Mental health is an overarching field that involves the care and treatment of emotional, psychological, and cognitive disorders.
The best online mental health schools should possess either regional or national accreditation from an accrediting body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition, you can often recognize top online mental health schools based on:
The following levels of mental health degree online programs are available:
The amount of time it takes a student to earn an accredited online mental health degree depends on the level of mental health degree being pursued and the pace of the student.
Typically, the breakdown is as follows:
Popular mental health online schools offer foundational courses in basic psychology, human behavior, biology, and general education studies like college writing and communications. The best online mental health degree programs offer typical courses such as:
Top online mental health schools offer specializations for students to focus studies on:
Graduates of top online mental health degree programs are prepared to serve at various levels of administration and clinical care at public and private clinics or mental health centers. Mental health professional jobs include a variety of choices such as:
A mental health professional specializes in assessing and treating the psychological, emotional, or cognitive dysfunctions of clients in outpatient counseling clinics or in-patient programs. Mental health professionals may work with community centers, hospitals, private counseling centers, businesses, or schools to care for the overall mental well being of people.
When a mental health professional first meets with a client, he or she performs a psychosocial assessment interview, designed to find out a client's health and mental health history, present conditions, and life stressors to help diagnose the main problems for the client and gather clues to their origin. After the initial assessment, mental health professionals design a clinical treatment plan with the client that includes therapy, medication, exercise, and other strategies to combat the client's issues. Mental health professionals either directly continue to work with clients in weekly individual or group session meetings on the goals of the treatment plan or oversee the treatment plans of several clients working with other counselors.
Mental health professionals as counselors, psychologists, or supervisors earn between $38,740 and $65,360 per year on average. Job growth is expected to at a higher-than-average rate of 18% to 24% until 2018, as more people are willing to seek help for mental health concerns and managed care insurance helps cover the costs of mental health counseling.
Students interested in how to become a mental health professional should first assess their ability to help people in crisis and then choose either an administrative or clinical counseling mental health degree at one of the accredited mental health online schools. After completing at least a bachelor's degree online in mental health, entry-level positions will be available. Most mental health professionals advance their career by completing master's or doctoral degrees. Most states have licensing requirements that require exams, applications, and proof of degree completion before certifying the mental health professional to practice in clinical treatment settings.
| School | Certificate | Associates | Bachelors | Masters | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of Phoenix-Online Campus
3157 E. Elwood Street
Phoenix, AZ, 85034 http://www.uopxonline.com
|
X | ||||
|
Miami Dade College
300 NE 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL, 33132 http://www.mdc.edu/main/
|
X | ||||
|
Houston Community College
3100 Main Street
Houston, TX, 77266 http://www.hccs.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
100 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN, 55455 http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/index.php
|
X | ||||
|
University of Florida
355 Tigert Hall
Gainesville, FL, 32611 http://www.ufl.edu/
|
X | X | X | ||
|
Northern Virginia Community College
4001 Wakefield Chapel Rd
Annandale, VA, 22003 http://www.nvcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Lone Star College System
5000 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX, 77381 http://www.lonestar.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Tarrant County College District
1500 Houston St
Fort Worth, TX, 76102 http://www.tccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Walden University
155 Fifth Ave S Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN, 55401 http://www.waldenu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Capella University
225 South 6th Street 9th Floor
Minneapolis, MN, 55402 http://www.capella.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Wayne State University
656 West Kirby Street
Detroit, MI, 48202 http://www.wayne.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
2624 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH, 45221 http://www.uc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Tidewater Community College
121 College Place
Norfolk, VA, 23510 http://www.tcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Mt San Antonio College
1100 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA, 91789 http://www.mtsac.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Cuyahoga Community College District
700 Carnegie Ave
Cleveland, OH, 44115 http://www.tri-c.edu
|
X | ||||
|
St Petersburg College
14025 58th Street North
Clearwater, FL, 33760 http://www.spcollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University at Buffalo
3435 Main Street
Buffalo, NY, 14214 http://www.buffalo.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Florida State College at Jacksonville
501 W State St
Jacksonville, FL, 32202 http://www.fscj.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Columbus State Community College
550 E Spring St
Columbus, OH, 43215 http://www.cscc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
El Paso Community College
919 Hunter Drive
El Paso, TX, 79915 http://www.epcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Palm Beach State College
4200 Congress Ave
Lake Worth, FL, 33461 http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
San Jacinto Community College
8060 Spencer Hwy
Pasadena, TX, 77501 http://www.sjcd.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Hillsborough Community College
39 Columbia Drive
Tampa, FL, 33606 http://www.hccfl.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Montgomery College
40 W. Gude Drive Suite 220
Rockville, MD, 20850 http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Santa Rosa Junior College
1501 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA, 95401 http://www.santarosa.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI, 49008 http://www.wmich.edu
|
X | ||||
|
San Antonio College
1300 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX, 78212 http://www.alamo.edu/sac/sacmain/sac.htm
|
X | ||||
|
Old Dominion University
5115 Hampton Blvd
Norfolk, VA, 23529 http://www.odu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
The Community College of Baltimore County
7201 Rossville Blvd.
Baltimore, MD, 21237 http://www.ccbcmd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Toledo
2801 W Bancroft
Toledo, OH, 43606 http://www.utoledo.edu/
|
X | X | X | X | X |
|
Wayne County Community College District
801 W Fort St
Detroit, MI, 48226 http://www.wcccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N Charles St Mason Hall
Baltimore, MD, 21218 http://www.jhu.edu
|
X | X | X | ||
|
San Joaquin Delta College
5151 Pacific Ave
Stockton, CA, 95207 http://www.deltacollege.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Milwaukee Area Technical College
700 W State St
Milwaukee, WI, 53233 http://matc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Glendale Community College
6000 W Olive Ave
Glendale, AZ, 85302 http://www.gc.maricopa.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana
50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive
Indianapolis, IN, 46208 http://www.ivytech.edu/indianapolis/
|
X | ||||
|
Central Piedmont Community College
1201 Elizabeth Avenue
Charlotte, NC, 28204 http://www.cpcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Blvd
New York, NY, 11235 http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Moraine Valley Community College
9000 W. College Parkway
Palos Hills, IL, 60465 http://www.morainevalley.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Community College of Rhode Island
400 East Ave
Warwick, RI, 2886 http://www.ccri.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Wright State University-Main Campus
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH, 45435 http://www.wright.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Daytona State College
1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL, 32114 http://www.DaytonaState.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK, 99508 http://www.uaa.alaska.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Touro College
27-33 W 23rd St
New York, NY, 10010 http://www.touro.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Indian River State College
3209 Virginia Ave
Fort Pierce, FL, 34981 http://www.irsc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
CUNY Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Ave
New York, NY, 11210 http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
31-10 Thomson Ave
New York, NY, 11101 http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Anne Arundel Community College
101 College Pky
Arnold, MD, 21012 http://www.aacc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
CUNY City College
160 Convent Ave
New York, NY, 10031 http://www.ccny.cuny.edu
|
X | ||||
|
University of Miami
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL, 33124 http://www.miami.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Cypress College
9200 Valley View
Cypress, CA, 90630 http://www.cypresscollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Northern Kentucky University
Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY, 41099 http://www.nku.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
CUNY John Jay College Criminal Justice
899 Tenth Ave
New York, NY, 10019 http://www.jjay.cuny.edu
|
X | ||||
|
San Bernardino Valley College
701 South Mount Vernon Avenue
San Bernardino, CA, 92410 http://www.valleycollege.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Massachusetts-Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA, 2125 http://www.umb.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne
2101 E Coliseum Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN, 46805 http://www.ipfw.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Pikes Peak Community College
5675 S Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO, 80906 http://www.ppcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Idaho State University
921 S 7th Ave
Pocatello, ID, 83209 http://www.isu.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Guilford Technical Community College
601 High Point Rd
Jamestown, NC, 27282 http://www.gtcc.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
South University-Savannah
709 Mall Blvd
Savannah, GA, 31406 http://www.southuniversity.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Illinois Central College
One College Drive
East Peoria, IL, 61635 http://www.icc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Truckee Meadows Community College
7000 Dandini Blvd
Reno, NV, 89512 http://www.tmcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
4300 N Narragansett
Chicago, IL, 60634 http://wright.ccc.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
1651 E Parham Road
Richmond, VA, 23228 http://www.reynolds.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Pace University-New York
1 Pace Plaza
New York, NY, 10038 http://www.pace.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Del Mar College
101 Baldwin Blvd.
Corpus Christi, TX, 78404 http://www.delmar.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Hofstra University
100 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY, 11549 http://www.hofstra.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Cuesta College
Highway 1
San Luis Obispo, CA, 93403 http://WWW.CUESTA.EDU
|
X | X | |||
|
Long Island University-C W Post Campus
720 Northern Blvd
Brookville, NY, 11548 http://www.liu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Chandler
2626 E Pecos Rd
Chandler, AZ, 85225 http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Mission College
3000 Mission College Blvd
Santa Clara, CA, 95054 http://www.missioncollege.org/
|
X | X | |||
|
Community College of Denver
1111 W. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO, 80204 http://www.ccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Southern Methodist University
6425 Boaz St
Dallas, TX, 75275 http://www.smu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Bridgewater State College
131 Summer Street
Bridgewater, MA, 2325 http://www.bridgew.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Thomas Nelson Community College
99 Thomas Nelson Drive
Hampton, VA, 23666 http://www.tncc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Montgomery County Community College-Central Campus
340 Dekalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA, 19422 http://www.mc3.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast
3800 N Anthony Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN, 46805 http://www.ivytech.edu/fortwayne/
|
X | ||||
|
Pasco-Hernando Community College
10230 Ridge Road
New Port Richey, FL, 34654 http://www.phcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
South Plains College
1401 S. College Ave
Levelland, TX, 79336 http://www3.southplainscollege.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
John Tyler Community College
13101 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Chester, VA, 23831 http://www.jtcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Edmonds Community College
20000 68th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA, 98036 http://www.edcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Seton Hall University
400 S Orange Ave
South Orange, NJ, 7079 http://www.shu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Spokane Falls Community College
3410 W Fort Geo Wright Dr
Spokane, WA, 99224 http://www.spokanefalls.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Middlesex Community College
Springs Rd
Bedford, MA, 1730 http://www.middlesex.mass.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 2908 http://www.ric.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Suffolk University
8 Ashburton Pl Beacon Hill
Boston, MA, 2108 http://www.suffolk.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
University of Alaska Fairbanks
215 Signers' Hall
Fairbanks, AK, 99775 http://www.uaf.edu
|
X | ||||
|
McLennan Community College
1400 College Dr
Waco, TX, 76708 http://www.mclennan.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
California University of Pennsylvania
250 University Ave
California, PA, 15419 http://www.calu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Virginia Western Community College
3093 Colonial Ave
Roanoke, VA, 24015 http://www.virginiawestern.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
Mt Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St
Gresham, OR, 97030 http://www.mhcc.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
College of Southern Maryland
8730 Mitchell Rd
La Plata, MD, 20646 http://www.csmd.edu/
|
X | X | |||
|
Howard Community College
10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy
Columbia, MD, 21044 http://www.howardcc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Yuba College
2088 N Beale Rd
Marysville, CA, 95901 http://www.yccd.edu
|
X | X | |||
|
SUNY College at Brockport
350 New Campus Dr
Brockport, NY, 14420 http://www.brockport.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Gateway Technical College
3520 30th Ave
Kenosha, WI, 53144 http://www.gtc.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus
University Plaza
New York, NY, 11201 http://www.liu.edu
|
X | ||||
|
Central Florida Community College
3001 SW College Rd
Ocala, FL, 34474 http://www.GoCFCC.com
|
X | ||||
|
Green River Community College
12401 SE 320th St
Auburn, WA, 98092 http://www.greenriver.edu/
|
X | ||||
|
Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom
9401 Farwest Dr SW
Lakewood, WA, 98498 http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/
|
X | X |
I have learned that if you want to make time for your personal life without falling behind in a graduate program, you need to become efficient at work and in the classroom.Read Full Interview
