Written by Gagangeet Kaur
Third year Business Administration – Marketing student
“As much as I was excited to graduate, the uncertain future had me worried.”
Jovana Radakovic, a current student at Mohawk College with a completed Psychology degree, remembers pondering over her future. She remembers the feeling of being lost and the uncertainty of what her next steps were going to be. As students, it’s important to realize that when things are unclear, it’s best to take a step back and consider your options.
Despite acquiring theoretical knowledge and critical thinking skills through her degree, Jovana felt the need to explore more options within the field of Psychology and Health Sciences. “Learning about general concepts in the field of mental health in my undergrad was a good introduction,” says Jovana, “but completing specific courses on the real-life presentations of concurrent disorders in our society and community helps put my knowledge in perspective.”
Upon graduating from McMaster in 2019, Jovana decided to look into graduate certificates and diplomas in her field of interest. “After completing a B.Sc. in Psychology, I felt that I needed more experience working in the field,” says Jovana.
The school that was recommended to her by her peers was Mohawk College. Not only does the college offer various diploma options, but it also offers certificates to further flourish one’s career.
Mohawk provides an array of graduate certificates within the faculties of Business, Communication Arts, Community Services, Health and Technology. These certificates allow students to gain additional skills to enhance their academic careers with a range of learning options, including online learning. In less than a year, students can further explore their field of specialty and advance their careers.
“I wanted to enrol in a certificate program that complimented my degree in Psychology,” says Jovana. “I found that the Concurrent Disorders Graduate Certificate program was ideal for me.” She went on to add, “My experience has been amazing. I like the fact that each course is relevant to my interests and is very applicable to what I hope to do in the future.”
Mohawk College provides valuable hands-on experience that can advance skill sets through co-op placements, labs, and simulations. Being a leader in experiential learning, Mohawk has always emphasized gaining knowledge with the help of experienced and widely diverse faculty members.
“The hands-on skills I’ve practiced with instructors and classmates during simulated sessions in class gave me experience and made me confident in my abilities,” says Jovana. “I’ve learned how to engage clients in starting to think about their behaviours. We get to develop conversational skills to use in session to make clients feel comfortable talking about sensitive issues.”
Jovana is looking forward to the experience she will gain by putting these skills to use through on-the-job experiential learning in her field placement. “I feel like the program is built to prepare me as best as possible to feel confident in my abilities, so I can comfortably work in the field of mental health in the future,” says Jovana.
Completion of a certificate can add value to your academic portfolio. With theoretical, technical, and experiential knowledge, students are prepared to thrive in their workplace environment.
Learn more about how Graduate Certificates can help you.
