Counseling, Master of Science

Purpose

The Counseling program is intended to prepare students for licensing by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to work in a wide range of community programs. Such programs include mental health hospital units, psychological/social service agencies, career development centers, marriage and family counseling services programs (including children, adolescents, adults and the elderly populations), law enforcement and legal agencies, business and industry, college counseling centers, and any other non-school settings in which counseling skills are needed. Students may select one of four concentrations: Industrial/Organizational Counseling, Marriage and Family Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Applied Behavior Analysis or School Adjustment Counseling

Prerequisites

Applicants to the Counseling program must have completed 18 hours of study in the field of psychology and/or the behavioral sciences, a course in General Psychology, or the equivalent; a course in Statistics and Experimentation, or the equivalent and satisfactory performance in the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test.

Program Requirements

The Mental Health and Industrial/Organizational Counseling concentrations require the completion of 60 credit hours of course work. The Marriage and Family Counseling concentration requires the completion of 63 credit hours of course work. The Applied Behavior Analysis concentration requires the completion of 66-72 credit hours of course work.

Core Requirements (36 Credits)

Select One

Specialization Specific Requirements

Mental Health Counseling (24 Credits)

This concentration of graduate study leads toward licensing by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Mental Health Counselor.

EDU 735N - Career Education and Development: Information, Planning and Placement
PSY 705 - Human Development Across the Lifespan
PSY 720 - Theories of Personality
PSY 733 - Principles of Psychological Testing
PSY 735 - Philosophical Foundations of Psychology or
PSY 820 - Theory and Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders
PSY 736N - Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
PSY 877 - Psychopharmacology
Elective: One three credit course to be selected from list of electives and in consultation with the program coordinator

School Adjustment Counseling (15 credits)

This concentration of graduate study, combined with the Mental Health Counseling concentration, leads toward licensure by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a School Adjustment Counselor.

EDG 790 - Introduction to Special Education
EDU 736 - Psychology of Learning:Educational, Neurobiological, and Psychosocial Perspectives
EDU 832A - Administration of Guidance and Counseling Services
EDG 901A Practicum I in School Adjustment Counseling for LMHC and Social Workers

EDG 901B Practicum II in School Adjustment Counseling for LMHC and Social Workers
EDG 900S - Seminar I in School Adjustment Counseling
EDG 901S Seminar II in School Adjustment Counseling

Marriage and Family Counseling (27 Credits)

This concentration of graduate study leads toward licensing by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Marriage and Family Counseling.

Upon consultation with the program coordinator, choose to take either the following three courses:

and then choose two of the following:

Industrial/Organizational Counseling (24 Credits)

This concentration of graduate study, combined with an optional plan of study, leads toward licensing by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Industrial/ Organizational Counselor.

Applied Behavior Analysis (30-36 Credits)

This concentration of graduate study allows students to simultaneously pursue Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensure, as well as Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification and state licensure as a behavior analyst.

Choose one of the following:

Optional practica:

Additional Information and Notes

The successful completion of a Comprehensive Examination is required for completion of degree requirements.