Lead and serve the developmental needs of children in a school community
The School Counseling M.A. will teach you to support a student’s growth toward full academic and psychosocial potential.
The School Counseling program is offered full-time or part-time in a cohort format. This serves to build a strong learning community for students and allows for a richer graduate education experience. A student in the program can expect an instructional approach that combines lecture, interactive problem-based learning, individual project work, and peer-to-peer discussion.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling Master of Arts programs are committed to educating counselors who will provide effective growth-oriented interventions, advocacy, and leadership when serving the needs of individuals in the many diverse communities in which they work and reside.
The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs within the Department of Counseling and Applied Behavioral Studies at the University of Saint Joseph: School Counseling (M.A.) and Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.)
Internship and Certification Requirements
All school counseling students must complete a 100-hour practicum and a 700-hour internship as part of the Master’s Degree in School Counseling. The internship is a part-time experience (three days a week) covering the 10-months of the academic year in a public school.
School counselors in the state of Connecticut are certified by the State Department of Education. Students are approved for certification upon completion of their master’s program in school counseling.
School counseling students can also qualify for licensure as a professional counselor by completing the two-semester clinical mental health internship.
For further details contact the School Counseling Program Director, Dr. Marte de Wilde at (860.231.5324).
The master’s degree in School Counseling requires that a student complete 60 graduate credits (as outlined below) and pass a comprehensive exam administered during the final phase of the program.
Fall Year 1
COUN 515: Ethics and an Orientation to the Counseling Profession
COUN 541: Skills and Techniques in Counseling
COUN 543: Counseling Theories
Spring Year 1
COUN 514: Multicultural Counseling
COUN 529: Crisis and Trauma Counseling
COUN 585: Advanced Counseling Skills
Summer Year 1
COUN 506: Counseling Children and Adolescents
COUN 552: Developmental Theories and Applications
Fall Year 2
COUN 531: Group Process and Dynamics
COUN 544: Mental Health Diagnosis
COUN 560: School Counseling Program Development and Implementation
Spring Year 2
COUN 516: Psychology of Exceptional Children
COUN 550: Appraisal and its Application in Counseling
COUN 566: Practicum in School Counseling
Summer Year 2
COUN 565: Counseling for Postsecondary Planning
COUN 597: Applied Research Methods for Counselors
Fall Year 3
COUN 533: Career Development and Counseling
COUN 570: Internship I
Spring Year 3
COUN 547: Substance Use and Treatment
COUN 571: Internship II (CMHC)
Documents Required for Admission to the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs
The Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) has two primary tasks. The first is to assist students through the application process and the second is to collect all the admissions requirements submitted by each student. Once this application documentation is collected, the OGA forwards the information to the faculty in the Department of Counseling and Applied Behavioral Studies for review.
Each graduate program at the University of Saint Joseph has specific admissions requirements. Below, is a specific list of admissions requirements used by our graduate programs in counseling.
Praxis Core Exam Score (School Counseling Only)
The PRAXIS Core Examination is a standardized test for mathematics, reading, and writing. It is used to assess a student’s readiness to enter the profession of school counseling. It is not an admission requirement. A student may submit PRAXIS Core scores prior to admission or during their first semester in the school counseling program. At the University of Saint Joseph, only the School Counseling program requires PRAXIS Core scores. Those applying for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling do not need to take the PRAXIS Core.
Resume
Provide a resume that documents your education and work experience.
Program Essay
The program essay is a document used in the admissions process to determine the student’s ability to discuss their past experiences in this area or how the student’s program of interest will affect both the student’s professional and personal life. The essay for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs have specific elements that the applicant must address. Follow the instructions provided in the online application materials
Program of Study (POS)
The planned program of study is a document completed during the student’s meeting with an advisor from the program of interest. The planned program of study provides information about when the student plans to take the courses that make up their program of interest. The planned program of study may also be used by departments to determine upcoming course schedules and it is also used in the degree audit process. The POS will be provided to the applicant during the on-campus information/interview session. Call Dr. Rick Halstead (860.231.5213) to schedule a meeting.
Additional Application and Enrollment Requirement information can be found in our Program Curriculum.
SCHOOL COUNSELING, M.A.
Program Outcomes
Counseling skills: This domain focuses on the skills necessary for engaging in the helping process. Students will demonstrate culturally appropriate skills and techniques necessary for successful pre-session, in-session, and post-session counseling behaviors.
Conceptualization of student or programmatic need(s): This domain focuses on the skills needed to formulate a clear understanding of a student’s or school community’s need within a broader social context and the ability to construct an intervention plan that reflects respect for the individual and the larger group
Counseling process: This domain focuses on the ability to recognize any aspect of counselor-client interaction, total or in part, that can be understood to directly or indirectly affect the counselor, the client, the direction of sessions, and movement toward the resulting outcome of counseling
Professional role skills: This domain focuses on an awareness of the aspects of the candidate’s character that serves to enhance working as a school counselor, as well as those aspects that serve as obstacles to success in the school counselor role
Advantages
Focuses on the wide range of issues that confront students, teachers, and parents across the full span of the school years (K-12)
Prepares to assist all students with the types of challenges they face as they grow and develop
Facilitates self-understanding and development through individual and small group activities across a variety of educational domains that pertain to counseling practice
Vital Program Statistics – 2021
Minimum Required Credits For Degree
MA in School Counseling – 60 credits
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – 60 credits
Current Enrollment (Fall 2021)
School Counseling: 33
Clinical Mental Health Counseling: 68
Total: 101
Number Of Applicants For The Fall 2021 Cohort
57 applicants
48 admitted (37 Clinical Mental Health Counseling, 11 School Counseling)
Average Undergraduate GPA For Admitted Cohort
3.56
Number Of Graduates – 2021
School Counseling Program – 8 Students
Clinical Mental Health Counseling – 17 Students
Students Who Pursue License/Certification
School Counseling Program – 100% (certification is received upon graduation)
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program – 100%
Employment Rate Within Six Months Of Graduation
School Counseling Program – 100%
Clinical Mental Health Counseling – 100%
Graduation Rate:
School Counseling Program: 93% Graduation Rate
Clinical Mental Health Counseling: 87% Graduation Rate
Students With Disabilities
Female Students – 3
Male Students – 0
Master’s Student Demographics 2020 – 2021
Female Students – 87
Male Students – 14
African American Females – 6
African American Males – 1
Asian American Females – 3
Asian American Males – 0
Caucasian Females – 57
Caucasian Males – 11
Hispanic Females – 15
Hispanic Males – 1
Native American Females – 0
Native American Males – 0
Multiracial Females – 0
Multiracial Males – 0
Questions?
Contact: Dr. Susan Lester Associate Professor, Department Chair Phone: 860.231.5828 Email:[email protected]
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