The M.S. in Counseling and Human Development includes two concentrations. Clinical mental health counseling trains counselors by providing hands-on experience and teaching them about different counseling approaches. School counseling prepares school counselors to support students in grades K-12, these counselors take on leadership and advocacy roles to help all students.
Admission to our program is competitive and the department values diversity in its student population. Prospective students are selected for the program based on their ability to complete academic requirements of the program, personal qualifications necessary for success in the counseling profession and appropriateness of professional goals.
The admissions committee of the department will evaluate academic qualifications and potential for success in the program based on an admissions application portfolio. Admissions decisions are made based on an overall evaluation of all stated criteria. Failure to meet a minimum criterion in one area will not necessarily be cause for rejection of admission.
Applicant admissions portfolios are evaluated throughout the year, but matriculation as a student into the counselor education program is restricted to summer and fall terms only. Priority admission deadline is Feb. 15 for summer and fall admissions. The space-available admission deadline is April 15 for summer and fall admissions. Special consideration for late admissions will be considered on a case by case basis until July 15 for fall admissions.
An interview may be requested. Admission is competitive. Approximately 40 new students are admitted for fall matriculation each year.
Courses in the department are often used for educational endorsements and for state licensure by professional regulatory boards such as the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Counseling and other licensing agencies. Students with master鈥檚 degrees seeking endorsements in School Counseling, needing specialized courses or seeking to enroll in supervised clinical practica or internships in community counseling leading to licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor, must complete the following advanced level course sequence prior to enrolling in any of the department鈥檚 clinical internships.
Sequence of Required Courses
School Counseling (K-12)
Graduates of the school counseling program are eligible to obtain licensure by the state at the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) level. Licensure as a Virginia school counselor requires the candidate have a master鈥檚 degree from a state approved program in counseling.
We provide academic course work that meets degree requirements established by the Virginia Board of Counseling for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor.
The is the state agency that determines licensure for professional counselors in Virginia. The state of Virginia requires that the applicant for licensure shall have completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study in the following core areas, with a minimum of 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in each of the areas identified as follows:
Our department has identified courses which may be taken to satisfy the core areas listed above. Students wishing to pursue licensure in Virginia should consult with their advisor in planning their program of study.
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