Master of Science in Counseling/Community Counseling
Program Description
Program Requirements
Course ID |
Course Title |
|---|---|
| CNSL502 |
Graduate Portfolio I
Portfolio I is an admission readiness assessment which samples and evaluates the student's cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills in critical areas of the counselor education process. It is a six-workshop, 24-hour, noncredit assessment that helps determine student appropriateness for the program and gives the potential student the opportunity to evaluate his or her aptitude for the counseling program. Portfolio I must be passed before a student may be admitted to any graduate counseling program in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Credits: 0 |
| CNSL504 |
Lifespan and Family Development
This course presents students with theoretical frameworks to foster an understanding of the various dimensions of human development. Emphasis is placed on biological, cognitive, and psychosocial development within the context of gender, family systems, social roles, and culture. Students evaluate clinical situations and assess potential therapeutic interventions in context. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL506 |
Personality Theories and Counseling Models
This course enables students to differentiate among the primary theoretical models of personality theory and counseling practice, including psychodynamic, affective, cognitive-behavioral, and systems theory. Emphasis is on the importance of students recognizing belief systems that accurately reflect their own personal style and and to recognize strategies and approaches likely to be most successful with a particular client population. Students have opportunities to establish a strong theoretical foundation as the basis of clinical practice and to evaluate and assess clinical situations for implementation of therapeutic interventions that are gender and culturally appropriate. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL516 |
Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling
This course covers the legal and ethical responsibilities of the counseling professional. Students learn to interpret and act upon situations appropriately and effectively. Content includes issues such as client rights, confidentiality, duty to warn and protect, dual relationships, supervision and consulting, ethics with special populations, and ethical decision-making models. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL526 |
Introduction to Clinical Assessment
This course introduces students to models and tools for assessment and diagnosis for the purpose of developing competency in evaluation and treatment planning for professional counseling practice. Students learn about and practice intake assessment techniques, performing mental status examinations, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR®), outcome-based treatment planning, and behavioral analysis. Emphasis is placed on writing clear, accurate, and useful assessments and treatment plans. Multicultural and ethical issues in assessment are also explored. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL539 |
Psychopathology: Advanced Clinical Assessment
Students build on the skills gained in CNSL/526 (Introduction to Clinical Assessment), focusing on the more complex or problematic disorders with particular focus on personality disorders. Students enhance their skills by using the DSM-IV-TR for report-writing and treatment plan development. Emphasis is on accepted treatment approaches and outcome based assessments; the development of critical thinking skills; and on multicultural, legal, and ethical issues. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CNSL526 |
| CNSL547 |
Individual Counseling
This course focuses on intensive skill building in individual counseling. The relationship between assessment, theory, application of strategy and intervention, setting goals with clients, closure, and referral are emphasized as essential to the counseling environment. Emphasis is also placed on treatment plans, ethics, and cultural diversity. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL556 |
Professional Counseling Assessment Portfolio II
Professional Counseling Assessment Portfolio II helps students integrate and evaluate their learning in the Master of Counseling program at midpoint. Like an assessment center, Portfolio II provides an integrative experience requiring the student to bring together all of what he or she has learned in previous courses in the program and to demonstrate how that learning has been applied both personally and professionally. Credits: 0 Prerequisites: CNSL516 |
| CNSL557 |
Social and Multicultural Foundations
This course is designed to be a foundation for understanding diversity among clients in a pluralistic society. Emphasis will be on integrating awareness, knowledge, and skills related to counseling differences and similarities based on age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliations, gender identification, sexual orientation, physical/mental limitations, social class, etc. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL562 |
Career and Vocational Counseling
This course provides the student with a comprehensive overview of vocational theory and career counseling. It includes the historical foundations of vocational theory and the relationship of these to skills and techniques utilized in career counseling and vocational development practices. Vocational and career counseling is examined as an integral component of the overall assessment and treatment of clients representing diverse populations found within the scope of community, mental health, and marriage and family counseling. Emphasis is placed on the examination of adults in transition and the nature of work in a changing world. Students develop competencies necessary to provide career and vocational counseling to clients across the lifespan. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL563 |
Counseling Psychometrics
The focus of this course is on tests used in counseling and test reports, with an emphasis on learning how to integrate testing as an additional tool in counseling. Tests most commonly encountered in the counseling field are identified and reviewed, and the following components are discussed: psychometric properties of tests, test selection criteria, administration, interpretation, and reporting of test results. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL573 |
Critical Analysis in Research
This course is an overview of the fundamentals of research and program evaluation for counseling, family therapy, and school counseling. Topics include research methods, statistical analysis, and needs assessment. Emphasis is placed on engaging students in critical analysis of research literature. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL581 |
Management, Supervision and Consultation in Counseling
This course is an overview of supervision and management as they relate to the practice of counseling. Models of supervision and counselor development, supervision and management processes, assessment and evaluation issues, and ethical and legal aspects of supervision are emphasized. Students explore their skills in management, supervision, and consultation, particularly as they relate to recent changes in the mental health care delivery system. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL588 |
Seminar in Community Counseling
This course explores the foundations of community counseling, the context within which community counseling takes place, and the knowledge and skills required of those who practice community counseling. Study of the history and development of the mental health movement includes definitions of the professional identity of community counselors, investigation of professional organizations and standards of practice, and exploration of community demography. Students contextualize their learning by gaining familiarity with practice settings, community needs, principles of community intervention, characteristics of human services programs, and the relationship of community counselors to other professionals. Knowledge and skills gained include assessment of needs, multidisciplinary and comprehensive treatment planning, effective use of community resources, and strategies for client advocacy. Credits: 3 |
| CNSL592 |
Counseling Practicum
This course focuses on the assessment and continuing development of student counseling skills. Students have a variety of opportunities to receive feedback and to evaluate their ability to integrate theory into practice. Students determine their styles and strengths as professional counseling practitioners, as well as identify areas needing further development. Individualized practice sessions and feedback are designed into the course. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CNSL556 |
| CNSL597A |
Counseling Internship I
Counseling Internship is a 600-hour clinical experience required of all Master of Counseling students. Divided into 300 hour sections, each lasting 15 weeks, CNSL 597 A and B comprise Portfolio III of the counseling portfolio series. Students are placed in community counseling agencies for 20 to 32 hours per week where they provide clinical services to clients under the direction of an approved agency site supervisor. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CNSL592 |
| CNSL597B | CNSL597B |
