Promoting mental health awareness fosters a culture of understanding, compassion and support, ultimately leading to healthier communities and individuals. Our Certificate in Mental Health Awareness aims to promote awareness of mental health and reduce stigma surrounding mental health problems.
Our Certificate in Mental Health Awareness enables you to develop a deeper understanding of mental health issues and distinguish between psychological responses that are within the realm of normality and those that may be more concerning. At the end of the program, you’ll be able to recognize signs of mental health problems, respond appropriately and confidently find available resources when needed to address these problems. You’ll also be able to gain skills to aid yourself in developing coping and resilience in your personal life.
Through both coursework and experiential learning opportunities, you’ll be prepared for various careers in high demand. These careers can venture outside of the psychology field and into areas such as health sciences, nursing and education, where you’ll be better equipped to assess and respond to the increasing mental health needs of the general population.
In 2022, 23.1% of U.S. adults reported having a mental health illness in the past year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
The percentage of adults who had sought out mental health treatment in 2022 was 22.7% (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
31.9% of 12 to 17-year-olds in U.S. sought mental health treatment in 2022 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
Course List
| Course Code | Title | Credits |
| Required Courses | ||
| PS 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PS 272 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| Elective Courses (Choose two of the following courses with at least one course required at the 300 level) | ||
| SO 211 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| PS 225 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| PS 234 | Adult Development | 3 |
| PS 236 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| PS 242 | School Psychology | 3 |
| PS 250 | Parenting Science | 3 |
| SO 280 | Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 |
| PS 360 | Psychology of Meditation | 3 |
| PS 371 | Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| PS 372 | Child Psychopathology | 3 |
| SO 360 | Sociology of Mental Health | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Choose either non-credit training or credit-bearing training
Non-Credit Training Requirement
Students will participate in one training course focused on basic skills in responding to potential mental health issues:
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Training: This training focuses on the prevention of suicide by teaching participants to recognize the warning signs of suicide, learn ways to offer hope and know how to access help.
MHFA (Mental Health First Aid): This training is a skills-based course designed to educate participants on mental health and substance use issues.
Credit-bearing Training
Students may take HSC 212: Mental Health and Psychological First Aid (which contains MHFA training) or any other course that contains one of the above trainings to satisfy this requirement.
Students will participate in a community level experience involving mental health awareness for a minimum of two hours. This activity can take place within the QU community or in the community at large. Community opportunities to fulfill this requirement will be shared with students throughout the semester. A student may submit an activity not on the list for approval.
Engage in the Greater New Haven local community (Examples: participate in suicide awareness walks or volunteer for events with the Cove Center for Grieving Children).
Run or help run a Quinnipiac campus event to raise awareness about mental health (Examples: run a booth at Fresh Check Day or help organize an event with Quinnipiac faculty or staff).
Students will complete a project reflecting on their experience and demonstrating that they have completed all the learning objectives of the certificate.
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.