Counselor Education

Degrees Offered Master of Arts in Counseling School Counseling Community Counseling Rehabilitation Counseling Master of Arts in Family Counseling

Master of Arts in Counseling Program

Program Overview

The program leading to the Master of Arts degree in Counseling consists of the following three sequences:
1. School Counseling: This sequence prepares students for employment as a school counselor in elementary, middle, and high schools.
2. Community Counseling: This sequence prepares students for employment in settings such as mental health agencies, community counseling agencies, chemical dependency programs, hospitals, marriage and family counseling clinics, crisis centers, and court services.
3. Rehabilitation Counseling: This sequence prepares students for employment in settings such as state vocational rehabilitation locations, Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, schools, mental health agencies, developmental disability agencies, and state human services departments.

Admission Requirements

Note: The Department of Education will admit students to the Graduate Program in Counseling on an semi-annual basis in FALL and SPRING semesters only.

Students must fulfill the requirements for admission to the Graduate College. In addition:

Applicants to the counseling sequences will also be required to meet the following requirements:

• Complete a mandatory on-line orientation session which can be found on the department website homepage at www.neiu.edu/~counsedu. Print out, sign, and include the Orientation Session Statement with your application
• Submit recent scores for the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scores will be considered along with other aspects of the application
• Participate in an evaluative Pre-Admission workshop after application materials have been submitted
  

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the master's degree, students must complete 48 credits of prescribed course work, which includes six credits of internship, and successfully complete the written departmental proficiency examination.

Prerequisites:

For the Master of Arts in Counseling program, students must have six credits of psychology as specified by each sequence
School Counseling:

• Educational Psychology

• Psychology of Exceptional Children

• In addition, the school counseling sequence requires applicants who do not hold a current valid standard or provisional Illinois teaching certificate to complete the following requirements:
  
  

1. show evidence of taking and passing a background check (information can be found on the department website). The background check must be submitted as part of the application packet. An application will be deferred to the next application deadline if the background check has not been completed by the application deadline date.

2. show evidence of taking and passing the Basic Skills Test (BST) (information can be found on the department website). The BST scores must be submitted as part of the application packet. An application will be deferred to the next application deadline if the BST scores have not been completed by the application deadline date.

3. complete an additional 12 hours of credit in the following courses prior to practicum:

   ELAD-EDFN 405 Development of Educational Thought

   ELAD-EDFN 406 Human Development and Learning

   ELAD-EDFN 407 Learning Theories and Educational Practice

   SPED 404 Overview of the Field of Special Education

Community Counseling:

• Two psychology courses, including Abnormal Psychology or equivalent

Rehabilitation Counseling:

• Two psychology courses, including Abnormal Psychology or equivalent
  

Required Core Courses for Each Sequence

The program requires a minimum of 48 credit hours, or 16 courses. A core or common curriculum of 30 credit hours is required of all sequences. The core courses include:
COUN 401 The Counseling Profession in a Pluralistic Society (for School, Community sequence) .............. 3 cr. or
COUN 433 Foundations of Rehab Counseling (for Rehabilitation sequence) ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 402 Developmental Counseling ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 403 Frameworks for Counseling ....................... 3 cr.
COUN 404 Evaluation Techniques ............................... 3 cr.
COUN 405 Individual Counseling Skills ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 406 Group Counseling ...................................... 3 cr.
COUN 407 Community Counseling (for the Community sequence) or
COUN 410 Seminar in School Counseling (for the School sequence) ....... 3 cr.
COUN 408 Research Seminar ...................................... 3 cr.
COUN 409 Career Development .................................. 3 cr.
COUN 430 Multicultural Counseling .................................. 3 cr.
Total 30 cr.

In addition, the Community Sequence requires
COUN 420 Introduction to Family Counseling .............. 3 cr.
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling ........... 3 cr.

In addition, the Rehabilitation Counseling sequence requires
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling ........... 3 cr.
COUN 434 Medical & Physical Aspects of Disability ........... 3 cr.
COUN 435 Work and Disability ........... 3 cr.
COUN 436 Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling ........... 3 cr.

Elective Courses for the School Counseling Sequence:

In consultation with an advisor, courses most appropriate for the sequence and the student's career objective may be selected. Students may select three (3) elective courses from the following:

COUN 407 Community Counseling ......................................... 3 cr.
COUN 415 Children, Youth, and Their Systems ............................ 3 cr.
COUN 414 Advanced Career Counseling ..................................... 3 cr.
COUN 420 Introduction to Family Counseling ............................... 3 cr.
COUN 421 Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling ......................... 3 cr.
COUN 422 Grief Counseling ..................................................................... 3 cr.
COUN 423 Counseling for Business and Industry ............................. 3 cr.
COUN 424 Stress Management .................................................................. 3 cr.
COUN 425 Counseling for Alcohol and Chemical Dependency ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 426 Advanced Counseling for Chemical Dependency ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 428 Advanced Individual Counseling: Case Conceptualization ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 431 Couple and Family Systems Study ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 432 Counseling Couples ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 433 Intro to Rehabilitation Counseling ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 434 Medical and Psychological Aspects of Disability .................................. 3 cr.
COUN 435 Work and Disability ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 436 Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling .................................... 3 cr.
COUN 468 Seminar in Counseling: Title Varies ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 490 Thesis Seminar ........................................................................ 3 cr.

Elective Courses for the Community Counseling Sequence:

In consultation with an advisor, courses most appropriate for the sequence and the student's career objective may be selected. Students in the Community Counseling sequence may take one (1) elective course from the following:

COUN 414 Advanced Career Counseling ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 415 Children, Youth, and their Systems ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 421 Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling ...................................... 3 cr.
COUN 422 Grief Counseling ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 423 Counseling for Business and Industry ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 424 Stress Management ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 425 Counseling for Alcohol & Chemical Dependency ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 426 Advanced Counseling for Chemical Dependency ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 428 Advanced Counseling: Case Conceptualization ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 431 Couple and Family Systems Study ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 432 Counseling Couples ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 433 Intro to Rehabilitation Counseling ................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 434 Medical and Psychological Aspects of Disability .................................. 3 cr.
COUN 435 Work and Disability ........................................................................ 3 cr.
COUN 436 Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling .............................. 3 cr.
COUN 468 Seminar in Counseling: Title Varies ....................................... 3 cr.
COUN 490 Thesis Research ..................................................................... 3 cr.

Clinical Experience for the School Counseling Sequence:

Practicum:
Practicum is an 100 hour field-based experience that requires a minimum of 40 hours of clinical contact hours with clients and is a prerequisite for Internship. Students earn three credits for Practicum Group Supervision.

Internship:
The combined Internship I and II is a 600 hour, field-based experience that requires a minimum of 240 hours of clinical contact with clients. Students earn three credit hours for each internship. Note: Failure to complete the required hours for a given semester will result in a grade of incomplete. The deficient hours must be completed within the next semester.

Students in the school sequences are required by the Illinois State Board of Education to have field-based experiences in school settings (K-12).

Clinical Experience for the Community Counseling Sequence:

Practicum:
Practicum is a 100 hour field-based experience that requires a minimum of 40 hours of clinical contact with clients (contact hours), and is a prerequisite for Internship. Students earn three credits for Practicum: Group Supervision.

Internship:
The combined Community Counseling Internship I and II is a 600 hour, field-based experience that requires a minimum of 240 hours of clinical contact with clients. Students earn three credit hours for each internship. Note: Failure to complete the required hours for a given semester will result in a grade of incomplete. The deficient hours must be completed within the next semester.

Clinical Experience for the Rehabilitation Counseling Sequence

Practicum:
Practicum is a 100 hour field-based experience that requires a minimum of 40 hours of clinical contact with clients and is a prerequisite for Internship. Students earn three credits for Practicum in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Internship:
The combined Rehabilitation Counseling Internship I and II is a 600 hour, field-based experience that requires a minimum of 240 hours of clinical contact with clients. Students earn three credit hours for each internship. Note: Failure to complete the required hours for a given semester will result in a grade of incomplete. The deficient hours must be completed within the next semester.

> top of page

Master of Arts in Family Counseling Program

Program Overview

Course work is for a 60 hour masters degree which fulfills the requirements for state licensing, CACREP Specialty Track, National Academy for Certified Family Therapists Inc. and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Memberships.

Admission Requirements

Students must fulfill the requirements for admission to the Graduate College.

Applicants for the M.A. in Family Counseling program will also be required to meet the following requirements:

• Complete a mandatory on-line orientation session which can be found on the department website homepage at www.neiu.edu/~counsedu. Print out, sign, and include the Orientation Session Statement with your application;

• Submit recent scores for the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scores will be considered along with other aspects of the application;

• Participate in an evaluative Pre-Admission workshop after application materials have been submitted.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites:

For Master of Arts in Counseling program, students must have six credits of psychology including Abnormal Psychology or equivalent

Curriculum
Required for the 60 hours program in Family Counseling:

Courses
COUN 401 The Counseling Profession ....................................... 3 cr.
COUN 402 Developmental Counseling ....................................... 3 cr.
COUN 403 Frameworks for Counseling ...................................... 3 cr.
COUN 404 Evaluation Techniques .............................................. 3 cr.
COUN 405 Individual Counseling Skills ....................................... 3 cr.
COUN 406 Group Counseling ..................................................... 3 cr.
COUN 407 Community Counseling .............................................. 3 cr.
COUN 408 Research Seminar ................................................. 3 cr.
COUN 409 Career Development ............................................. 3 cr.
COUN 415 Children. Youth and Their Systems ............................ 3 cr.
COUN 420 Introduction to Family Counseling ............................ 3 cr.
COUN 421 Advanced Marriage - Family Counseling ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling ............................ 3 cr.
COUN 430 Multicultural Counseling
Worldview & Systems Orientation .............................................. 3 cr.
COUN 431Couple and Family Systems Studies ........................... 3 cr.

Total: 45 cr.

Practica
COUN 445 Practicum: Group Supervision in
Couple & Family Counseling ........................ 3 cr.

Internships
COUN 465 Internship I: Group Supervision in Couple & Family Counseling ........................ 3 cr.
COUN 475 Internship II: Group Supervision in Couple & Family Counseling ........................ 3 cr.

Elective Courses
Possible elective choices:

COUN 432 Counseling Couples ....................................................... 3 cr.
COUN 433 Intro to Rehabilitation Counseling .................................... 3 cr.
COUN 434 Medical and Psychological Aspects of Disability.................. 3 cr.
COUN 435 Work and Disability .........................................................3 cr.
COUN 436 Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling...................3 cr.
COUN 499 Clinical Supervision .........................................................3 cr.
COUN 468 Seminar .........................................................................3 cr.

Current list of all Graduate Advisors