Apr 18, 2024  
Graduate School Course Catalog 2018-2019 
    
Graduate School Course Catalog 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Counselor Education, M.A.


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I. Admission Requirements


Admission to any counselor education program is competitive and requires students to present with scores from the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE test and to engage in an interview with counseling faculty that includes a writing exercise.   

II. Curriculum Requirements for all counseling programs


Note(s):


The Internship, CON 5390, is a 600-hour requirement, which can be completed over 1 or 2 semesters.  Candidates must obtain a passing score on the comprehensive examination, and successfully defend their portfolio to graduate.

Concentration Courses


Mental Health Counseling (campus and online options), M.A.


The mission of the mental health counseling program is to prepare counselors who will work in clinical capacities in a variety of mental health settings including agencies, private practice, hospitals, and prisons.  The program provides students with comprehensive curricular and supervised experiences for professional licensure with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and for initial preparation in other mental health counseling specialty areas.  This specialization track is 60 semester hours and 3 additional classes are required if the student also desires to become licensed as a clinical addictions specialist.  The program may be completed either on campus or online.  Both program options are CACREP accredited.

The mental health counseling program has the following program learning outcomes.  The program develops mental health counselors who will:

  1. Counsel with cultural competence all individuals, groups, and families and advocate for equity and social justice in a diverse world.
  2. Apply ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of clinical mental health counseling, including credentials, profession standards, and management of mental health programs.
  3. Use diagnoses, diagnostic criteria, and diagnostic tools to interview, evaluate, assess, and manage a caseload with assigned clients dealing with mental and emotional disorders.
  4. Evaluate the impact of crisis, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on people and identify how counselors can tie into emergency management response.

Phase 1:

CON 5201 - Ethical & Professional Orientation to Counseling

CON 5310  -  Theories and Techniques of Counseling  

CON 5321  -  Introduction to Family Counseling  

CON 5381 - Introduction to Mental Health

CON 5331  -  Psychosocial Development and Behavioral Dynamics  

CON 5320  -  Vocational Theory and Career Development  

CON 5360  -  Multicultural and Gender Issues in Counseling  

CON 5351  -  Principles and Procedures of Group Counseling  

CON 5306 - Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling

CON 5307 - Crisis, Trauma & Grief Counseling

Phase II:

EDGR 5910  -  Introduction to Statistical Methods in Education  

CON 5371  -  Pre-practicum Counseling Skills  

CON 5361  -  Assessment, Evaluation and Analysis in Counseling  

CON 5373  -  Consultative/Referral Processes in Counseling  

CON 5362 - Advanced Assessment

Advisor Approved/Electives (3 hours)

Phase III:

CON 5372  -  Supervised Practicum in Counseling  

CON 5390  -  Internship in Counseling  

EDGR 5920  -  Procedures in Education Research  

Total Credit Hours for Mental Health Counseling - 60 hours


*The following couses are additional ones for the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) credential:

CON 5326  -  Traditional and Contemporary Issues in Addictions  

CON 5327  -  Prevention, Treatment, & Intervention of Alcohol, Drug & Behavioral Addictions  

CON 5328  -  Alcohol, Drug & Behavioral Addictions: Family & Crisis Intervention  

School Counseling - 9 hours


Total Credit Hours for School Counseling - 51 hours


Career Counseling (campus and online options) - 6 hours


Total Credit Hours for Career Counseling (campus and online options) - 48 hours


III. Exit Requirements


  1. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required.
  2. Students are required to have documentation of a minimum of 700 supervised hours of field placement in a setting specific to their specialization track.  These hours include 100 clock hours in Practicum and 600 clock hours in Internship.
  3. All students must successfully pass a written comprehensive examination and, prior to graduation, are eligible and encouraged to take the national counseling examinations and Praxis II specialty tests if these apply to their specialization track.
  4. All students must conduct an individual final portfolio defense demonstrating mastery of the core competencies of their track.

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