MS in Community Counseling

The 54-credit Master's of Science program in Community Counseling is designed to prepare counselors to assume the full range of professional responsibilities required to function in a wide array of community human service agencies and organizations, primarily psychiatric and substance abuse settings. Our training model, which integrates behavioral science theories with practitioner skills, is based on the assumption that the effective counselor has a strong understanding of the theoretical and scientific bases of professional concepts and techniques.

Two other assumptions underlie the program. The first assumption is that counselors are involved in facilitating positive interactions between individuals and their environments. For this reason, counselors work within a variety of client "systems" such as families, peer groups, job settings, educational settings, and any other significant interpersonal or organizational contexts. Contemporary counseling is not solely based on one-to-one counseling relationships but also involves the use of group methods, consulting relationships, community resources, and training. Counselors are prepared to intervene effectively in these contexts using skills and perspectives derived from various theoretical orientations.

The second major assumption is that one of the counselor's primary goals is to facilitate human growth and development. The goal of enhancing development is applicable to all human beings. As such, our training program focuses on the developing skills and knowledge for educational and preventive roles as well as for the more traditional remedial or therapeutic roles. In addition, our program's commitment to human diversity is manifested in coursework as well as fieldwork placements. A dedication to facilitating development in a culturally sensitive fashion underlies our training philosophy.

Given these program goals and assumptions, the curriculum must include both comprehensiveness and depth. To these ends, admission requirements include 15 credit hours of psychology including statistics, abnormal psychology, and personality. The full-time program curriculum includes a research/assessment sequence, an intervention theory/techniques sequence, a fieldwork sequence, and 3 electives.

COMMUNITY COUNSELING PROGRAM
TYPICAL COURSE SEQUENCE

SUMMER I

ECPY 521 Introduction to Community Counseling (3)
ECPY 630 Behavioral Disorders (3)
Elective (e.g., Psychology of Disability; Substance Abuse) (3)
6 or 9 cr.

FALL I

ECPY 601 Introduction to Counseling Theory & Practice (3)
ECPY 612 Pre-practicum in Counseling (3)
ECPY 608 Foundations and Techniques of Group Counseling (3)
ECPY 604 Career Development (3)
12 cr.

SPRING

ECPY 602 Practicum in Counseling (2 days/week in community agency) (3)
ECPY 603 Assessment Techniques in Counseling and Rehabilitation (3)
ECPY 627 Advanced Counseling Theory & Practice (3)
Elective (e.g., Family Counseling-ECPY 809) or another relevant course (3)
Elective relevant course (3)
12 or 15 cr.

SUMMER II

ECPY 606 Internship in Counseling (half-time; mid-May - end of August) (6)
ECPY 712 Substance Abuse (3)
Elective (e.g., Counseling Children and Adolescents-ECPY 611) (3)
9 or 12 cr.

FALL II

ECPY 606 Internship in Counseling (half-time; September - end of December) (6)
ECPY 767 Research Principles and Methods in Counseling (3)
Elective relevant course (3)
9 or 12 cr.

Total Minimum Credit Hours = 54