Master of Science in Counseling Psychology

This program is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and is designed to meet the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Advisor: Dr. Carol Doyle
cdoyle@lclark.edu

This curriculum is for students who have interest and potential in psychological research. Students must first be accepted into the M.A. concentration. Admission to the M.S. concentration requires that the student be active, successfully complete CPSY 530 with a grade of B or better, be enrolled in CPSY 531, present a preliminary research proposal, secure the commitment of a faculty adviser to chair a thesis committee, have a defined timeline for completion of the project, and have formally applied to the M.S. program. Full admission is granted when the faculty approves a proposal that meets these criteria.

The M.S. concentration is an option for students in the Community Counseling, Addiction Studies, and Marriage and Family Therapy programs.

A minimum of 52 semester hours, distributed as follows:

For students without a background in psychology, please do one of the following options:
Take the GRE psychology test and pass with a score of 550 or better
Take Psychology For Everyone (noncredit option), offered through the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies
Take the Counseling Psychology Quiz, available anytime from the Counseling Psychology office
Take an introductory, abnormal, and social psychology course at any undergraduate college (Credit hours are not applicable to the degree.)

Required Courses

503 Introduction to Professional Counseling, 1 semester hour
504 Family Therapy: Theory/Practice, 3 semester hours
506 Lifespan Development, 3 semester hours
512 Theories of Counseling and Behavior Change w/ Children, 3 semester hours
or 513 Theory and Philosophy of Counseling, 3 semester hours
514 Group Counseling with Children and Adolescents, 3 semester hours
or 515 Group Counseling with Adults, 3 semester hours
520 Career Counseling, 3 semester hours
522 Diagnosis of Mental and Emotional Disorders, 2 semester hours
523 Treatment Planning and Intervention With Children and Adolescents, 3 semester hours
524 Treatment Planning and Intervention With Adults, 3 semester hours
530 Research Methods and Statistics I, 3 semester hours
531 Research Methods and Statistics II, 3 semester hours
532 Introduction to Assessment, 2 semester hours
550 Clinical Work With Diverse Populations, 3 semester hours
579 Practical Skills for Counselors, 2 semester hours
580 Ethical & Legal Issues in Professional Counseling, 2 semester hours
582 Mental Health Internship: Adult, 3 semester hours
or 583 Mental Health Internship: Child and Family, 3 semester hours
595 Master's Thesis Research, variable 1-9 semester hours; minimum of 3 semester hours required for degree, maximum of 9 semester hours degree applicable.

Graduate Core Requirements

A minimum of 2 semester hours

* Note: These courses are taught as a two-semester sequence beginning in fall semester only. For students who wish to pursue the thesis-option M.S. program, it is advisable to take this two-course sequence as early as possible in one's program.