EdS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• Understand the knowledge bases of the counseling professions.
• Capable of applying the knowledge base of their disciplines in an ethical, reflective, and culturally-responsive manner.
• Evaluate research, appreciate the contribution of empirical inquiry to the solution of applied problems, and apply research findings to their practices.
• Knowledgeable of the social-cultural contexts of human development.
• Evaluate the outcomes of their interventions with empirically sound methods
• Participate in continuing professional education and supervision in their future professional lives and who involve themselves in activities of their professional associations.
• Committed to social justice in scientific and practice settings.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for licensing as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois upon graduation. Graduates are then subsequently eligible to apply for licensing as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois after receiving two years of post-degree supervised experience.

A central goal of our program is to prepare culturally sensitive practitioners who, regardless of the setting, base their practices on scholarly inquiry.

Our dedicated Counseling Faculty are experts in their fields who will support students throughout each stage of the program.

Check out this video to learn more about their experiences and expertise in the field.

Full-time students can complete the program in two years, including summers. Part-time study is also available. Students have five years from acceptance to complete the program.

Continuous Enrollments
Specialist students in Clinical Mental Health 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. A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the School of Education’s Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs.

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

COURSEWORK (60 SEMESTER HOURS)

Counseling Core (27 semester hours)

• CPSY 420: Counseling Skills
• CPSY 421: Professional Issues in Counseling
• CPSY 423: Theories of Counseling & Psychotherapy
• CPSY 424: Career Development and Counseling
• CPSY 425: Assessment in Counseling
• CPSY 426: Group Counseling
• CPSY 433: Multicultural Counseling
• CPSY 454: Human Development
• RMTD 400: Introduction to Research Methodology

Specialty Area (21 semester hours)

• CPSY 427: Introduction to Clinical Mental Counseling
• CPSY 437: Addictions Counseling
• CPSY 444: Family Therapy
• CPSY 527: Prevention, Advocacy, and Outreach:
  Community-Based
• CPSY 528: Diagnostic Appraisal and Treatment Planning
• CPSY 532: Advanced Theories of Psychotherapy
• CPSY 535: Seminar in Supervision and Consultation

Clinical Experiences (9 semester hours)

• CPSY 440: Practicum in Counseling (3 semester hours)
• CPSY 441: Internship in Counseling (6 semester hours)

Elective (3 semester hours)

See program handbookfor suggested courses. 

Comprehensive proctored examination is required. See program handbook for details. Comprehensive examination deadlines for the Spring Exam is December 1. See School of Education Academic Calendar for comprehensive exam dates.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for licensing as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois upon graduation. Graduates are then subsequently eligible to apply for licensing as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois after receiving two years of post-degree supervised experience.

The curriculum of the EdS program meets current requirements for licensure in the State of Illinois. Licensure is handled by individual states, and portability of licensure across state lines differs according to each state. The EdS may meet requirements for states whose licensure requires 60 hours.

The Department of Professional Regulation in the State of Illinois has adopted the certification exam developed and administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Many states use this exam for licensure purposes, so scores from the exam may be transferred. Coursework, including the number of hours required, differ across states. Students interested in completing licensure or certification in another state are must consult the professional regulation boards of other states to determine the appropriate course work required. Students should also stay apprised of licensure requirements throughout the program.

The Chicagoland area provides a wealth of clinical training opportunities for the students in community, school, and clinical mental health counseling programs. Students receive generalist training but through site selection can begin to acquire population-specific competencies in working with children, adolescents, families, gay/lesbian/bisexual clients, and other groups of individuals. Many of the practicum sites also contain APA-approved internship programs where trainees are provided with rigorous supervision and on-site seminars.

To discuss typical practicum settings and sites in Chicago and its suburbs, please contact Rufus Gonzales, Practicum Coordinator, at 312.915.6378