Counseling M.A.
Counseling Major
The Counseling major is offered with two CACREP-accredited specialization areas; Clinical Mental health Counseling and School Counseling. All enrolled students complete requirements for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization, and students may choose to complete a second or dual specialization in School Counseling.
Program requirements and detailed information on the major, including admission policies and procedures, should be obtained from the Department of Family, Aging, and Counseling. Graduate information and application for graduate admission can be found at https://admissions.uni.edu/application (also www.uni.edu/csbs/sahs/counseling).
The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.
Only graduate courses (course numbers 5000 or above) will apply to a graduate degree, even if the undergraduate course number (4999 or less) is listed. No exceptions will be made.
This major is available on the non-thesis option only. The Clinical Mental Health emphasis requires a minimum of 60 semester hours; the dual specialization of Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling requires a minimum of 69 semester hours. Students pursuing the School Counseling Specialization who do not have teacher licensure must take SPIE 3150 Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in Classrooms to meet Board of Educational Examiners requirements for licensure. A minimum of 20 hours of 6000-level course work is required.
All students completing this program must pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). Pass scores on the CPCE national examination are based each semester on test results for the national normative data. This examination is based on the 8 CACREP core curriculum areas for counselor preparation. Students must successfully complete their practicum and internship hours requirements and fulfill program-specific exit requirements as well.
| Required core courses | ||
| Counseling: | ||
| COUN 4105/5105 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| COUN 6103 | Professional Orientation and Ethics in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6104 | Counseling Theories | 3 |
| COUN 6220 | Group Counseling Skills and Processes | 3 |
| COUN 6228 | Assessment Techniques in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6256 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6262 | Intervention and Prevention in Lifespan Development | 3 |
| COUN 6304 | Crisis and Trauma Intervention and Management | 3 |
| COUN 6225 | Facilitating Career Development | 3 |
| COUN 6207 | Diagnosis and Psychopharmacology in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6242 | Counseling Research and Program Evaluations | 3 |
| COUN 6290 | Practicum in Counseling | 3 |
| One of the following specializations: | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization (24-27 hours):
| Required emphasis hours: | ||
| Counseling: | ||
| COUN 6805 | Integrated Counseling Practice and Clinical Supervision | 3 |
| COUN 6405 | Advanced Psychopathology and Treatment | 3 |
| COUN 6605 | Counseling Practices for Addictions and Co-Occurring Disorders | 3 |
| COUN 6291 | Internship | 6 |
| Select one of the following Focus Areas: | ||
| Clinical Mental Health - General Focus | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Counseling Children and Adolescents | ||
| Counseling Older Adults | ||
| Wellness, Self-Care, and Brain-Based Strategies | ||
| Dynamics of Family, Couples and Human Sexuality in Counseling | ||
| Clinical Mental Health - Gerontological Counseling Focus | ||
| COUN 6283 | Counseling Older Adults | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Dynamics of Family, Couples and Human Sexuality in Counseling | ||
| Wellness, Self-Care, and Brain-Based Strategies | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Families and End of Life Issues | ||
| Families, Alzheimer's, and Related Dementias | ||
| Families, Aging, and Wellbeing | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Social Gerontology | ||
| Clinical Mental Health - Children and Adolescents Focus | ||
| COUN 6210 | Developing Comprehensive School Counseling Programs | 3 |
| COUN 6254 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| COUN 6710 | Foundations and Contemporary Issues in School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6720 | Leadership, Consultation, and Collaboration in School Counseling | 3 |
| Total hours for Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization (CACREP required 60 credits) | 60-63 | |
Dual Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Specialization (33 hours):
| Required: | ||
| COUN 6805 | Integrated Counseling Practice and Clinical Supervision | 3 |
| COUN 6405 | Advanced Psychopathology and Treatment | 3 |
| COUN 6605 | Counseling Practices for Addictions and Co-Occurring Disorders | 3 |
| COUN 6291 | Internship (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) | 6 |
| COUN 6254 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| COUN 6210 | Developing Comprehensive School Counseling Programs | 3 |
| COUN 6720 | Leadership, Consultation, and Collaboration in School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6710 | Foundations and Contemporary Issues in School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6291 | Internship (School Counseling) | 6 |
| Total hours for Counseling: Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Dual Specialization (CACREP required 60 credits) | 69 | |
Learning Outcomes
Counseling, M.A.
- Demonstrate personal, interpersonal/relational, and professional self-awareness; adaptability; resilience; and the capacity to recognize, respect, and establish limits through engaging in reflective practice.
- Recognize the impact of social, cultural, and environmental factors on individual and systematic functioning, development, and well-being.
- Demonstrate creativity and flexibility in implementing developmentally responsive and culturally sustaining and responsive interventions.
- Engage in informed current practice through gathering, evaluating, and integrating relevant and timely data, research, and theory-based knowledge and skills.
- Apply strengths-based and wellness-oriented approaches to foster the attainment of educational, career, and mental health goals.