Question by Nichole: I don’t know whether i want to go to university?
Okay so basically i’m in my second year of college doing my A-levels. I dropped English Lit AS which i did in my first year and took Psychology AS in my second year. So i won’t be going to Uni next year but the year after so i can finish all my A- levels.I was so certain of going to University but now i’m unsure. I want to become a counselor, that’s my ambition but i’m unsure how to achieve my dream job. I’ve been advised to do a Psychology degree at Uni which would take 3 years and then i’d have to do 3 years on a counseling course or just do the counseling course after i leave college. Is there any way to do both? I want to have the experience of going to University but not if it means i’m using three years of my life to do a degree which doesn’t get me where i want to go. Please help! 🙂

Best answer:

Answer by Annie
Hi Nichole! Your question was in the USA section, but I am not sure if you are in the USA or another country? If you are in the USA, this information will apply to you.

I looked for information about Counseling degree programs on this page, http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/degrees/human-services/counseling. It looks like it is possible to get a bachelor’s degree in counseling,

According to that site, “Online bachelor’s degree programs in counseling are usually in substance abuse, addictions, or human behavior areas. Students gain a firm foundation in psychology and sociology, through classes such as child development, addiction, abnormal psychology, and emotional disorders. Other classes discuss particular counseling issues, such as case management, drugs and behavior, substance abuse recovery, counseling skills, and counselor ethics.”

Psychology is definitely one of the key components of a Counseling program, so it makes sense that you were advised to pursue a Psychology bachelor’s degree. It looks like other program possibilities for becoming a counselor are bachelor’s degrees in Behavioral Science and Adult Development.

Here is a list of the Counselor certification requirements by state: http://www.nbcc.org/directory.

It could be that a master’s degree will be required for the job you want, and if that is the case, you will want to make sure that the bachelor’s degree that you get prepares you and helps to qualify you for the master’s program you want. Good luck! 🙂

What do you think? Answer below!