’ll be equipped to pursue a fulfilling professional counseling career. You may be able to pursue roles in many areas such as healthcare, community agencies, education, social services, or private practice. Liberty University’s online master’s in professional counseling degree provides you with a flexible, effective pathway to licensure – while preparing you for a rewarding career.

CACREP Accreditation

Our online mental health counseling degree is also  CACREP-accredited . You may be wondering what this means for your degree and why CACREP accreditation is important.

Here are a few reasons why:

• The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is the nation’s foremost accrediting group for determining the quality and rigor of a graduate-level counseling program. 
• In order to earn CACREP accreditation, a graduate program must be evaluated by CACREP and found to meet or exceed national academic standards set by the counseling profession. Liberty’s MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling online degree fits that bill.  
• CACREP accreditation also ensures that a degree program can help prepare you for licensure. Though licensure requirements may vary by state, earning a CACREP-accredited MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling can help you pursue a career as a licensed mental health professional. 
• Though it may be possible to pursue a career as a licensed mental health professional without a CACREP-accredited graduate degree, CACREP is largely accepted as the standard that employers in counseling professions require. Becoming a professional counselor is much simpler with a CACREP-approved degree under your belt. 

If you’re looking for a CACREP-accredited mental health counseling degree online that allows you to prepare for a career as a licensed professional counselor and gain valuable skills from the comfort of home, look no further than Liberty’s master’s in clinical mental health counseling.

What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Counseling Online?

Our master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree online provides a foundational series of courses designed to cover the most essential studies in human behavior. These courses are designed to train you in ethical and legal issues in counseling, multicultural counseling, theories in counseling, and many other areas of study for evidence-based best practices. To meet private counseling practice requirements and become a licensed clinical counselor, your online counseling classes meet specific advanced counseling content areas. Our program is designed to help you receive the hands-on training you need.

Our online LPC degree focuses these critical knowledge areas into group counseling, psychopathology, and other important assessment and practical skill areas. With these skills, you can become equipped for another part of the degree program: your practicum and internship requirements.

The practicum and internship requirements embedded into our LPC online program allow you to gain valuable, real-world experience under the supervision of a professional counselor. At Liberty, we believe in the value of real-world experience because it allows you to see, experience, and learn things that may not be fully covered in a textbook or a lecture.

These courses are designed to give you the necessary skills and knowledge to be an effective mental health caregiver in your chosen field. By pursuing our clinical counseling degree online, you can earn a career-enhancing credential and confidently pursue careers in the helping professions.

Potential Career Opportunities

• Addictions and recovery counselor
• Community counselor
• Ministry-based counselor
• Private practice counselor

Featured Courses

• COUC 502 – Human Growth and Development
• COUC 546 – Psychopathology
• COUC 604 – Crisis Counseling
• COUC 667 – Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

Degree Information

• This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences .
• View our Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
• Two 3-credit hour intensives with flexible scheduling are required.
• One 3-credit hour practicum that requires 100 hours – 40 of which are direct contact hours.
• 6-credit hour internship taken in two 3-credit-hour courses over 2 semesters. For more information, please contact academic advising at (800) 424-9596 .
• Review the background check and comprehensive exam information.
• The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program may lead to licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in most states. See which states have unique board requirements .
• You can read more about the National Counselor Examination on our counselor education page.

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Licensure Information

The 60-hour Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is designed to lead to professional licensure as outlined by individual state boards of counseling. Before enrolling in a licensure program at Liberty University, students should consult the rules and regulations regarding professional counseling for their particular state. More specifically, students should be aware of the following before enrolling in one of Liberty University’s counseling programs:

• State regulations regarding licensure opportunities if an applicant has a previous felony conviction.
• State regulations regarding the type and number of academic courses and practicum/internship hours.
• The state accreditation requirements for educational institutions.
• The state regulations and requirements for online graduate education programs.

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

All Tuition & Fees

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Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Online

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Students must have 3 credit hours in statistics (can be MATH 201) either on their transcripts or must complete this requirement as a prerequisite to specific graduate courses.
• Contact information for 2 recommenders from professional sources (i.e., not family/friends). This form can be submitted online (login required) or to [email protected] – 1. Name 2. Position/Title 3. Email 4. Phone 5. Place of Employment 6. Mailing Address. These individuals should be qualified to address the applicant’s ability to complete the graduate-level work, disposition, ability to become a counselor, and their maturity, motivation, and ethics. Some examples of individuals that may be suitable include professors, employers, or leaders in an organization where the applicant volunteers. Please note: This contact information must be less than 1 year old.
• Please describe in 200-250 words why you desire to become a counselor and indicate the type of counselor certification you plan to seek after graduation.
• Describe in 200-250 words an occasion in which you have interacted with an individual or a group of individuals from another culture. Identify the cultural differences which were present and how you demonstrated respect for those differences.
• Describe in 200-250 words how you form effective interpersonal relationships with others in individual and group settings.
• Complete the form agreeing to the Department of Counselor Education and Family Study’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission Statement and Diversity Statement .
• Students seeking to be admitted into this program and planning to finish it outside of the U.S. will be required to sign an International Disclosure Agreement (login required).
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Bridge Program

Students who do not meet the required 2.7 GPA can potentially be placed into the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Studies .* Upon successful completion of this certificate with at least a 3.0 GPA, these students can be reevaluated for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.

*In order to be eligible for the alternate pathway, admission requirements for the graduate certificate must still be met.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

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Lynchburg, VA 24515

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Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of liberty university’s clinical mental health counseling degree online.

One benefit to Liberty’s online clinical mental health counseling degree is that it can help you prepare for in-demand careers. The U.S. Department of Labor projects overall growth for mental health counselors – learn more .* Insurance companies offer more coverage for mental health services than in the past. This change means that the federal government, community clinics, and local hospitals are expanding their mental health counseling staff to provide effective treatment for patients.

After completing Liberty University’s master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree online, you will have many opportunities to choose your preferred area of practice or specialize your field of expertise. This change can be completed later through state-specific alternate pathways.

Highlights that set Liberty’s clinical mental health counseling degree apart from others:

• Our award-winning online learning environment means you can complete your coursework on a schedule that fits your life.
• Our flexible, on-campus intensive options give you the opportunity to visit Liberty University’s beautiful campus in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia when it fits into your schedule. You also may be able to use financial aid to pay for a hotel room during your week-long  intensive . For more information, contact academic advising at  (800) 424-9595 .
• The practicum and internship provide hands-on, marketable experience working directly with hurting people in your community.
• Our mental health counseling degree is taught by a cadre of expert professors with years of experience in the helping professions.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,  Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors , (Viewed online October 26, 2021). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

How do I know the master’s in clinical health counseling is right for me?

• You need flexibility.  Liberty’s online mental health counseling degree is offered in mostly 8-week sections. You’ll be able to complete the vast majority of your degree from the comfort of home, and you’ll be able to complete your field experience requirements at a location near you. 
• You want to gain experience.  Our online mental health counseling degree features a practicum and an internship — allowing you to gain real-world experience, learn valuable skills, put what you learn into practice, and build professional connections. 
• You want an online counseling degree that is CACREP-accredited .  This means that you can have confidence that your online counseling degree from Liberty has met the highest academic standards. A counseling degree from Liberty can help you stand out to hiring managers, serve clients with excellence, or equip you with the confidence to start your own counseling practice. 
• You want to study under industry experts.  Our clinical counseling degree is taught by a group of expert professors with years of experience. Our instructors are passionate about the subjects they teach, but they’re even more passionate about helping you achieve your goals. By choosing Liberty for your MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, you choose professors who have a vested interest in your success.
• You want to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.  Our clinical mental health counseling degree online is designed to help you become a licensed mental health professional.
• You want a Christ-centered education.  Since 1971, Liberty’s mission has been to  Train Champions for Christ . We don’t want to just train the next generation of clinical mental health counselors – we want to train principled, ethical professionals whose dedication to clients is preceded only by a love of Christ. 

What can you do with a Master’s in Counseling Online?

Liberty’s online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling provides the training, knowledge, and experience you need to become a professional counselor. With a professional counseling licensure and an LPC degree that is accredited by CACREP, your training and expertise can be recognized as meeting a high standard of excellence. There are opportunities for counseling in many areas, including:

• Addictions and recovery counseling
• Community counseling
• Ministry-based counseling
• Private counseling practice

Our online counseling degree assists students in pursuing required state licensure areas of knowledge and practice. This allows students to pursue state-regulated counseling positions to work in private, public, and nonprofit roles where counseling and human services skill sets are required. After completing Liberty’s online degree in counseling and satisfying state licensure requirements, students may be able to start their own private practices in counseling.

As a licensed professional counselor (LPC), you may be qualified to work in the following types of treatment centers:

• Inpatient mental health treatment facility
• Mental health agency
• Private practice

With additional licensure requirements, graduates may also pursue roles as school counselors, addiction counselors, marriage and family therapists, and many other counseling roles. Please review your state’s  licensure requirements  for more information about counseling licensure requirements.

What is professional counseling?

Professional counselors or mental health counselors are licensed professionals who use expert knowledge in human psychology to help people heal from emotional trauma, overcome harmful behavior, and offer mental health guidance.

The act of counseling itself may be performed by non-licensed professionals who have experience in helping people overcome emotional and psychological struggles. However, licensed counselors have met specific, rigorous standards for training. LPCs have also undertaken a broad-based, in-depth study of psychological conditions and their treatment. This background better prepares counselors to handle a wider variety of issues, utilize one of several counseling techniques, and use the chosen technique to help clients get the help they need.

How can you earn a counseling degree online?

Many students looking for how to get a counseling degree are confused by online formats. While these programs are online, state-recognized counseling licensure requires hands-on experience showing many hours of counselor-patient experience. With Liberty’s online LPC program, the hands-on experience is handled through a practicum and internship in or near your local community.

Can you get a counseling license without a master’s?

No. If you want to become a licensed professional counselor, earning a master’s degree is a must. That’s why Liberty offers an online masters in mental health counseling — so you can take the next step towards your career goals without relocating. By partnering with us, you can earn your mental health counselor degree and pursue your dream of becoming a licensed professional counselor.

Can I start my own practice with Liberty’s master’s in professional counseling?

If you’re interested in starting your own counseling practice, Liberty’s online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree online is an excellent choice. This degree program is CACREP-accredited and designed to help you become a Licensed Professional Counselor – allowing you to work in several settings.

Is getting an LPC worth it?

Becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPC) is a rewarding, in-demand career path that can empower you to guide struggling people through various difficulties. As an LPC, you’ll be able to diagnose and treat emotional disorders, and provide direct guidance to individuals and groups. You’ll also be able to work in a variety of settings such as mental health facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or your own private practice. 

If you’re interested in becoming a counselor and in the process of exploring LPC online programs, Liberty’s online MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling can help you become a licensed professional counselor. While some masters in counseling online degrees may have not been created with licensure requirements in mind, our online mental health counseling degree was designed to satisfy licensure requirements. 

Through completion of this degree’s rigorous curriculum and field experience requirements, you can graduate from our mental health degree online as an ethical, principled professional who can confidently pursue licensure.

Will I be required to attend any courses on campus?

Our clinical mental health master’s in counseling online requires 2 residential courses. Occasionally these are also offered as synchronous online courses and offers can vary per semester. Please refer to the Course Registration Tool for current listings. The courses, COUC 505 and COUC 512, will still require online students to be present for class virtually between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00 pm EST for one week. For more information, please contact academic advising at  (800) 424-9596 .

What is the difference between a life coach and a counselor?

Though there are several differences between a life coach and a counselor, one of the largest differences is that counseling is more narrow in focus than life coaching. Counselors help their clients cope with issues such as addiction, eating disorders, and numerous other challenges. 

On the other hand, life coaches do not seek to help clients overcome serious mental challenges. Life coaches focus more on motivating their clients to reach certain goals while counselors seek to guide clients through their current life circumstances. 

What is the difference between a lay counselor and a licensed professional counselor?

While a licensed counselor must go through years of educational and professional training and testing to licensed, little to no training is required to become a lay counselor. Lay counselors are commonly non-degree-holding, non-credentialed, and non-licensed people who work in the helping professions.

Licensed counselors also tend to earn considerably larger salaries than lay counselors. 

How do our counseling degree’s field experience requirements work?

Our master’s in clinical mental health counseling has 1 practicum and 1 internship. Both are semester-long courses.

The practicum requires 100 hours of field experience – 40 of those direct client hours, and 60 of those related activities such as reading literature, creating and examining case notes, and crafting treatment plans. The practicum, which also requires a few set login times, should be completed near the end of our mental health degree online – but before the internship. In order to register for the practicum, students must complete all required prerequisites and have at least a 3.0 GPA. 

The internship requires 600 total hours of field experience. Because it may be difficult to complete all of these hours in 1 semester, students are required to complete the internship over the course of 2 semesters. One other difference between the practicum and the internship is that the internship requires group supervision while the practicum does not. However, we recommend group supervision as part of the practicum, if possible. 

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PERSPECTIVE article

Enhancing immigrant families’ mental health through the promotion of structural and community-based support.

• 1 Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
• 2 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States

Immigrant communities in the United States are diverse and have many assets. Yet, they often experience stressors that can undermine the mental health of residents. To fully promote mental health and well-being among immigrant communities, it is important to emphasize population-level policies and practices that may serve to mitigate stress and prevent mental health disorders. In this paper, we describe the stressors and stress experienced by immigrant families, using Sunset Park, Brooklyn as an example. We discuss ways to build structures and policies in support of equitable environments that promote mental health at the population level and enable families and their children to thrive.

Introduction

Immigrants to the United States (U.S.) and their U.S.-born children numbered approximately 87.7 million people, or close to 27 percent of the population, in 2022, an increase of approximately 14.7 million (or 20 percent) from 2010 ( 1 ). In the United States, immigrant communities are diverse, have many assets and often benefit from personal resilience, strong family connectedness, faith-based supports, and cultural pride ( 2 ). But, many immigrant communities face numerous challenges, due in large part to environmental and structural inequities which are often experienced as stressors that can undermine the mental health of residents ( 3 ). For example, immigrants in the U.S. have often experienced trauma from conditions in their home countries, discrimination in the U.S., and struggles with U.S. immigration processes and policies ( 4 ). Further, many immigrant communities experience economic hardships ( 5 ), and those who do not have authorized legal status (e.g., those who are undocumented, those who are applying for asylum) are often left feeling uncertain about what benefits they are eligible for and how receiving benefits might impact them in the future ( 6 ). When immigrant parents experience compromised mental health, their children can have long-term negative consequences as well ( 7 ).

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated stress and mental health inequities nation-wide ( 8 , 9 ), catalyzing the need to re-examine public investments in mental health promotion, prevention and treatment, especially in families from historically marginalized populations. Scholars and advocates are increasingly recognizing the potential of population-level policies and programs to prevent mental health disorders and reduce inequities ( 10 ). In this manuscript, we argue that inclusive policies and tailored programming for families are critical to addressing inequities, decreasing stress, and preventing the escalation of mental health problems in immigrant communities. We describe a range of policies and programs that could help promote mental health at the population-level and lead to a more equitable society.

The lived experiences of immigrant groups in the United States vary widely given differences in country of origin, eligibility for discretionary legal status or citizenship, and time since immigration, as well as the immigration-related policies and practices in the city and states in which they live. This manuscript considers the extant literature on stress and mental health in diverse immigrant communities throughout the United States. At the same time, it highlights the experiences of Chinese and Latinx immigrant families in one community in New York City (NYC) as a way to consider strategies for applying inclusive policies and tailoring programming based on immigrant group characteristics and local context. NYC is one of more than 180 cities and counties in the U.S. that is a sanctuary city ( 11 ) (with limits on whether and how officials share information with the Federal government about non-citizens) ( 12 ) and New York State has relatively inclusive policies impacting immigrant families, especially compared to states such as Arizona and Texas ( 13 ). We focus on the neighborhood of Sunset Park, Brooklyn in NYC because the authors work with and in this community on a place-based initiative with a strong mental health focus called Together Growing Strong (TGS). TGS aims to strengthen the health, well-being, and development of children in Sunset Park by supporting families, educators, health practitioners, and community stakeholders. Two authors (BK and LB) are on the TGS leadership team and three oversee distinct aspects of the work (NR, RB-G, and JN). Our perspective in this manuscript is informed by our work in this community.

Stress and mental health in immigrant communities

Immigrants make up 14% of the U.S. population. In 2022, nearly one-third of immigrants had entered the U.S. since 2010. More than one-quarter (27%) of immigrants were reported to be Asian, 20% White, and 9% Black; 44% were of Hispanic or Latinx origin. About one-quarter of immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022 were born in Mexico and 6% were born in China ( 1 ). The vast majority of immigrants in the U.S. (83%) speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish being most common ( 14 ). A large majority (96%) of the immigrant civilian labor force is employed, yet immigrants have slightly higher rates of poverty than those born in the U.S., and one-quarter of immigrants have less than a high school diploma ( 1 ).

Similar to many immigrant communities throughout the country, Sunset Park includes vibrant enclaves of immigrants from China and Latin America, with inter-generational families and communities that are tight knit. More than 26,000 families and 32,000 children under the age of 18 live in Sunset Park. In contrast to the U.S. overall, nearly one-half of Sunset Park’s 130,000 residents were born outside the U.S.; about three out of four residents speak a language other than English at home. The vast majority (93%) of the civilian labor force is employed, but one in five residents in Sunset Park live below the poverty line, more than one-third have less than a high school degree, and 7% live in overcrowded housing ( 15 ).

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, families in many immigrant communities throughout the U.S., including Sunset Park, experienced additional stressors including isolation during quarantine, fear of returning to work as “essential workers” in the healthcare and food industries, grief over illness and death of friends and family, job loss leading to worries about financially supporting a family, enhanced food insecurity, and general uncertainty about school and childcare closures ( 16 ). In addition, exclusionary and xenophobic policies, as well as rhetoric blaming China for COVID-19, contributed to an increase in hostility toward immigrants, including bullying, language-based discrimination, and anti-Asian hate, which were linked to worse mental health in immigrant communities ( 17 , 18 ). There is strong evidence that stress resulting from a broad range of circumstances, including financial hardship, is associated with mental health disorders ( 19 – 21 ). Further, unique stressors faced by immigrants, such as restrictive immigration policies and policing, have been shown to be associated with anxiety and depression ( 4 , 17 ), contributing to substantial mental health inequities. In fact, in states with more restrictive immigration policies, Latinx immigrants report poorer mental health ( 13 , 22 ).

In Sunset Park, a 2021 TGS study surveyed pregnant and postpartum women about stressors, perceived stress and mental health, and provides an example of the association between the stress felt by an immigrant community in the wake of the pandemic and mental health symptoms. The study used a convenience sample and recruited women through health centers, social service providers, and texting platforms; 671 women completed surveys online or by telephone in Chinese, Spanish and English languages. About one-third of women surveyed had moderate to severe anxiety scores and one-quarter had moderate to severe depression scores, based on PROMIS scales ( 23 ); self-reported worry about basic needs, such as rent and food, was associated with higher depression and anxiety scores.

Policies to support families and promote equity

Policies that strengthen families’ assets and provide additional support by addressing social determinants of health can be effective in helping caregivers and others avoid and manage stressors that interfere with mental health ( 24 ). Studies across states (i.e., Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California) find that social support is associated with decreased mental health symptoms and moderates the association between stress and poor mental health ( 25 – 27 ). In Sunset Park, the 2021 TGS survey found that women who reported “usually” or “always” getting the support they needed when they felt stressed had lower mean depression and anxiety scores than other women.

In this paper, we focus on policies that address financial hardship, as immigrant communities often have high rates of poverty ( 5 ) due to underemployment, labor exploitation, and barriers to employment and economic opportunity ( 28 ). Paid family leave is one example of a scalable federal policy that supports families and is associated with decreased postpartum psychological distress symptoms among mothers with infants ( 29 ). Yet, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not guarantee a period of paid and job-protected leave for new mothers ( 29 ), thus bypassing an opportunity to promote equity. Further, unconditional cash transfers, minimum living wages, job programs, and affordable housing options might enable individuals to confidently provide for their families, which would greatly reduce stress and leave room for caregivers to focus on other aspects of life, such as pursuing educational opportunities or spending quality time with their children.

Although there is growing interest in advancing these kinds of federal policies for the general population, many immigrant families are not eligible for certain existing government initiatives ( 30 ). For example, households with mixed immigration status families were excluded from federal COVID-19 economic relief efforts such as the CARES act ( 31 ), leaving many in precarious financial situations. Studies of local-level unconditional cash transfer efforts to support households that were ineligible for the CARES act found significant improvement in mental health among recipients ( 32 ), suggesting that policies that alleviate food and housing insecurity could support mental health in immigrant communities. Other supportive policies specific to immigrant communities, such as legal support to address restrictive immigration policies and enforcement practices, and advocacy for humane immigration policies, may be helpful in reducing stress and promoting mental health as well. However, immigrant communities are heterogeneous, and additional research is needed to better understand which policies might have the greatest mental health impact for different immigrant groups ( 33 ), and how some policies may need to be tailored to ensure that immigrant families are not excluded.

Equitable access to mental health prevention and treatment

While necessary, increasing general support through inclusive federal, state and local policies will not be sufficient to improve the mental health of all immigrant families. Investment in preventive interventions can also help equip families, educators, and healthcare providers with the tools they need to support mental health. To truly promote health equity, preventive interventions should be designed with and for racially and culturally diverse communities ( 34 ). When interventions are not co-created in this context, there is a need to evaluate fit, access and effectiveness with the targeted community, and in most cases thoughtful adaptations will be necessary to achieve the desired impact. Although the literature highlights the tension between adhering to fidelity of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) and adapting EBIs to specific stakeholder groups, many scholars have concluded that it is feasible and imperative to do both ( 35 ). For EBIs that were not developed for a specific population, the core concepts may seem relevant but framing and implementation often need to be culturally adapted to fully engage the community and ultimately attain optimal outcomes.

Several evidence-based preventive interventions (EBIs) developed specifically for immigrant families, like Madres a Madres ( 34 ) and Abriendo Puertas ( 36 ), have been shown to be effective. Further, researchers across the country have described cultural adaptations of existing EBIs ( 37 ). Similarly, EBIs that are part of TGS, including ParentCorps ( 38 ), Reach Out and stay Strong, Essentials for new mothers (ROSE) ( 39 ), PlayReadVIP (formerly known as VIP) ( 40 ), and Healthy Steps ( 41 ), have been either developed with or adapted for families of young children in culturally-relevant ways that promote mental health. For example, ROSE, a postpartum depression prevention intervention, was originally developed and tested with Latinx and Black women. As part of TGS, the intervention has been adapted for the Chinese immigrant community in Sunset Park through deep community engagement, manual adaptations, and iterative rounds of pilot testing. The adaptation process ( 42 , 43 ) included a literature review in both Chinese and English languages, interviews with mental health experts in the Chinese-American community, community focus groups that informed intervention modifications, and pilots of the culturally adapted intervention. Although the core, evidence-based components remain, the adapted version is framed to meaningfully engage and center the Chinese immigrant community (e.g., “self-care” is reframed to “creating balance and harmony”). Ongoing research is evaluating whether this adapted version leads to desired outcomes with Chinese immigrant families.

Unfortunately, preventive EBIs are often difficult to sustain in immigrant communities due to cost, as many immigrants do not have any insurance coverage ( 5 ) and for those who have Medicaid, reimbursing preventive behavioral health services is challenging ( 44 ). Many programs are, in part, often supported by private dollars, but this is not sustainable or scalable. Enabling sustainable, billable support for preventive behavioral health programs is critical, and can be efficient and cost-effective, leading to savings in multiple sectors of society in the long-run ( 45 ). Expanding Medicaid to include more coverage of preventive behavioral health services would greatly assist in this effort.

The federal government has supported some pregnant and parenting people by funding distinct programs. For example, The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program funds home visiting programs among families facing increased risk ( 46 ), and Head Start, a long-standing federally-funded early childhood program, mandates evidence-based parenting programs in under-resourced communities ( 47 ). At the state level, the California Medicaid Program (MediCal) funds the Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP), which provides enhanced services, including psychosocial counseling, to patients ( 48 ). Similar funding opportunities should be expanded to include other preventive services and populations. Hospital systems’ community benefit plans could also offer an innovative way to invest in immigrant communities and fund preventive services. While many hospitals primarily conceive of their community benefit efforts as providing financial assistance to patients ( 49 ), under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), not-for-profit hospitals are required to assess community need and develop programs to address needs that are identified ( 50 ). In Sunset Park, for example, NYU Langone Health’s community benefit plan helps fund some of the TGS programs mentioned above.

Further, communities throughout the U.S. have limited access to mental health services, in large part because of the dearth of mental health professionals ( 51 ). This problem is exacerbated in immigrant communities where there is a need for mental health professionals who speak languages other than English and are representative of diverse communities. Because mental health has distinct conceptualizations in different cultures, access to culturally responsive and linguistically aligned services from providers who are skilled in centering families’ values, beliefs, and lived racialized experiences is critical to high-quality and equitable care ( 52 ). Funding must be available to hire and retain mental health professionals who reflect the immigrant communities they serve. Investing in linguistically and culturally diverse young people from immigrant communities and encouraging them to pursue careers in mental health is one specific way to address the culturally reflective service provider gap. This includes, but is not limited to, providing opportunities for youth to learn about different career options and boosting financial assistance for internships and academic programs. Federal and state-level scholarship programs could support this approach, and the ACA requirements for Community Benefit Plans could be leveraged to address this gap. Expanding the workforce to include peer-providers and foreign-trained mental health professionals would also enable greater access to culturally aligned providers. Municipal authorities should explore procedures for credentialing and compensating both of these untapped community resources, and they should be included in Medicaid reimbursement plans.

In addition, enhanced cultural training would enable all mental health professionals to understand how different immigrant communities conceptualize mental health—including the meaning of different symptoms and help-seeking behaviors. Cultural values and norms can impact how mental health is understood, and can lead to stigmatization ( 53 , 54 ). For example, individuals from some immigrant backgrounds hold beliefs that mental health issues not be communicated outside a tight-knit group of family and friends ( 55 ); in other cultures, disclosure of mental illness to family and friends is dissuaded ( 54 ). Cultural mental health competency and humility can help providers address stigma related to mental health and identify culturally relevant ways to engage communities in mental health prevention and treatment.

Cultural competency, however, is not the only important lens in mental health care. Families face intersecting social vulnerabilities ( 56 ), including those related to gender, sexual orientation, legal status, religion and others. Immigrant families may be part of multiple marginalized groups; understanding how these interact in an intersectional framework that recognizes multiple levels of oppression is essential to providing mental health care in immigrant communities.

Academic programs that train mental health service professionals need to ensure that their curricula emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing structures and power dynamics that shape clinical interactions, such as racism and many other forms of bias ( 57 ). It is recognized that mental health providers require specialized training in the mental health disorders most prevalent in the communities they serve. In immigrant communities, this means being prepared to recognize and treat distress, mental health symptoms and disorders related to pre-and post-immigration trauma ( 4 ). Accrediting institutions should consider ways to ensure that issues of racism, immigration trauma, and gender and sexual orientation equity are meaningfully included in training curricula.

Even when mental health services are available by providers with cultural competence and humility, barriers to utilizing care exist for many immigrant families. Studies underscore numerous logistical barriers to care, such as cost, transportation, childcare, and hours of operation ( 58 ). During the pandemic, telemedicine was successfully offered as a way to address barriers in accessing care ( 59 ). However, this mode of service delivery presents additional barriers for families who do not have access to technology, have low digital literacy skills, have limited or no access to broadband, or do not have privacy in their homes ( 60 ). Nationally, one in 10 families headed by Hispanic immigrants had no access to the internet in 2016. Similarly, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, 15% of households do not have internet access, in stark contrast to 5% in a neighboring community with a smaller immigrant popultion ( 61 ). Even when families do have access to the internet, connection speed for many is slow ( 62 ), rendering meaningful use of websites and apps nearly impossible. While the availability of virtual services should continue post-pandemic to help families access care, relying on this mode as a substitute for in-person care delivery leaves out some of the most under-resourced families ( 59 ). Ensuring that mental health services address the broad range of psychological, technical and logistical barriers faced by immigrant families is essential to achieving mental health equity.

Mental health is a critical component of long, healthy and fulfilling lives. Focusing on inclusive policies and tailored programming that create equitable environments where people can provide for themselves and their families might help reduce stress and prevent many mental health problems among immigrant communities. For some, this type of support will not be enough and prevention and treatment services are critical to promote mental wellness. Mental health providers should be linguistically and culturally representative of the community, allowing for maximum comfort, mutual understanding, and equitable access to services. With a multi-pronged approach involving policies and programs to promote mental health and prevent and treat mental health problems and disorders, immigrant communities can get what they need, when they need it, and all families can be supported to thrive.

Data availability statement

Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. We analyzed census data in this article ( data.census.gov ).

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by NYU Langone Institutional Review Board. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

BK: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. RB-G: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. NR: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. JN: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. LB: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by philanthropic funds.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Yi-Ling Tan, Grace Tian, Kathleen Hopkins, Sue Kaplan, Alan Mendelsohn, Paulo Pina, Cristina Gonzalez, and Meleen Chuang for their contributions to this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: mental health, immigrant health, structural intervention, prevention, health promotion, health equity, maternal support, family-focused policy

Citation: Kerker BD, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Rojas NM, Norton JM and Brotman LM (2024) Enhancing immigrant families’ mental health through the promotion of structural and community-based support. Front. Public Health . 12:1382600. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1382600

Received: 05 February 2024; Accepted: 18 April 2024; Published: 01 May 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Kerker, Barajas-Gonzalez, Rojas, Norton and Brotman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Bonnie D. Kerker, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

University of South Florida

College of Behavioral and Community Sciences

Main navigation, smart lab wraps up year of conducting pioneering substance misuse research.

SMART Lab members gather outside of the BayScape Bistro at Heritage Isles.

• May 13, 2024
• College News , Mental Health Law and Policy

Students in the Substance Misuse and Research Traineeship (SMART) lab , an initiative of the Johnson Lab led by Department of Mental Health Law and Policy Assistant Professor Micah Johnson, PhD , recently shared their research and celebrated their achievements. The lab members not only showcased their work at the SMART Research Symposium and Banquet, but 12 of them also participated in the OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference.

A student shares her research at the banquet.

Johnson mentors the 24 students in the lab and works with them weekly for three years. Each has their own independent research project related to the predictors and consequences of substance misuse, particularly opioids missue among underserved adolescents. The program is designed for students from programs across USF who are interested in pursuing a PhD in a field related to addiction. 

During the undergraduate research conference, Elliot Santaella Aguilar presented "The Effects of Structured Activity Involvement on Opioid Misuse in Justice-Involved Adolescents." Aguilar received the Award for Excellence in Research during the lab's banquet for his work on the link between community ties and whether structured community and prosocial activities are protective against opioid misuse in justice-involved adolescents.

Opioid misuse in justice-involved adolescents was a common theme in the students' research projects. Michael Fredette presented "The Effect of Parental Supervision on Opioid Misuse among Justice-Involved Adolescents," and Tamira Godfrey-Andrade presented "Community Violence Predicting Opioid Use Among Justice-involved Adolescents."

A student shares her work and connects with other researchers.

Students also presented their research related to a justice-involve adolescent's home life and environment and substance misuse. Nurimar Ortega Santiago studied how the number of positive adult relationships impacts treatment participation , Shiraz Sher analyzed  how household substance misuse impacts opioid misuse in runaway and kicked out of home adolescents , and Dahlia Williams presented on the relationship between respect for authority figures and opioid misuse among justice-involved adolescents. Liliana Nicho shared her research on how opioid misuse within divorced and separated family structures affects borderline personality disorder traits among justice-involved adolescents.

Some research students presented was also related to mental health. Darrin Holmes evaluated opioid misuse among justice-involved adolescents with mental health struggles, and Nebiyou Daniel studied the impact of different modalities of mental health treatment on drug treatment program participation.

At the conference, Jasmin Pruthi shared an analysis of the role of insurance coverage and healthcare access in opioid misuse in justice-involved adolescents. Dylanis López Ruiz presented "Analyzing the Association of School Exclusion Disciplines on Opioid Misuse Among Justice-Involved Adolescents" and Elian N. Ruiz-Arevalo presented "The Association between Poly-victimization and Opioid Misuse Among Justice-Involved Adolescents."

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The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.

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Make a Difference with a Master’s in Clinical Professional Counseling

• Healthcare and Science |

Mental health service providers are needed now more than ever to tackle our nation’s growing mental health crisis. The shortage of qualified professional helpers is calculated to extend into 2036, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration . According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics , rates of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor jobs are projected to grow 18 percent from 2022 to 2032, with an average of 42,000 jobs opening each year.

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) has committed to filling this gap by introducing a new program: the Master of Science in Clinical Professional Counseling (MSCPC). This 60-credit program provides students with fundamental skills, knowledge, and competencies that support counseling licensure. UMGC’s first cohort will begin in fall 2024, and the program will be offered to Maryland residents for the 2024-2025 academic year with plans to expand in the future.

“The clinical professional counseling program at UMGC prioritizes practical and applied skills, equipping students with a diverse set of counseling techniques, emphasizing ethical and legal considerations, and providing training in psychological assessment and diagnosis,” says Phyllis Medina, PhD, program director for the MSCPC program. “The goal is to prepare graduates for licensure and successful practice as independent and effective counselors in various mental health settings.”

UMGC learners grow in their confidence and capabilities through 700 hours of supervised practicum and internship experiences. This gives students the opportunity to perform the work of a counselor under the guidance and supervision of an experienced practitioner.

What is the difference between a master’s degree in clinical professional counseling (MSCPC) and other psychology master’s degrees?

An MSCPC degree prepares students for careers as licensed professional counselors. MSCPC training extends beyond coursework to include supervised clinical fieldwork experiences. During practicum and internships, students apply their knowledge in real-world settings and practice their interviewing, case conceptualization, and therapy skills in an ethical, culturally informed, scientifically supported way under the direct supervision of a licensed professional.

While supervised, in-the-field practicum experiences set a master’s in clinical professional counseling program apart from non-clinical psychology master’s degrees, allowing MSCPC students to learn the fundamentals through focused coursework. Courses in the program emphasize current best practices in counseling theory, psychotherapy practice, assessment methods, cross-cultural and trauma-informed care, and ethical standards.

What careers could a master’s in clinical professional counseling help prepare you for?

With licensure, a master's in clinical professional counseling graduate is equipped for various careers. Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs) can establish private practices, provide therapy in mental health clinics, or take on leadership roles as clinic directors or clinical managers in healthcare settings.

Experienced LCPCs may become clinical supervisors, training the next generation of effective and ethical counselors. LCPCs can work as trauma therapists, forensic counselors, and military and veteran counselors. Additionally, LCPCs can work as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselors, offering short-term support to employees, or serve as community mental health counselors, addressing the mental health needs of diverse local populations.

The growing field of telehealth also opens opportunities for LCPCs to provide online counseling services, while those with specialized training in addiction can work as addiction counselors in rehabilitation centers or outpatient clinics dedicated to substance abuse treatment.

“Counseling provides a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions, behaviors, and thought patterns,” says Medina. “By offering fresh perspectives and understanding, counseling can lead to improved mood and better management of mental health conditions.”

Does a master’s in clinical professional counseling prepare you to become a therapist?

The master’s in clinical professional counseling program intentionally prepares students for careers as therapists.

“Overall, a master's in clinical professional counseling is a recognized and common pathway for individuals seeking to become licensed therapists,” says Medina. “At UMGC, this program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and practical training necessary to provide therapeutic interventions and support for individuals dealing with various mental health issues and life challenges."

Upon completing a master's in clinical professional counseling and fulfilling any additional state-specific licensing requirements, one can pursue licensure (e.g., Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor or similar titles, depending on the jurisdiction). With this licensure, graduates are qualified to work as therapists in various settings, including private practice, mental health clinics, hospitals, community agencies, school counseling, and other healthcare organizations.

Licensing requirements vary by state or country, so those interested in becoming therapists should familiarize themselves with the specific regulations and licensure processes in the location where they plan to practice.

What is the difference between clinical professional counseling and clinical psychology?

Both clinical professional counseling and clinical psychology center around supporting individuals with mental health concerns, but key differences exist in their focus, training, and scope.

“The distinction lies in the depth of training,” says Medina. “Clinical professional counselors specialize in applied counseling techniques, while clinical psychologists have a comprehensive understanding of psychological conditions and therapies.”

Clinical professional counselors focus their training on applied therapies that address a variety of psychological stressors and life events. Licensed counselors typically have master's degrees in counseling or related fields and provide therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. They focus on addressing mood and anxiety issues, personal growth, and relationship challenges using various therapeutic techniques.

In contrast, licensed clinical psychologists carry the protected title “psychologist,” have doctoral degrees in psychology, and are trained to diagnose and treat mental illness using a variety of personality and neuropsychological assessments and evidence-based interventions. Many psychologists have concentrated training in research and often specialize in subfields like forensic, health, or neuropsychology.

UMGC's new program is a master’s in clinical professional counseling, which emphasizes a practical, applied approach to mental healthcare. Graduates do not become psychologists upon licensure, rather licensed clinical professional counselors.

What current and future trends does the UMGC Master’s in Clinical Professional Counseling program prepare students for?

While pursuing a master's degree in clinical professional counseling, UMGC students are prepared for landscape-shifting industry trends, including:

• Telehealth and technology integration. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a huge shift in how professional counselors delivered their services – a trend that has only continued to grow. Technology innovations, like cognitive behavioral therapy “homework” apps, mindfulness reminders, and thought trackers are also on the rise. Those seeking licensure will need to be competent at providing counseling services remotely and incorporating technology into their practice.
• Assessment and treatment of trauma. The field of counseling is also expanding its definition and understanding of psychological trauma. In the MSCPC program, UMGC students will study trauma-informed care, recognize the impact of trauma on mental health, and learn evidence-based approaches to trauma treatment.
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion. Well-trained counselors understand that their clients exist in their own cultural context; and they recognize and make moves to correct mental health disparities that exist across the sociocultural spectrum. Our program acknowledges the importance of inclusive counseling practices, of addressing the unique needs of clients from diverse backgrounds, and of advocating for the needs of underrepresented groups.
• Mindfulness and holistic practices. While earning their counseling degree, students can also learn about evidence-based mindfulness practices and holistic techniques designed to help clients cultivate present-moment awareness, develop greater self-compassion, and enhance psychological resilience.
• Integrated healthcare delivery. As the field of mental health shifts towards an integrated and preventive approach, students can explore the collaborative nature of integrated behavioral health. Mental health professionals work alongside medical professionals, occupational and speech therapists, and psychologists to address both physical and mental health concerns.

Staying up to date with these industry trends enhances students' adaptability and positions them to provide effective, informed, and culturally sensitive counseling services.

“As the mental health field shifts towards an integrated and preventive approach, students can explore the collaborative nature of integrated behavioral health,” says Medina. “Mental health professionals work alongside medical professionals to address both physical and mental health concerns.”

With a master’s in clinical professional counseling , students can meet the growing need for trained mental health professionals ready to take on roles as licensed practitioners. Upon obtaining licensure, graduates are primed and ready to enter the world of professional helping, prepared to join the ranks of those willing to address our nation’s mental health crisis.

Reference on this webpage to any third-party entity or product does not constitute or imply endorsement by UMGC nor does it constitute or imply endorsement of UMGC by the third party. 

Learn More About the Master’s in Clinical Professional Counseling

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