M.A. in Community Counseling
Benefits
- The M.A. program's emphasis on research methods and practice prepares students for advanced graduate education in counseling psychology.
- With some additional coursework, graduates of the M.A. program will meet the educational requirements for the Professional Counselor License (LPC) in Illinois.
Degree Requirements
Total Hours: 48
Practicum: Required
Comprehensive: 4 hour Proctored Exam
Thesis: None
Length of the Program
Most students complete the program over a two-year period as a full-time student, including at least one summer. Part-time study is also an option. Students have five years from acceptance to complete the program. (See GA&S Policy: Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements)
Undergraduate Prerequisites
Students should present transcript evidence of successful completion ("B" or better) of the course listed below, or its equivalent. Ideally students will have completed this course prior to the start of the program.
- Introductory Statistics course
Curriculum Plan
Completion of the M.A. degree program requires 48 semester hours of graduate study focused in two major areas: (1) counseling core and (2) specialty area. The program includes 450 clock hours of practicum/internship experience (for six semester hours of course credit). Students must also take and pass a four-hour written comprehensive examination during their final semester of study.
Technology Expectation
All students are provided Internet access to link electronically to classmates, faculty and student services. In order to use these technological resources, all students must have the computer skills necessary to support academic work (i.e., word processing, PowerPoint) and to access e-mail and the Internet.
Continuous Enrollments
Master's students in Community Counseling are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. (See GA&S Policy: Academic Standing - Continuous Registration)
A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the Graduate School’s Associate Dean.
Counseling Core (27 semester hours)
- CPSY 420 Counseling Skills
- CPSY 421 Professional Issues
- CPSY 423 Theories of Counseling
- CPSY 424 Career Development and Counseling
- CPSY 425 Assessment in Counseling
- CPSY 426 Group Counseling
- CPSY 433 Multicultural Counseling
- CPSY 450 Research in Counseling
- CPSY 454 Human Development
Specialty Area (21 semester hours)
- CPSY 435 Introduction to Community Counseling
- RMTD 404 Introduction to Educational Statistics
- CPSY 499 Independent Research
In addition, students take six semester hours of electives in research methods or statistics and complete six semester hours of practicum/internship (CPSY 440).
Comprehensive
Comprehensive proctored examination is required (four-hour exam).
Comprehensive examination application deadlines:
- Fall Exam - August 1
- Spring Exam - December 1
See School of Education Calendar for comprehensive exam dates
Degree Conferral
While the commencement ceremony is every May, degrees can be conferred May, August, and December. Students must apply for graduation/degree conferral. Students should apply for graduation in the semester they anticipate completing all degree requirements. Failure to meet application deadlines may result in a delay of the conferral of the degree to the following semester. Applications for Degree Conferral are due:
- August 1 for December conferral
- December 1 for May or August conferral
Please note the degree conferral application is valid for only one semester. If the degree is not conferred for the semester requested, a new application and fee are required for a subsequent semester.
