Master of Arts in Professional Counseling

Jim Cook, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Director of Master of Arts in Professional Counseling Program jhcook@mckendree.edu; Stanton House; (618) 537-6875

Program Mission

The graduate program in professional counseling has a mission of training reflective, ethical practitioners who work in a variety of mental health settings. The program faculty is committed to providing a dynamic education that prepares students to promote health and wellness in an ever-changing world. An emphasis is placed on both professional and personal development, recognizing that well-prepared professionals are those who possess relevant academic training, as well as the self-understanding and awareness needed to facilitate growth, development, and healing among others. The faculty provide an open and stimulating intellectual climate that prepares professional counselors who

1. Respect cultures, values, beliefs, and talents of all people

2. Conceptualize human behavior and the change process by

applying theory to understand the meaning of specific issues

3. Develop appropriate knowledge and skills to effectively affect

wellness and facilitate change

4. Reflect professional ethics

5. Commit to professional development that is essential for growth

in learning, advocacy, and service

6. Commit to professional counselingbased upon lifelong reflection

and learning

7. Value the contextual and interactive roles between the

profession and the community

8. Believe that professional counselors must be effective oral and

written communicators

The program offers a practitioner-oriented education to individuals interested in becoming licensed as clinical professional counselors. The program meets the educational requirements for licensure in both Illinois and Missouri. Once licensed, graduates will be fully trained to function as therapists in private practice, community mental health settings, social service agencies, healthcare settings, and university counseling centers. Those who desire to do so could also market their skills to organizations as consultants and trainers.

Admission to the Program

The faculty of the Professional Counseling Program recommends students who present evidence of their potential for scholarly and clinical work. Such evidence includes:

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
The successful completion of the equivalent of six undergraduate credit hours in a behavioral science. Of these six credit hours, three hours must be in introduction to psychology. Students lacking these credit hours may be conditionally admitted to the program on the provision that deficiencies are corrected within one year. Once deficiencies are corrected, students should submit a transcript as proof of meeting this requirement.
A 3.0 GPA on a four-point scale in undergraduate studies. Strong applicants with a GPA of 2.75-2.9 may be conditionally admitted. Conditional status will be removed provided that students maintain a minimum a 3.0 G.P.A. for the first 12 hours of graduate coursework with no grade lower than a B. Current undergraduates will be admitted on the basis of current transcripts – final admission status will be determined after receipt of a final transcript showing the student has graduated.
Three letters of recommendation from master's or doctoral level professionals who can attest to the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate work in a clinical program. Recommendations from personal acquaintances (i.e., friends, church leaders, family members, etc.) are not acceptable. While letters of reference are acceptable for submission, we require each reference to complete our recommendation form.
A 3-4 page statement describing interests in counseling as a career, personal strengths and weaknesses, perceived ability to successfully pursue/complete graduate work, and future career goals.

All applicants will not be admitted to the Program. Only those who are considered academically qualified for the Program are invited for an onsite interview with the Program Director or other graduate faculty member. The purpose of this interview is to assess the individual’s interpersonal skills and boundaries, as well as their suitability to pursue graduate level training in counseling. Those judged to possess the relevant ability will be offered admission to the Program.

Course Requirements

All students in the Professional Counseling Program are required to complete 48 credit hours in a minimum of two years. Students opting to write a thesis are required to take additional research courses that are not listed here.

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
PSY 590	Foundations of Professional Counseling	3
PSY 600	Counseling Theory	3
PSY 601	Social & Cultural Foundations	3
PSY 602	Professional & Ethical Issues	3
PSY 603	Counseling Skills	3
PSY 604	Maladaptive Behavior & Psychopathology	3
PSY 605	Research & Evaluation	3
PSY 606	Human Development & Learning	3
PSY 607	Substance Abuse Counseling	3
PSY 608	Individual Assessment	3
PSY 609	Couples & Family Counseling	3
PSY 610	Group Counseling	3
PSY 611	Career Development & Counseling	3
PSY 635	Counseling Practicum	3
PSY 637	Internship I	3
PSY 638	Internship II	3

Transfer Credits

All outstanding transfer work (a maximum of 12 credit hours) must be received in the form of an official transcript by the college within the first semester of enrollment.

Degree Requirements

Students must declare their intent to graduate by completing a Degree Application (available in the Office of Academic Records) the semester prior to the anticipated graduation term;
Complete a minimum of 48 credit hours with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00;
Meet all requirements and performance standards for the degree program as contained in the catalogue effective at time of matriculation;
Complete all degree requirements within seven (7) years of matriculation.

Fall and Spring courses are on an evening semester schedule. One non-clinical course (Research & Evaluation) is offered in a blended format, with some components of the course completed online.

Master of Arts in Professional Counseling

McKendree University