Counseling Psychology, M.A.

Major Code: 3717

The master’ s degree in Counseling Psychology is a three-year, full-time program that prepares graduates to provide services in diverse settings including community mental health centers, youth and family service agencies, marriage and family counseling centers, child guidance clinics, university counseling centers, psychiatric hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment centers, shelters and centers for child abuse and domestic violence, and private practice. Some graduates complete additional training at the doctoral level. Students in the counseling program are typically working towards Licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) or Behavioral Practitioner (LBP). Each license requires that applicants complete a Master’ s degree with at least sixty (60) hours of counseling related coursework. Further information concerning licensure may be obtained from the State Department of Health at https://www.ok.gov/behavioralhealth/. The M.A. in Counseling Psychology is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).

Students in the program are expected to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and legal standards of behavior for counselors and consistently function in an ethical, professional manner
Consistently function in an ethical manner
Demonstrate skills in creating effective therapeutic relationships that facilitate the counseling process
Demonstrate effectiveness in working with diverse models, theories, and techniques that contribute to positive outcomes in counseling including evidence-based treatments
Demonstrate skills in conducting effective assessment and treatment of children, couples and families while being sensitive to the special needs and considerations of these client populations
Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the science of psychology, applied research, and scientific inquiry and their contributions to the counseling process
Demonstrate skills in working in gender and culturally diverse contexts and with individuals who are culturally diverse
Demonstrate an understanding of empirically validated group psychotherapy theory, techniques and process dynamics
Demonstrate a trans-theoretical understanding of the development, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology.

The Counseling major requires a minimum of 60 graduate hours. In addition to the core courses required for all M.A. students, the program also requires that students complete coursework in counseling, psychological assessment, legal and ethical aspects of counseling, psychopathology, and other counseling-related courses.

Contacts

Graduate Admissions: Carlie Wellington

Email: cwellington@uco.edu

Office: BOX 106, EDU 225

Phone: 405 - 974 - 5105

Coordinator/Advisor: Dr. Caleb Lack

Email: clack@uco.edu

Office: OLN 107

Phone: 405 - 974 - 5456

Admission Requirements

Submit the following items to:

Jackson College of Graduate Studies

100 N. University Drive, NUC 404

Edmond, OK 73034

• Admission to the program in Counseling Psychology is for Fall semester only. Application Deadline is January 15. Online application for admission (https://www.uco.edu/jcgs/).

• Official copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts from each institution attended with all degrees posted. All transcripts must be from accredited institutions. Undergraduate transcripts must show:

A preferred minimum 3.00 GPA overall or 3.00 GPA in the last 60 hours attempted.
Preferred completion of 9 undergraduate hours as follows: PSY 3713, PSY 3903, and PSY 2853 or equivalent.

• Curriculum Vita

• Personal Statement

• Three Letters of Recommendation. Letters of recommendation are requested through the online application portal.

• Students with a native language other than English must submit evidence of English language proficiency. See Admission to Graduate Studies - English Language Proficiency

• A preferred GRE score of at least 290 on the combined verbal reasoning and quantitative sections, and a minimum of 3.5 on the writing section.

*Students falling below these standards may qualify for conditional admission. See Admission to Graduate Studies .

Other Requirements

Plan of Study. Students will submit a plan of study, or summary of course requirements, indicating the trajectory of the sequential courses. Each year, students will enter in as a new cohort and will move through the program together. Some exception may be made due to potential waived courses or transfers into the program from a different major. Students must meet with the Counseling Psychology program advisor and obtain approval for the proposed Plan of Study. They must then file it with the Psychology Department and subsequently with the Jackson College of Graduate Studies (JCGS). The plan must be signed and dated by the student and the graduate program advisor before it can be considered official.

• Practicum. Training in the Counseling program culminates in a two consecutive semester practicum. During practicum, students provide supervised services to a diverse clientele in faculty-approved settings. Pre-practicum meetings are held with the Practicum Coordinator prior to each semester’s practicum placement to provide information to students about the application that will be submitted to the Practicum Coordinator. Each student must submit an application, an official transcript, and a curriculum vita. ln addition to submitting the required materials, students must have completed all of the specified counseling and assessment courses and have no more than nine hours of coursework (not including practicum) remaining. Once each application has been submitted and minimum requirements have been met, the Counseling Faculty will review the application and the Practicum Coordinator notify the applicant of their status. Students’ performance during their courses of study will be used to assess whether they have acquired the minimum counseling and assessment skills necessary for practicum placement. Concerns about students’ readiness will be addressed by the counseling faculty each semester and students will be notified concerning any remediation necessary prior to applying for practicum. Due to the serious nature of providing counseling and assessment services, students in the Counseling Program will be reviewed each semester via coursework regarding their personal and professional readiness to apply for practicum.

• Academic Standards. Meet the following course work standards:

Overall GPA of 3.00 or higher.
No more than six hours of “C” will be applied to the degree requirements.
Students must complete all courses, practicums, clinic experiences, and internship per program guidelines and required hours of supervision.

• Final Requirements. Apply for graduation through the JCGS by advertised deadline.

Courses

Fall - First Year

Spring - First Year

Summer - First Year

Fall - Second Year

Spring - Second Year

Summer - Second Year

Fall - Third Year

Spring - Third Year

TOTAL HOURS REQUIRED: 60 HOURS

LPC or LBP Exam Course Sequence

Students who have completed a master’s degree in Psychology or a related field but do not have the required 60 hours to become a LPC or LBP must meet the same application requirements to take the additional hours as do students who are applying for their first master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Students who arecompleting the additional 33 hours are encouraged to explore earning a second master’s degree in General Psychology.