Certificate in Multilingual and Psychology Competencies

The Certificate in Multilingual and Psychology Competencies equips students to apply psychology in today’s multilingual world through a combination of coursework, language study, and hands-on experience. Students complete classes in one applied area of psychology—counseling, development, organizational psychology, or law—while also building proficiency in another language or earning credit for existing skills. These strands come together in fieldwork or a senior project that directly links language ability with applied psychology. By completing the certificate, students will strengthen professional communication, gain formal recognition for bilingual competencies, and be prepared for careers in clinics, schools, community agencies, and courts, as well as for graduate study and bilingual career pathways.

Admissions

Students must be Psychology majors. Students need to have a minimum GPA of 2.0. 

Students wishing to apply need to meet with the Program Coordinator, chair of Psychology and/or program advisors or the chair of MLL, to discuss their course selection. Following the meeting, students submit a short statement of purpose that includes a list of classes they intend to enroll in along with their certificate application (PDF) via email to the Department of Psychology (psych@sfsu.edu).

Upon admittance to the certificate, students will be connected to the coordinator of the language program whose language the applicant intends to pursue. The coordinator will evaluate existing proficiency levels and advise the student on the most level-appropriate language class. ACTFL-based exit proficiency tests can be taken upon request and will provide the student with additional certification regarding language proficiency. Depending on score, students may also petition for Credit-by-Examination. 

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Applied Psychology Foundations: Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge in one applied domain of psychology—clinical/counseling, developmental/early education, industrial/organizational, or legal psychology—and be able to analyze human behavior in relation to real-world contexts. They will apply core theories and methods of that subfield to address individual and societal needs.
2. Language and Cultural Proficiency: Students will achieve working proficiency in a language other than English and gain an understanding of the cultural contexts in which that language is embedded. They will be able to communicate effectively across cultures and recognize how language and culture shape human experience and access to services.
3. Integration of Psychology and Multilingual Practice: Through fieldwork or a senior project, students will integrate their psychology training with language and cultural competencies in applied settings. They will produce a tangible deliverable (e.g., a report, tool, or project) that demonstrates their ability to serve multilingual and multicultural communities.