The International School Counseling Certificate program is designed to provide participants with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to effectively provide counseling and develop school counseling programs in International Schools. Certificate participants will acquire a working knowledge of career, academic, and social-emotional counseling specifically focused on counselors wanting to and working in international schools.
The International School Counseling Certificate is offered by the USD School of Leadership and Education Sciences’ Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy department, and facilitated by the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. The certificate is designed for professional practice with the goal of enhancing counseling skills to international school students.
The Certificate comprises of 10 units of coursework offered with the Professional and Continuing Education department to give Graduate Level Extension credit and is designed to support and develop the skills of educators working in counseling-related roles in international schools. Participants meet online in groups with a dedicated instructor. For those with a prior MA in school counseling, this certificate can act as an opportunity for supervision, community and networking. For those who are are already working in international schools that are presented with opportunities to work in counseling or student support roles this certificate will help to provide content, new skills, and a sense of shared community. The format of the program is collegial and case presentations are used as the main mechanism of instruction. All content areas (e.g. systems, cross cultural perspectives) are approached as a series of lenses that can be applied to the cases with increasing complexity. Due to the flexibility of this format, courses do not have to be taken in order.
Complete the requirements below to earn a professional certificate in International School Counseling. The certificate can be completed in less than 12 months. Read Certificate Benefits and Policy.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to regulations from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of San Diego is unable to enroll students in its online programs who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Online professional development course for international school counselors that focuses on multicultural skill building to work with international school students.
Once you have enrolled in your course, log in to your account to access the course Welcome Letter, which includes directions on how to access the Online Orientation and your online course.
Course Dates: Friday, September 5 – Friday, November 28, 2025, synchronous bi-weekly meetings on Fridays with asynchronous assignments. Meeting times are from 6:00am – 8:30am PT, 48 hours prior to your first course meeting the instructor will reach out with an introduction email.
This online professional development course covers crisis and trauma intervention and prevention in the International School setting designed for school counselors.
Once you have enrolled in your course, log in to your account to access the course Welcome Letter, which includes directions on how to access the Online Orientation and your online course. Instructor will reach out with an introduction email 48 hours prior to your first course meeting.
Course Dates: Friday, February 6 – Friday, June 5, 2026, synchronous bi-weekly meetings on Fridays. Meeting times are from 6:00am – 8:30am PT, 48 hours prior to your first course meeting the instructor will reach out with an introduction email.
This online professional development course for International School Counselors focuses on career and college readiness, and providing students with access to opportunities and skills needed to be successful.
This professional growth course for international school counselors focuses on applied theories and techniques that provide solution-focused counseling for the individual.
Course Dates: Daily Meetings starting on Monday, August 4 – Friday, August 8, 2025. Monday meeting time is 7AM – 9:30AM PT. The remaining week, meeting time will be 8AM – 10:30AM PT. 48 hours prior to your first course meeting the instructor will reach out with an introduction email.
Online Fixed-Date: Online fixed-date courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that enables you to collaborate with your instructor and other students in a shared, online learning environment. These courses have fixed start and finish dates, but as an online student you will have 24/7 online access to your classroom assignments, syllabus and course resources. Our online fixed-date courses allow you to work on your assignments anytime, although you are required to complete the assignments by specific dates.
How is the learning structured? In an online fixed-date course, you and your classmates will proceed through the curriculum together, collaborating in a shared learning experience. Each online fixed-date course is asynchronous, meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime, although required to complete the assignments by specific dates. The course is designed with learning modules where all of the content is grouped into weekly assignments. Each module covers one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:
Enroll in this certificate program, and purchase the certificate fee. Earn graduate level extension credit in semester hours from the University of San Diego.
This certificate program is designed for:
The program allows for participants to pursue the program for graduate-level extension credit for professional development.
Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.
Employment opportunities in the education field — including adult education — are expected to grow by almost 1 million new jobs by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). With so many new and emerging opportunities, adult learning institutions and programs are going to have to compete heavily to attract and retain the most talented educators.
This makes furthering your education and diversifying your teaching skill set all the more important. By growing your expertise in a wide variety of educational concepts, you will broaden your career prospects and become a valuable asset in any learning environment.
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Requirements for completing a certificate can be found on the certificate page.
Professional and Continuing Education courses that are transferrable to a USD master degree will be stated on the course or certificate page. If you wish to transfer credit, it is your responsibility to confer with the receiving institution before enrolling, as each individual academic institution decides whether or not to accept USD Professional and Continuing Education credit.
You have five years to complete the certificate.
Click here for complete details regarding our refund, drop and transfer policies
Prospective students can request to be placed on a waitlist. Should a space open up in a course, those on the waitlist will be notified. We encourage you to register early for courses.
The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.
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