Counseling and Career Classes

Diablo Valley College's Counseling Department offers a variety of classes and workshops designed to assist students in identifying their educational and career goals, creating career and educational plans, exploring majors and career fields, as well as developing student success strategies.

Our courses are transferable to the CSU system and some can be used towards CSU General Education requirements. We also offer several courses that transfer to the UC system.

Our Counseling and Career classes

Orientation to College Classes

For brand new DVC students needing help in getting started with first term course selection, degree and transfer requirements, creating educational plans and registration next steps.

  • COUNS 095: Educational Planning
    This course provides an introduction to educational goal setting and course selection. Students will develop a plan to succeed in achieving their educational goal. Topics will include identification of interest area, educational and career goals, academic placement, counseling, and advising services.
  • COUNS 096: Orientation for Student-Athletes
    This course provides an introduction to educational goal setting and course selection for student-athletes. Students will develop an education plan to succeed in achieving
    their educational and athletic goals. Topics include general college information, intercollegiate academic eligibility requirements and regulations, registration procedures, and student-athlete academic success strategies. Important college services for student-athletes will be emphasized.
  • COUNS 097: Educational Planning for DSS Students
    This course provides an introduction to college for students with disabilities using course content tailored to meet the unique needs of this population. It will provide students in Disability Support Services (DSS) with a concrete plan for enrolling and succeeding in college. Topics include: an overview of DSS services and accommodations at Diablo Valley College (DVC), an explanation of the differences between high school and college, an overview of general information about certificate, associate degree and transfer pathways, and how to build a student educational plan.
Student Success Classes

For students interested in understanding the transfer process, how to navigate campus resources and learning new student success strategies.

  • COUNS 100: New Student Success Strategies
    This course introduces new students to information, resources and skills necessary for college success. Topics will include educational opportunities, campus resources,
    study skills and strategies. The class also provides instruction in educational planning to reach certificate, degree and transfer goals. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)
  • COUNS 120: Student Success
    This course presents skills and strategies to succeed as a college student. Topics such as motivation and attitudes, time management, decision-making processes, goal-setting, critical thinking skills, study skills and interpersonal communication will be explored. Students will evaluate their own skills and behaviors in relation to these topics and learn strategies to make meaningful choices about their education, career and personal goals. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)
  • COUNS 130: Transfer Planning
    This course presents an overview of the transfer admission requirements, application process, and procedures. Topics include transfer to private, public, in-state, and out-of-state colleges and universities, transfer admission programs, major preparation, and articulation agreements. A key component of this course includes applying research skills and strategies using a variety of techniques to find, retrieve, and evaluate transfer planning information to create a personal education plan. CSU
Career & Major Exploration Classes

For students interested in exploring majors, researching career fields and learning how to decide and plan for your educational and career goals.

  • CARER 110: Career and Life Planning
    This course presents research strategies for effective career and major choice selection. Students will use a variety of techniques to find, retrieve, and evaluate career planning information as well as career assessments to identify their preferred work values, interests, skills and personality traits. Focus is placed on the exploration of labor market needs, educational and employment requirements, and career ladders within given professions resulting in an effective educational and job search plan. Employability and interpersonal skills such as communication, critical thinking, creative problem solving, time management, self-esteem and professional confidence, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and effective collaboration are also addressed. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)
  • CARER 120: Career Assessment
    In this course, students will utilize self-assessment inventories to identify individual interests, values, skills and personality types as they relate to college/career and major options. Career development software and related technologies to develop skills to enhance the career exploration process will be utilized. CSU
  • CARER 130: Career and Major Exploration
    This course introduces basic career planning and electronic resources that aid in the research of career and college major options. This course is intended for students who are undecided about their career and/or educational goals. CSU
Employment Preparation Classes

For student interested in preparing for the employment search process by learning to write cover letters, resumes, research the job market and interview techniques.

  • CARER 140: Job Search Strategies
    This course is designed to prepare students for the employment search process. Identification of goals and job skills, how to complete an application, traditional and electronic cover letters and resumes, interviewing techniques, job market research and overview of employee and employer rights will be covered. Students will also identify and discuss the employability skills most commonly sought by employers. CSU

Counseling classes

To see the current or upcoming classes, please use the searchable schedule.

Diablo Valley College's career development courses are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore career fields and become familiar with the skills needed to successfully obtain and maintain employment.

CARER-100 College and Career Readiness I - 1.5 units
This course introduces career exploration and is designed to assist students in making career and post-secondary decisions. Topics will include self-exploration, career and life planning, job search skills, and decision-making strategies. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)

CARER-101 College and Career Readiness II - 1.5 units
This course introduces college readiness and success skills.  In addition, students will explore post-secondary education and career options, budget management, and job search basics. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)

CARER-110 Career and Life Planning - 3 units
In this course students will learn research strategies to make effective career and major choices, using a variety of techniques to find, retrieve, and evaluate career planning information. Students will use career assessments to identify their preferred work values, interests, skills and personality traits. Research will then focus on the exploration of labor market needs; educational and employment requirements; and career ladders within given professions resulting in an effective educational and job search plan. This course will help students develop psychological soft skills in the domain of human relations such as interpersonal communication, self-esteem and professional confidence, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and effective collaboration in team-building skills. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)

CARER-120 Career Assessment - 1 unit
In this course, students will utilize self-assessment inventories to identify individual interests, values, skills and personality types as they relate to college/career and major options. Career development software and related technologies to develop skills to enhance the career exploration process will be utilized. CSU

CARER-130 Career and Major Exploration - 1 unit
This course is designed for students who are undecided about their career and/or educational goals. It includes an introduction to the basic career planning process and computerized information systems that aid in the research of occupational and college major options. CSU

CARER-140 Job Search Strategies - 1 unit
This course is designed to prepare students for the employment search process. Identification of goals and job skills, how to complete an application, traditional and electronic cover letters and resumes, interviewing techniques, job market research and overview of employee and employer rights will be covered. Students will also identify and discuss the employability skills most commonly sought by employers. CSU

CARER-150 Topics in Careers  - .3-4 units 
This course is designed to address topics in career and job search related subjects. Specific topics will be announced in the schedule of classes. CSU

Counseling Courses

To see the current or upcoming classes, please use the searchable schedule.

Diablo Valley College's counseling courses are designed to assist students in identifying educational and career goals, and enhancing their success by way of instruction in career and educational planning, and student success strategies.

COUNS-075 Topics in College Readiness - .3-4 units
A supplemental course which provides a variety of topics for students preparing for college-level work.  Specific topics will be announced in the schedule of classes.

COUNS-095 Orientation to College - .3 units
An introduction to college which is designed to provide students with a concrete plan for succeeding in college. Topics include: identification of educational and career goals, strategic use of student services, academic assessment (effective course selection and scheduling), counseling and advising.

COUNS-096 Orientation to College for Student-Athletes - .3 units
An introduction to college for student-athletes, designed to provide students with a concrete plan for enrolling and succeeding in college. Topics include: general college information, intercollegiate academic eligibility requirements and regulations, registration procedures, and student athlete academic success strategies.  Important college services for student-athletes will be emphasized.

COUNS-097 Educational Planning for DSS Students - .3 units
This course provides an introduction to college for students with disabilities using course content tailored to meet unique needs of this population.  It will provide students in Disability Support Services (DSS) with a concrete plan for enrolling and succeeding in college.  Topics include: an overview of DSS services and accommodations at Diablo Valley College (DVC), an explanation of the differences between high school and college, an overview of general information about certificate, associate degree and transfer pathways, and how to build a student educational plan.

COUNS-100 New Student Success Strategies - 1 unit
This course introduces new students to information, resources and skills necessary for college success.  Topics will include educational opportunities, campus resources, study skills and strategies.  The class also provides instruction in educational planning to reach certificate, degree and transfer goals.  CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)

COUNS-120 Student Success - 3 units
This course presents skills and strategies to succeed as a college student.  Topics such as motivation and attitudes, time management, decision-making processes, goal setting, critical thinking skills, study skills and interpersonal communication will be explored.  Students will evaluate their own skills and behaviors in relation to these topics and learn strategies to make meaningful choices about their education, career and personal goals. CSU, UC (credit limits may apply to UC - see counselor)

COUNS-130 Transfer Transitions - 1.5 units
Through this course students will research, evaluate and develop a transfer plan that is well organized and specific to the individual's life circumstance and educational goals.  Students explore the world of transfer from academic, financial, and personal development perspectives.  A key component of this course is learning research skills and strategies using a variety of techniques to find, retrieve and evaluate transfer planning information to create a personal educational plan.  CSU 

COUNS-150 Topics in Counseling - .3-4 units
A supplemental course designed to provide personal and social development skills related to academic issues. Specific topics will be announced in the schedule of classes. CSU

COUNS-155 Topics in Group Counseling - .3-4 units
An interpersonal experience designed to develop self awareness and to increase understanding of and competence in interpersonal relationships. CSU

Counseling 095 - Educational Planning for New Students

Register for and complete our Counseling class

COUNS-095 - Education Planning (or COUNS-096 for student athletes)

New students with less than 12 units should register for and complete our Education Planning class – COUNS-095 (or COUNS-096 for student athletes).

If you have applied for Summer 2020 as a new college student/high school graduate, AND have completed the Online Orientation and the English and Math Placement process in the Steps to Enroll, you can register for COUNS 095/096 in InSite. To choose a section of COUNS 095 (or 096 for student athletes), follow the steps at https://www.dvc.edu/enrollment/welcome/pdfs/howto-b1.pdf or watch this video: https://youtu.be/bq4-aQ6phHM/.

If you have trouble registering, please go to

https://www.dvc.edu/future/steps/index.html and use the Chat feature to get assistance. 

For other questions, please see "How To" series of guides. For video assistance, please check our Video Library.

Class Requirements

You will need Internet access for this class, and it will take place online via Canvas (our Learning Management System). You will access Canvas via our InSite portal by selecting the Canvas tile. For help learning to use Canvas, please check out the Canvas Quick Start Guide. For other technology and online learning questions, please refer to our Online Learning Resources.

How to Scan from an Android and iPhone

You will need Internet access for this class, and it will take place online via Canvas (our Learning Management System). You will access Canvas via our InSite portal by selecting the Canvas tile. The instructor will communicate with you via your InSite e-mail account. Please make sure to check it daily. (Please note that COUNS-096 – for athletes is taught via Zoom.)

The instructor will communicate with you via your InSite e-mail account. Please make sure to check it daily. (Please note that COUNS-096 – for athletes is taught via Zoom.) For help accessing Zoom, please see one of the following resources:

Athletes

If you intend to be a student athlete at DVC, view the “How do student athletes get started at DVC?” Add Form

The Counseling 095/096 course will cover; educational planning, overview of the higher education system in California, identification of educational and career goals, academic assessment, effective course selection, how to schedule your classes, counseling and advising and campus services.

If you are a graduating high school senior or a new college student, and you want to meet with a counselor before August 24. (First day of Fall 2020 semester), you will need to enroll in the Summer 2020 Counseling 095 class.

DVC Counselors do not meet with high school students unless it is through the Counseling 095 class. We refer all high school students to their high school counselors, career centers, or their principals office.

Once the fall term begins (August 24, 2020) DVC college students may schedule a 30 minute counseling appointment. During the fall term, we also have Express Counseling (15 minute drop-in session) each day for quick questions.

Steps to enroll

Please visit this webpage for steps to enroll.

For course and program information refer to the DVC Catalog

See the DVC Class Schedule for more information.

Student Athletes

How do student athletes get started at DVC?

Counseling 096 is the orientation to college course for new student athletes. The course will cover: educational planning, overview of the higher education system in California, identification of educational and career goals, academic assessment, effective course selection, how to schedule your classes, geographical orientation, counseling and advising, NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), COA (Commission on Athletics), DVC regulations for athletes and campus services.

New students create their athletic educational plan in the Counseling 096 class. Current, returning and transfer students create their athletic educational plan through a counseling appointment.

“How do student athletes get started at DVC?”  Add Form

2018 - 2019 Educational Plan

Arts, Language and Communication

Info Tech, Business and Economics

Math and Engineering

Science and Health

Social Sciences

New student athletes will meet with the DVC Athletic Counselor (Terry Armstrong or Jamie Bailey) in the fall and spring terms to review/modify their preliminary student education plan. Athletes may call the Counseling Center after the fall and spring term begins, to schedule a counseling appointment 925-969-2140.

Comprehensive Education Plan (AA/AS degree)

Counseling 095