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Student sitting in library with text Stephen Goulakos '22

Mental Health Degree Online BA in Psychology Concentration

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Register By: June 24 Classes Start: June 26

Earn Your Mental Health Degree Online

  • $320/credit
  • Accredited by NECHE
  • Transfer up to 90 credits
  • Prepare for a career helping others
  • Earn a data literacy certificate
  • No application fee or SAT/ACT scores required

Mental Health Degree Concentration Program Overview

Designed to deepen your understanding of human behavior, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health at Southern New Hampshire University can prepare you to pursue graduate degrees in clinical psychology and counseling.

But that's not the only route the mental health concentration can provide. This concentration appeals to many students because it gives you more flexibility to pursue careers outside the field.

Skills transfer to additional areas ranging from social services to human resource departments to marketing and public relations firms. Additionally, you'll have 39 free electives and the opportunity to earn an embedded Certificate of Data Literacy in Psychology, making this a results-driven and transfer-friendly program to join.

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What You'll Learn

  • Adherence to ethical standards
  • Implementation of scientific approaches
  • Counseling techniques and psychological testing
  • Personality theories
  • Familiarity with psychometric techniques

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How You'll Learn

At SNHU, you'll get support from day 1 to graduation and beyond. And with no set class times, 24/7 access to the online classroom, and helpful learning resources along the way, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.

Making a Mental Health Degree Concentration Work

With a job and a family, Stephen Goulakos '22 needed flexibility while studying mental health online at SNHU. Today, with his psychology degree, he's working in a school setting and is better prepared to work with schoolchildren.

Mental Health Career Outlook

The field of psychology – and mental health, in particular – offers so many options.

"Depending on an individual’s interests, passions, career, community and educational goals, there really is an exceptional fit for most professionals,” said Dr. Nicole Martinez, an adjunct psychology instructor at SNHU.

Today, people with mental illness and professionals in the field are fighting to counter the stigma associated with disorders. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youths (ages 6-17) experience mental illness each year.1

And as more people come forward for treatment, more counselors are sought to treat them.

While becoming a licensed counselor most often requires additional education and training, which can vary by state, this mental health degree can prepare you for graduate studies, such as SNHU's online master's in clinical mental health counseling or master's in psychology online. With the solid foundation in the assessment and counseling process that this degree provides, you'll be ready to succeed in graduate counseling or psychology programs.

Students often choose the mental health concentration because they have a passion for helping others and want to better the world. The broad range of career possibilities includes:

Social Services Assistant

Connect clients to services in a wide variety of fields, including psychology, rehabilitation and social work. A bachelor's in psychology with a concentration in mental health can give you the communication skills you need to be successful.

Human Resources Manager

Recruit, interview and place workers, manage employee relations and oversee compensation, benefits and training. Your mental health concentration can prepare you to work with a team and facilitate these essential processes.

Probation Officer

Provide social services to assist the rehabilitation of law offenders in custody, on probation or on parole, and connect them with community services. A degree in psychology can help prepare you to manage these complex situations and relationships.

In these roles and others, you might find yourself assisting mental health professionals in residential or outpatient settings. facilitating support groups, working in a correctional facility or probation department or possibly assisting in hiring processes. You could even design job-related trainings, assist with market research projects, or help create public relations campaigns. The opportunities are plenty.

Students in this program have experiential learning opportunities to better understand community-based mental health services. These practical experiences can also provide the chance to network with potential employers.

Note: This mental health degree doesn't lead to any type of licensure and certification. It does not directly qualify you for positions that require additional education and state licensure, like a role as a clinical mental health counselor or clinical psychologist.

If you are interested in pursuing a licensed profession – such as clinical mental health counselor – you’ll need additional education in a graduate program, like SNHU’s master's in clinical mental health counseling. You’ll also need to fulfill your state’s specific requirements for licensure.

Job Growth and Salary

A degree in psychology can open you to a vast world of career opportunities. Many psychology-related careers are projecting a steady increase in demand over the coming years.

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Job Growth

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sees the need for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors growing 22% through 2031 – much faster than average.2 If clinical or graduate work isn't the best fit for you, earning your mental health degree can position you for roles like market research analyst, which could see 19% growth.

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Salary

Although salaries can vary by region and responsibility, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that market research analysts earned a median annual salary of $63,920 in May 2021. 2

Start Your Journey Toward an Online Mental Health Degree Concentration

photo of Tiffany Daniels

Develop Skills That Serve Your Community

Tiffany Daniels, adjunct instructor

"Now, more than ever, we need mental health professionals to serve their communities. With a concentration in mental health, not only will students gain personal insights into their own experiences, but they will also develop valuable academic and occupational skills that will prepare them for what comes next."

Courses & Curriculum

SNHU's degree in mental health focuses on applying the theory you'll learn in class to a community-based service organization as you prepare to graduate. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and principles involved with therapy and assessment.

Candace Gibbs with the text Candace GibbsPsychology student Candace Gibbs '21 gained information in her classes that has helped her in her personal life, too.

"SNHU has not only enabled me to be a better mother to my son who has autism," she said, "but has also put me on the pathway to ultimately help my community."

In your mental health program, you'll have experiential learning opportunities that can help you enhance your skills through projects you can show future employers. You also can choose to do an internship – another option to make you more marketable in the workforce.

The online format of the program allows you to participate and learn when it works best for you without sacrificing community and support. SNHU can also help you succeed with a variety of aids, including dedicated advisors, online tutoring and a writing center.

With the mental health concentration, you'll get to take an experiential learning course, which can help you better understand the direction you'd like to take your career and enhance your skills through real-world practice. In addition, the curriculum allows you to take an optional internship, giving you more ways to add valuable experiences to your resume.

If mental health is not the area of psychology you'd like to study, SNHU's online psychology degree offers 5 other concentrations: addictions, applied psychology, social psychology, in addition to a child psychology degree concentration and forensic psychology degree concentration.

Curriculum Requirements & Resources

Degree-Specific Courses

The embedded certificate in Data Literacy in Psychology, provided to all eligible students in this degree program, helps you develop the sought-after knowledge and skills needed to synthesize data and effectively communicate your findings. Embedded means that it is earned as you complete your core psychology courses and is awarded when the degree is completed.

General Education

All bachelor's students are required to take general education classes. Through these foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.

Technology Resources

We provide cloud-based virtual environments in some courses to give you access to the technology you need for your degree – and your career. Learn more about our virtual environments.

Earn Math Credits

Save time and tuition with our Pathways to Math Success assessments. Depending on your scores, you could earn up to 12 math credits – the equivalent of 4 courses – toward your degree for less than $50 per assessment. For additional information, or to register for a Pathways to Math Success assessment, contact your admission counselor or academic advisor today.

University Accreditation

New England Commission of Higher Education Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as well as several other accrediting bodies.

Tuition & Fees

As a private, nonprofit university, we’re committed to making college more accessible by making it more affordable. That’s why we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation.

We also offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course Per Credit Hour Annual Cost for 30 credits 
Degree/Certificates $960 $320 $9,600
Degree/Certificates (U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty)* $675 $225 $6,750

Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually. *Note: students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional Costs No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

Frequently Asked Questions

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