The Department of Psychology at Fort Hays State University offers specialized certificate programs that are designed to provide students with the opportunity to further develop their skills and knowledge in a particular area. The Foundations of Public Mental Health Certificate adds additional value to your undergraduate degree and can provide valuable experiences to prepare you for your future career in psychology. This certificate is available to all FHSU undergraduate students.

The certificate is intended to provide students with the opportunity to learn about mental health and substance abuse concerns in order to be able to identify, understand, and respond to mental health needs and ultimately promote mental health and wellness among students and their communities. This certificate, available for completion by any on campus or online undergraduate student, is in alignment with courses in the Applied Mental Health undergraduate concentration. 

Certificate Objectives:

• Identify risk factors and warning signs associated with common mental illnesses and substance abuse. 
• Understand the social, psychological, and biological factors associated with common mental illnesses and substance abuse. 
• Identify resources available to support individuals suffering from mental illness and substance abuse. 
• Understand strategies that can be used to help someone in crisis and non-crisis situations. 

Which courses will you take?

Courses required to earn the Foundations of Public Mental Health certificate include: 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PSY 300	Abnormal Psychology	3
PSY 310	Introduction to Therapeutic Skills	3
PSY 355	Drugs and Behavior	3
PSY 376	Apprenticeship in Psychology I	3
Total Hours		12

• No grade lower than a “C” is acceptable for the classes taken to complete the certificate
• PSY 100 General Psychology is a pre-requisite for all Psychology courses

This is an FHSU advisory certificate. Advisory certificates are typically 9-15 hours of coursework.  The certificates are designed by FHSU faculty to provide students a guide to choosing courses that introduce and develop a subject knowledge and/or skills.  These certificates may be used to select a focus within a major, to develop additional knowledge and skills to complement a major, or to pursuing a topic of interest with open elective hours.  

Courses taken as part of an advisory certificate are listed on the student's transcript, however the advisory certificate is not listed on the transcript. Many FHSU departments provide a completion certificate that students may use to show they completed the advised coursework, and talk about what it added to their degree.  Non-degree students may complete the classes outlined in an advisory certificate and receive a completion certificate if offered by the department, however they are not enrolled in a degree plan or eligible for student aid.