Program Information, MS & CAS - Division of Counseling Psychology

General Program Information

All programs run full-time for 18 months typically beginning in late May or early June of the first year to December of the second year. Both the mental health counseling program and the school counseling program require 60 credits.

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer in up to 49% of the program credits. Transfer of credits is individually determined upon admission. Transfer credits are only given for courses that can be documented as substantially equivalent to a University at Albany program course.

Fieldwork Requirements

All students complete a pre-practicum, a practicum, and an internship. The pre-practicum is taken in the first fall semester, practicum is taken in the spring (210 hours in a community agency or school), and internship is 720 hours over the second summer and second fall in a community agency for mental health students. The school counseling internship, which is full-time, is completed in the second fall in a school setting. A placement coordinator assists students in arranging all fieldwork requirements. Practicum and internship are supervised on site as well as by University at Albany faculty supervisors.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is generally not available. Some students may be able to obtain work study or assistantship positions, but these are limited. Opportunities are announced to students as they become available during the regular academic year.

Admission to Doctoral Study

While there is some overlapping coursework, the Department's MS and CAS programs are separate from the Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology. Some master's graduates have successfully applied and been admitted to the Department's Ph.D. program, but there is no direct link. Students from the CAS and M.S. programs have done quite well in obtaining admission to accredited doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology at University at Albany or elsewhere.