Prerequisite: None

The course provides an overview of the counseling field with emphasis on understanding the nature and stages of counseling as well as the counselor’s role in individual and group work. Major counseling theories and the techniques associated with the theoretical approaches are presented. Awareness of professional organizations and scholarly work is highlighted.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course examines how to establish, facilitate, and terminate various counseling groups in an effective manner. Group counseling theories and specialized techniques for enhancing interpersonal communication skills are presented. Students will actively participate in group sessions to better comprehend group dynamics, stages of group development, and the role of the facilitator in group counseling sessions.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course focuses on developing counseling skills through instruction and experiential exercises, including videotaped practice sessions. Techniques and skills will be examined, including developing a treatment alliance, active listening, reflection, formulation of questions, and addressing issues of resistance to treatment and personal biases.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course is designed to provide prospective school counselors with information about contemporary professional issues in school counseling. This course is designed to examine current professional issues in school counseling, the transformed role of the school counselor, and components of successful comprehensive school counseling programs. In addition, the profession’s essential theories, research, and practice will be investigated. Emphasis is placed on developing the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to effectively negotiate the cultural, educational, social, and philosophical forces that impact students’ lives and academic achievement in a pluralistic society.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

The course provides students with an understanding of the various roles of school counselors to promote a strong professional identity in alignment with the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) national model. Topics for review will highlight an approach to connect school counselor competencies for building and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. Current issues in school counseling will be examined through national publications, scholarly research, and the professional experiences of school counseling within the practice field.

Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

Prerequisite: None

This course explores professional practice issues in clinical mental health counseling. It examines the profession’s history, professional counseling identity, roles and functions of clinical mental health counselors, ethical and legal considerations, multicultural competencies, and modern trends impacting mental health counseling.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

This course emphasizes the formal diagnosis of mental disorders using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as well as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). This course will use case studies to explore the identification of symptoms and symptom clusters, examine etiology, co-morbidity, and treatment options for different disorders, and understand the usefulness and limits of formal diagnosis. Other topics will include intake information gathering, mental status evaluation, and assessment of specific clinical challenges. The course will also review possible treatment modalities and ethical and multicultural issues.

Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

This course examines tests and assessments’ theory, administration, interpretation, and reporting. Students will become familiar with the administration of various evaluations for diagnostic purposes and career counseling. Students will review information on the intake process, appropriate selection of assessment with considerations towards cultural sensitivity, behavioral observation techniques, and the integration of test data for report writing.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course investigates descriptive, relational, and experimental research approaches, focusing on statistics and design issues, including control strategies and procedures for establishing validity. Particular emphasis will be placed on designing and conducting a research project, including collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. Students will read, interpret, and critically evaluate qualitative and quantitative studies within the counseling literature.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course presents an introduction to family counseling and therapy. Class sessions will address conceptual and practical skills in working with families, specifically families with children and/or adolescents. The course is designed to provide a foundation for conceptualizing the dynamics of familial relationships. Couples counseling and marital therapy will be reviewed.

Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

This course examines the classification of drugs as well as the physiological and psychological effects of drug use and drug abuse. Personal, social, and biological frames of reference will be used to understand the causes of addiction and its impact on the individual, family, and society. Prevention and intervention counseling models and strategies will be reviewed, as well as standard methods of assessing substance use disorders.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

This course reviews counseling theory and approach concerning the treatment and intervention of various multicultural populations, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, age, disability, and gender. Reading and discussion will emphasize current research concerning learning personality, attitudes, perceptions, abilities, and adjustment of multicultural populations in various counseling contexts. Examination of self and other awareness will be highlighted.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course examines theories of career choice and cultural and social influences on the world of work across the lifespan. Students will review career decision-making, problem-solving strategies, gender stereotyping, occupational information resources, academic preparation, and lifework planning. Vocation counseling sessions will be practiced for study and analysis during class.

Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course is an advanced theoretical examination of physical, cognitive, social, moral, and personal development during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The process and stages of development throughout the lifespan form the context for studying human behavior. Theories and models of human development will be reviewed from a historical and modern-day perspective.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

_____

*Students must complete all 10 courses marked with an asterisk, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and receive a B or higher in CNS 6010 prior enrolling in a School Counseling Practicum.

¹Students must complete all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1 for the eight main CACREP content areas prior to requesting to take the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE).

Prerequisite: None

This course is an in-depth examination of current theory and research on developing, assessing, and treating psychological trauma. Attention will be given to the identification of risk and protective factors in the development of trauma responses for individuals with various mental health needs across the lifespan. Evidence-based assessment and treatment techniques are reviewed, including utilization of DSM criteria and early warning signs and symptoms.

Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

The course prepares students to effectively provide academic, behavioral, and emotional guidance to the exceptional learner in individual and group counseling settings. A historical overview of special education, including legislation and litigation issues, will be explored, as well as an examination of current practices in the field of special education. Students will review evidenced-based strategies for exceptional learners and competencies to be culturally sensitive to the identified populations.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None

This course is designed to provide an understanding of the specific academic, behavioral, and emotional challenges a student may experience in acquiring English as another language. Areas of emphasis will focus on counseling strategies, interventions, and techniques most appropriate for guiding and supporting the ESOL population. Academic readiness, closing the achievement gap, and culturally sensitive and diverse strategies are covered.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

This course supports the development and application of knowledge and skills for school counselors through practical experience in an elementary, middle, or high school setting. The course requires the accrual of 50 direct service hours and 50 indirect service hours (100 total hours) in addition to the review of recorded counseling sessions to assess skills and techniques.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

This course functions to support the development and application of knowledge and skills for school counselors through practical experience in an elementary, middle, or high school setting. The course requires the accrual of 120 direct service hours, 120 indirect service hours, and 30 instructional hours (300 total hours) in addition to the review of recorded counseling sessions to assess skills and techniques.

Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

This course functions to support the development and application of knowledge and skills for school counselors through practical experience in an elementary, middle, or high school setting. The course requires the accrual of 120 direct service hours, 120 indirect service hours, and 60 instructional hours (300 total hours) in addition to the review of recorded counseling sessions to assess skills and techniques.

Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: Completion of all 9 courses marked with a superscript footnote number 1, a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, and enrollment in either a Practicum or Internship Seminar (including Pre-Practicum).

The Graduate Counseling Department offers students a FREE Comprehensive Exam as a way to practice for the National Counselor Exam (NCE). The Comprehensive Exam is called the Counselor Education Comprehensive Examination (CECE) and contains 120 multiple choice questions. Like the NCE, the CECE questions cover the eight main CACREP contents areas including Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice, Social and Cultural Diversity, Human Growth and Development, Career Development, Counseling and Helping Relationships, Group Counseling and Group Work, Assessment and Testing, and Research and Program Evaluation.

All students will be required to take the CECE prior to or during their final semester once they are eligible. Students will be given three and a half hours to complete the CECE and may take this exam a maximum of two times.

Offered fall/spring semester. (0 Credits)