COED 615: Career Counseling and Development
Prerequisites: COED 610, COED 611 or faculty approval
Credit Hours: (3)
Emphasizes the understanding of theoretical approaches to career development and development and coordination of services to help individuals achieve career maturity. Includes activities to promote self-understanding, educational and vocational information services, decision making, and placement skills.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of various theoretical and practical approaches, methods and strategies to Career Guidance and Counseling. Emphasis is placed on developing a comprehensive understanding of: (1) concepts and language systems of career development theories; (2) historical, contemporary and futuristic trends which affect the current dynamic state of Career Guidance and Counseling: (3) developmental and remedial approaches to Career Guidance and Counseling for unique populations and setting.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Lecture, Small Group Activities - The first part of each class will consist of presentations of lecture material. The second part will consist of demonstrations, techniques, small group processes, reactions, assignments and student presentations.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
The objectives of the course are:
1. To identify significant individuals, theoretical perspectives, economic, psychological,
social and political factors which historically and currently impact on career development,
guidance and counseling in America;
2. To identify futuristic trends which may impact on the need for career development
and career guidance and counseling services;
3. To define and operationalize key concepts and terms common to Career Guidance and
Counseling;
4. To understand varying perspectives on work and human development and the role of
Career Guidance and Counseling professionals in facilitating personal and career development;
5. To conceptualize and understand the structure of the American labor market, its
subsystem of requirements and rewards as well as varying classification schemes which
provide for systematic occupational exploration, job analysis, vocational prediction,
and career decision making;
6. To understand multi-disciplinary factors effecting career development and major
theoretical perspectives on career behavior and career choice which guide Career Educational
programs and the practice of Career Guidance and Counseling;
7. To understand practical relationships between research and theory, program and
purpose, systematic planning and program evaluation in career counseling and guidance
activities across diverse settings;
8. To explore the unique challenges of adult career concerns in the work places, family
and in leisure pursuits;
9. To understand the dynamic relationship between job satisfaction, occupational stress,
mental health and psychological dysfunction;
10. To understand the dynamics of the helping relationship and helping strategies
in Career Guidance information delivery systems;
11. To teach the effective use of career information in guidance and counseling and
understand the appropriateness and effectiveness of varying information delivery systems;
12. To introduce assessment devices useful in Career Guidance and Counseling.
Assessment Measures
Grades will be based on the following:
1. Attendance 10%
2. Class and group participation 20%
3. Project 20%
4. Mid-term exam 25%
5. Final exam 25%
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
April 1999 Revised