Undergraduate Minor in Counseling

San Francisco State's Undergraduate Minor in Counseling offers four areas of study for all students: field counseling, psychological understandings, decision making and skills training. The Minor in Counseling program and related elective courses emphasize counseling as it relates to a variety of major fields of study. COUN 690 provides a broad overview of the entire field of counseling and COUN 691 exposes students to the department’s core value of multicultural human relations. In addition to these courses and two psychology courses, students also choose social justice electives and general electives listed below.

The Field of Counseling. Students are introduced to the counseling profession through an overview of role and functions in career, college, marriage, family and child, mental health, and rehabilitation settings; historical perspective; professional identification; ethical considerations; and self-awareness.

Psychological Understandings. Students receive a general introduction to the field of counseling and psychological dynamics.

Decision Making. Students examine how individuals make choices and how decisions are made through self-assessment and evaluation by others. The study includes ethnic and cultural differences in the decision-making process.

Skills Training. The development of basic skills which include attending, responding, interpretation, and decision making. The training includes practicum experience in interviewing skills.

Minor Program Coordinator

Rebecca Toporek smiling white skin, long white hair, teal colored blouse

Rebecca Toporek, Ph.D.

Professor 

Minor Counseling Program Coordinator

How to Declare a Minor in Counseling

If you are interested in declaring a minor in counseling, please schedule an appointment to meet with the Minor Advisor.

Advisor: Christopher Avalos

Spring Semester Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 9 - 11am

Email: counselingminor@sfsu.edu

Schedule an appointment here

 

DPR Change Request Form - Counseling Minor

Petition Form - Switch to New Minor Program

 

Courses

(18-20 units total)

Title   Units

Required Core Courses

(12 units)

     
PSY 200 General Psychology   3
COUN 690 Field of Counseling I (Fall Only)   3
COUN 691 Multicultural Human Relations (Spring Only)   3

AND choose one of the following:

     

PSY 431*   OR

Developmental Psychology   3
PSY 330        OR Child Development   3

SW 410 

Human Development and the Social Services   3

AND choose one course from each elective area

(6-8 units)

     
Elective 1: Social Justice Elective Chosen from social justice elective list below   3-4
Elective 2: General Elective Chosen from general elective list below   3-4
Total Units

 

  18-20

*Psychology and Social Work majors are currently being given priority enrollment in their respective departments. For courses that are temporarily being accepted for this requirement, check with the minor advisor.

Choose one Social Justice Elective course AND one General Elective course  

 

SOCIAL JUSTICE ELECTIVES (Choose one, open to all majors)

 
Code Title Units
AIS 420 Native Genders and Feminism 3
AIS 440 Native Sexualities and Queer Discourse 3
AIS 470 American Indian Ethnicity: Problems in Identity 3
AFRS 515 Black Family Studies 3
COMM 541 Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication 4
COMM 557/LS 403 Performance and Pedagogy of the Oppressed for Educators 3
COUN 110 Critically Thinking About Career Choice: Self, Community, Society, and the World 3
PSY 450 Variations in Human Sexuality 3
RRS 303 Health and Wellness among Pacific Islanders 3
RRS 410 Grassroots Organizing for Change in Communities of Color 3
RRS 571 Women, Class, and Race 3
RRS 580 Educational Equity 3
S ED 300 Education and Society 3
SOC/RRS 330 Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.: Class, Gender, and Nation 3
SOC/SXS 400/PSY 450 Variations in Human Sexuality 3
SPED 330 Introduction to Disability 3
WGS 220 Introduction to Feminist Disability Studies 3
WGS/AIS 420 Native Genders and Feminism 3
WGS 511 Women and Violence 3

 

AND

GENERAL ELECTIVES (Choose one, open to all Majors)

 
Code Title Units
AFRS 401 Pan African Black Psychology: A North American, South American, and Caribbean Comparison 3
AFRS 525 Black Child Development 3
C J 550 School Violence and Discipline 3
COMM 502 Interpersonal Communication 4
COUN 110 Critically Thinking About Career Choice: Self, Community, Society, and the World 3
FCS 220 Young Children and Families 3
FCS 321 Adolescents and Families 3
LTNS 380 Afro/Latina/o Diasporas 3
PSY 320 Sex and Relationships 3
PSY 464 Psychology of Career Pursuit 3
PSY 465 The Psychology of Work-Life Stress 3
SOC 464 Families and Society 4
SOC 467/SXS 667 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Cultures and Society 4
SOC 469 Gender and Society 4
S W 350 Services to Children, Youth, and Their Families 3