Admission Requirements

Application for admission is made to the Graduate Admissions Office where directions are given for securing transcripts of previous schooling and other necessary information. The review of the application and the admission decision is made by program faculty and is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria including the following:

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, preferably with a major concentration in psychology, the behavioral sciences and/or human services.
2. Minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
3. Writing sample (to be completed at the time of personal interview).
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation for academic and character references.
5. Personal essay describing professional intent and pertinent background.
6. Admission interview with the program director and/or faculty representative.
7. Personal experience in counseling or growth-oriented processes is highly desirable.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate program. Consequently, candidates are welcome to apply if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience may compensate.

Prerequisite Requirements - Semester Hours: 18

Note: Students must complete all prerequisite course work listed below prior to beginning the first sequence course in the counseling curriculum (COUN 223, Theories and Principles of Counseling).  The courses may be satisfied at either the undergraduate or graduate level, and online courses are accepted as long as they are from nationally accredited institutions and documented on transcripts.

• child psychology - 3 semester hours
• adolescent psychology - 3 semester hours
• personality theory or abnormal psychology - 3 semester hours
• psychology and behavioral sciences  (three other courses from areas such as social psychology, learning theory, behavioral science research methods, statistics for the social sciences, psychology of exceptionalities, family development theory, socio-cultural foundations, etc.) - 9 semester hours

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 24

• COUN 211 - Principles and Practices of Substance Use Disorder Counseling Semester Hours: 3
• COUN 223 - Theories and Principles of Counseling Semester Hours: 6
• COUN 224 - Counseling Practice in Contemporary Society Semester Hours: 6
• COUN 261 - Understanding Psychopathology in Counseling Semester Hours: 3
• COUN 277 - Group Counseling Semester Hours: 3
• COUN 278 - Substance Use Disorder Counseling Semester Hours: 3

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of all program requirements.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.