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.

Note: The Department of Counselor Education will admit students in the 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 which can be found on the department web site 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 a mandatory Pre-Admission workshop after application materials have been submitted.

Degree Requirements
To qualify for the master's degree, students must complete 48 credit hours 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:

• For applicants who hold a current valid standard or provisional Illinois teaching certificate:
  
  
• Educational Psychology
  
  
• Psychology of Exceptional Children
  
  
2. copy of current teaching certificate



• For school applicants who do not hold a current valid standard or provisional Illinois teaching certificate :
  
  
1. show evidence of taking and passing a background check (information can be found on the department web site). 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 web site). 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:

Course Id	Course	Credit Hours
COUN 401	The Counseling Profession in a Pluralistic Society (for School, Community sequence)	3
COUN 433	Development and Characteristics of Children and Youth with Disabilities	3
COUN 402	Development of Cognition, Learning and Language	3
COUN 403	Historical, Philosophical and Legal Foundations of Special Education	3
COUN 404	Evaluation Techniques	3
COUN 405	Individual Counseling Skills	3
COUN 406	Group Counseling	3
COUN 407	Community Counseling (for the Community sequence) or COUN 410	3
COUN 408	Research Seminar	3
COUN 409	Career Development	3
COUN 410	Seminar in School Counseling (for the School sequence) or COUN 408	3
COUN 430	Multicultural Counseling	3
Total 30 cr.
In addition, the Community Sequence requires
COUN 420	Introduction to Family Counseling	3
COUN 427	Diagnostic Systems for Counseling	3
In addition, the Rehabilitation Sequence requires
COUN 427	Diagnostic Systems for Counseling	3
COUN 434	Medical & Physical Aspects of Disability	3
COUN 435	Work and Disability	3
COUN 436	Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling	3

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:

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

Elective Courses for the Community Counseling 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:

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

Master of Arts in Family Counseling Program

Program Overview
The family counseling master's degree program is a 60 credit hour program 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 web site 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:

Curriculum:
Required for the 60 credit hour program in Family Counseling:

Courses:

Course Id	Course	Credit Hours
COUN 401	The Counseling Profession	3
COUN 402	Developmental Counseling	3
COUN 403	Frameworks for Counseling	3
COUN 404	Evaluation Techniques	3
COUN 405	Individual Counseling Skills	3
COUN 406	Group Counseling	3
COUN 407	Community Counseling	3
COUN 408	Research Seminar	3
COUN 409	Career Development	3
COUN 415	Children, Youth, and Their Systems	3
COUN 420	Introduction to Family Counseling	3
COUN 421	Advanced Marriage - Family Counseling	3
COUN 427	Diagnostic Systems for Counseling	3
COUN 430	Multicultural Counseling Worldview & Systems Orientation	3
COUN 431	Couple and Family Systems Studies	3
Total: 45 cr

Practicum:

COUN 445

Practicum: Group Supervision in Couple & Family Counseling

3 cr

Internship:

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:

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