Children's Mental Health

Course location/delivery

All courses are offered online.

Brief Description

USF's Department of Child and Family Studies offers the Graduate Certificate in Children's Mental Health, with an emphasis in Systems of Care. This is an interdisciplinary program delivered through distance learning technologies. It is designed to provide a rigorous, empirically-based education to individuals in the behavioral health services field who wish to work with agencies and systems that serve children and families who have mental health needs. Students will learn to assist children at different developmental stages, within the contexts in which they live. Since background checks are the norm in the behavioral health field, students completing this graduate certificate may be required to submit to a background check before entering the workforce. In addition, courses including an internship may require a background check.

Credit toward graduate degree

Up to 12 hours of certificate course credits may be applied to a graduate degree with departmental approval.

Standardized tests

International students must submit a TOEFL score when English is not the native language. A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 79 on the web-based test is required.

Admission requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a field related to human services with a minimum 3.0 GPA, or be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at a regionally accredited institution in a related field.

Application process

Please visit http://www.gradcerts.usf.edu/admissions.asp to access the application. In addition, to the application forms please submit:

  1. Departmental Approval Form (Please print, sign, and submit this form with all other documents to our office).
  2. Official transcripts
  3. A resume
  4. A 250-word letter of interest stating your objectives in pursuing this course of study

Registration process

First, consult with the certificate program advisor and obtain an electronic course permit if necessary. Then, go to http://usfonline.admin.usf.edu/, the link to OASIS, USF's online registration system. Follow directions given online.

To access online course materials, students must have the USF NetID (e-mail account). Please visit: https://netid.usf.edu/una/# to obtain

Tuition and fees

Tuition and Fees

Financial aid

Please try this link to search for available loans: http://www.simpletuition.com/landing/certifiedprivateloans.htm

Time limit

Two to three years.