MA in Counseling and Guidance
Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP)Description
The Counseling and Guidance Program has as its primary purpose the preparation of professional counselors. The Master's degree is the first professional degree in counseling and graduates gain the basic understandings and skills necessary for professional practice as a counselor. The program offers four emphasis areas leading to the M.A. degree:
Those earning degrees in counseling become employed at: community and four-year colleges, specialized areas in large universities (e.g. career planning and placement), the court system, community-based mental health services, K-12 schools, among other settings. Many graduates also choose to further their education with an advanced or terminal degree. The school counseling emphasis is State certified and graduates will be eligible for school counselor certification in Missouri, Kansas, or another State.
The Program
All students complete 42 credits hours of core courses providing a strong skill set and theoretical foundation for the general preparation of the professional counselor. Students then take 12-18 credits in their areas of emphasis. This additional coursework provides the foundation and skills necessary for specialization in a variety of areas. The goal of the Master's program in Counseling and Guidance is to develop competent counseling practitioners who are eligible for licensure or certification in Missouri, Kansas, and many other States.
Graduates demonstrate skills and knowledge in the following areas:
- Theories of counseling
- The counseling relationship
- Social and cultural foundations of counseling
- Career development
- Assessment
- Research methods
- Professional identity
- Counseling skills
- Ethical standards and issues
- Diagnostic systems
Admission Requirements
- Overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or better, or 3.00 or better (4.0 scale) in the last 60 credit hours
- A minimum Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score of 900 (Verbal + Quantitative) or a GRE Verbal score of 450 or better; and minimum Analytic writing score of 4.0, obtained within the last 5 years*
*If the applicant is a graduate of a post bachelor's degree program with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher s/he does not have to take the GRE.
Once admitted, students must complete an FBI Criminal Background check prior to enrolling in required practicum and internship courses.
To complete the degree program, candidates must:
- Earn grades of B- or better in all Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education (CPCE) courses
- Successfully complete a 2-semester practicum in a local school or in Community Counseling and Assessment Services (the departmental training clinic)
- Successfully complete a 2-semester internship at an approved internship site of the student's choice