Counselor Education, MS

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Dr. Audrey Church, Chair
Department of Education and Counseling
434.395.2682, churchap@longwood.edu

Dr. Jennifer Apperson, Program Director
434.395.2323, appersonjm@longwood.edu

The Counselor Education program offers two (2) tracks for college graduates interested in preparing for counseling roles in a wide variety of settings including K-12 schools, colleges/universities, and mental health centers. Students will receive solid grounding in the theoretical frameworks of counseling and how they translate into individual and group interventions tailored to diverse client needs. Graduates will assist clients in self-discovery, personal growth, and in making healthy lifestyle choices. All tracks culminate in a supervised internship.

Admission

Prior to starting their graduate program, students must hold a conferred bachelor’s degree or international equivalent from a college or university accredited by the appropriate institutional (formerly regional) accreditation agency.

In addition, applicants must have:

a 2.75 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
provide a minimum of two recommendations
a 500-word personal essay,
a résumé
a criminal background check will be required after admission is offered to accept a space in the program
official transcripts of the bachelor’s degree and any course work completed after that degree
an interview.

Applications are processed for admission to summer and fall semesters. Application deadlines: December 1st for Early Bird applications, January 15^th for early application and February 15^th for standard application. These are suggested application submission dates. We will continue to accept applications until June 1st or when the program is full. Upon successful completion of this 60 hour program, a Master of Science in Counselor Education will be earned.

Practicum / Internship

The completion of a practicum and an internship is mandatory in the Counselor Education program. The practicum is a 3 credit hour course requiring 100 field clock hours taken mid-way in the program. The internship is 6 credit hours requiring 100 field clock hours per credit hour taken at the end of the program. The credit and clock hours in the internship may be spread over multiple semesters, but students must enroll in a minimum of one (1) credit hour per semester until completion. Grading is pass (P) / satisfactory progress (SP) / not pass (NP). Only the grade of ‘P’ will meet degree requirements; 3 hours of ‘P’ in practicum and 6 hours of ‘P’ in internship. Please see individual course descriptions for details.

The Counselor Education program requires a comprehensive examination as the culmination of their program. Students take the comprehensive examination normally in the last semester of study. Students must have completed COUN 503 , COUN 505 , COUN 507 , COUN 510 , COUN 545 , COUN 555 , COUN 601 , COUN 605 , COUN 610 , and COUN 651 , must be enrolled to allow for completion of 40 semester hours of course work, must have a B average (3.0 GPA) in all courses completed, and must have already filed the Application for Graduate Degree to be eligible to enroll in the comprehensive examination.

Students must register for the comprehensive examination (COUN 699 ) no later than the last day to add a course in the semester in which they wish to take the examination. Registration must be done by submission of the Graduate Course Enrollment Request form to the Registrar’s Office when all of the above criteria have been met. The course does not carry any credit hours.

The grading system for the evaluation of the examination will be pass (P)/not pass (NP). Students who do not pass the examination shall be allowed one re-examination. The re-examination will be administered at a time set by the Director of the Counselor Education Graduate Program within the same semester. The re-examination will test the same material as the original sections of the comprehensive examination, and will be designed and graded by the Counselor Education faculty. Students will only be required to retake the section(s) they did not pass. Failure of the examination for a second time will be final, and students will be dismissed from the graduate program.

Program Outcomes

Through a collaborative and supportive environment, the Longwood University graduate Counselor Education Program fosters competent, ethical, and culturally sensitive counselors prepared to deliver direct, educational, and consultative services in a variety of mental health-related settings to people across the lifespan.

The Master’s program in Counselor Education will

Prepare students to be effective practitioners in a variety of settings

Provide required coursework and field experience for professional licensure and/or certification (clinical, school, college/university)

Provide knowledge about and experience in culturally responsive counseling in various counseling settings

Produce graduates with identities as professional counselors

Prepare students with the knowledge and experience to be ethical counseling practitioners

Program Requirements

Core Courses: (30 credit hours)

Students in both tracks complete the following core courses and comprehensive exam.

COUN 503 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession 3 credits
COUN 505 - Theories of Counseling 3 credits
COUN 507 - Lifespan Development 3 credits
COUN 510 - Research Methods and Design 3 credits
COUN 545 - Techniques of Counseling 3 credits
COUN 555 - Testing and Assessment in Counseling 3 credits
COUN 601 - Multicultural Counseling 3 credits
COUN 605 - Group Counseling Theories and Techniques 3 credits
COUN 610 - Career Counseling 3 credits
COUN 651 - Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling 3 credits
COUN 699 - Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination 0 credits

Tracks: (30 credit hours)

One track must be selected and completed.

Mental Health Counseling Track

The Mental Health Counseling track is designed to prepare graduates for counseling roles in community mental health agencies, human service agencies, in-home counseling agencies, outpatient counseling centers, social services, youth development services, college counseling centers or court services. Students learn the theoretical frameworks of counseling and how they translate into individual and group interventions with an emphasis on evidence-based treatment strategies tailored to individual client needs. The program values diversity of experience and ideas and emphasizes the application of knowledge in a mental health setting. Students complete a 100 clock hour practicum in a mental health setting. The program culminates in a supervised internship in a community setting for 600 clock hours. Careful planning with an advisor will allow students to meet the academic requirements for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in Virginia. For more information visit: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling/counseling_laws_regs.htm Careful planning with an advisor may allow students to meet the academic requirements for Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) in Virginia. For more information visit: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Forms/counseling/CSAC/CSAC_Licensure_Process_Handbook.pdf

Complete the following twenty-four (24) credit hours:

COUN 525 - Diagnosis and Treatment of Addictive Disorders 3 credits
COUN 592 - Practicum in Mental Health Counseling 3 credits.
COUN 608 - Clinical Psychopathology 3 credits
COUN 612 - Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning 3 credits
COUN 622 - Marriage and Family Therapy: Theories & Techniques 3 credits
COUN 635 - Clinical Supervision and Administration in Mental Health Counseling 3 credits
COUN 692 - Internship in Mental Health Counseling 1-6 credits (1 credit may be taken only by permission of Program Director). 6 credit hours required

Elective Courses: (6 credit hours)

Any two counseling courses at the 500 or 600 level not already required in this track or

PSYC 552 - Psychopharmacology 3 credits

Total Program Hours Required: 60

School Counseling Track

The School Counseling track is designed to prepare graduates for a counseling role in an elementary, middle, or high school setting. The curriculum emphasizes the knowledge and skills needed for the practical application of counseling theory and research to the diversity of developmental and systemic challenges experienced by school-age young people. School counseling students complete three semester-long placements in an (1) elementary, (2) middle, and (3) high school prior to graduation. One 100 clock hour supervised practicum placement and a supervised 600 clock hour internship over two-semesters in the remaining two school levels. Graduates will be eligible for licensure as a School Counselor through the Virginia Department of Education (VADOE). Careful planning with an advisor will allow students to meet the academic requirements for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in Virginia. For more information visit: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling/counseling_laws_regs.htm Careful planning with an advisor will allow students to meet the academic requirements for Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) in Virginia. For more information visit: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Forms/counseling/CSAC/CSAC_Licensure_Process_Handbook.pdf

Complete the following twenty-four (24) credit hours

COUN 504 - PreK-12 School Counseling Practice 3 credits.
COUN 525 - Diagnosis and Treatment of Addictive Disorders 3 credits
COUN 593 - Practicum in School Counseling 3 credits.
COUN 608 - Clinical Psychopathology 3 credits
COUN 611 - Current Issues and Trends in School Counseling 3 credits.
COUN 613 - Counseling Exceptional Students 3 credits.
COUN 693 - Internship in School Counseling 1-6 credits. (1 credit may be taken only by permission of Program Director) 6 credit hours required

Elective Courses: (6 credit hours)

Any two counseling courses at the 500 or 600 level not already required in this track or

PSYC 552 - Psychopharmacology 3 credits