Counseling Psychology, M.Ed.

About the Program

The Counseling Psychology program offers a 60-credit master's degree in Education (M.Ed.) with two areas of concentration:

Mental Health Counseling prepares students to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in various settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, and consulting agencies. Completion of the Counseling Psychology master’s degree with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling qualifies the student to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
School Counseling prepares students to work with students, teachers, administrators, and parents in either an elementary or secondary school setting. Completion of the Counseling Psychology master’s degree with a concentration in School Counseling qualifies the student for certification as a Pre-K-12 school counselor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time students complete the degree program by taking classes during the day and in the evening. Part-time students take classes that start after 4:00 p.m.

Areas of Specialization: The program offers concentrations in Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling.

Job Prospects: Graduates typically engage in careers as licensed professional counselors or school counselors, or use their degree to pursue doctoral training in a field related to Counseling Psychology.

Licensure: When post-degree requirements specified by the state licensing board are met by graduates of the Mental Health Counseling concentration, they are eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Approximately two additional years of post-master's work experience is required prior to sitting for licensure. Students in the School Counseling concentration are eligible to apply for Pennsylvania school counseling certification (Educational Specialist I) at the time of graduation from the program.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students may take up to, but not more than, 9 credits of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. The credits transfer into the program, if the student is admitted. Students completing non-matriculated courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.

Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities may include scholarships, tuition remission, and other financial aid such as grants, loans, and federal work study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: February 1

Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support. The faculty admissions committee reviews application materials to evaluate evidence of:

Work experience and/or volunteer public service relevant to professional development in counseling psychology;
Intra- and inter-personal skills (or potential for the development of such skills) as indicated in the applicant's personal and career statements; and
Aptitude for graduate-level academic work as determined by graduate and undergraduate grades, especially work in the major and in prerequisite psychology courses.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

International applicants should also submit an official document that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma, and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to the World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, outline your interest in seeking a master’s degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 79
IELTS Academic: 6.5

PTE Academic: 53

Interview: An interview with the faculty admissions committee may be required after a complete application is received.

Resume: Current resume required.

Other Requirement: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 60

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
CPSY 5492	Theories of Counseling Psychology	3
CPSY 5519	Group Counseling	3
CPSY 5526	Multicultural Counseling	3
CPSY 5564	Addiction, Counseling, and Biological Bases of Behavior	3
CPSY 5579	Introduction to Couples and Family Counseling	3
CPSY 5591	Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling Psychology	3
CPSY 5593	Career Counseling and Development	3
CPSY 5694	Introduction to Assessment	3
CPSY 5698	Fundamental Counseling Techniques	3
CPSY 5699	Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation	3
CPSY 9085	Advanced Counseling Techniques (2 terms)	6
CPSY 9185	Master's Internship in Counseling Psychology (2 terms)	6
CPSY 9387	Practicum in Counseling Psychology I & II	3
EDUC 5325	Introduction to Statistics and Research	3
EPSY 5561	Development and Learning Over the Lifespan	3
Concentration Courses		9
Select the courses identified for the chosen concentration:
Mental Health Counseling
CPSY 5566	Professional Issues in Mental Health Counseling
CPSY 5691	Diagnosis in Counseling Psychology
Elective
School Counseling
CPSY 5511	Counseling in the Schools
CPSY 5565	Educational Specialists Coordinating Community Resources for Diverse Learners
Elective
Total Credit Hours		60

Culminating Events:
Comprehensive Examination:
The comprehensive examination is designed to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply both their didactic and practice-oriented academic experiences.

Practicum:
Students are required to complete a 100-hour practicum, with 40 direct client contact hours completed at a training site approved by the program. Students in the Mental Health Counseling concentration complete their training in a community mental health setting, while those in the School Counseling concentration complete their training in a school setting. Students receive individual on-site supervision and faculty supervision as a part of their training experience.

Internship:
The semester following practicum, students are required to complete a 600-hour internship over two semesters, with 280 direct client contact hours completed at a training site approved by the program. Students in the Mental Health Counseling concentration complete their training in a community mental health setting, while those in the School Counseling concentration complete their training in a school setting. Students continue to receive individual on-site supervision and faculty supervision as a part of their training experience.