M.Ed. in Counselor Education

The college counseling and student affairs concentration prepares critically reflective counselors with specialized knowledge and skills required for placement in postsecondary institutions.

Through coursework and clinical experiences, students obtain knowledge of basic counseling theory and practice, competencies in essential counseling services, skills necessary to evaluate evidence-based research and to implement it in practice, and a dedication to continuing professional development.

The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and requires a minimum of two years of study to complete.

Degree requirements for the college counseling and student affairs concentration »

Please keep in mind, however, that the exact course requirements may vary depending on when you matriculated into the program, so please consult your adviser or the program coordinator with any additional questions.

Our school counseling concentration of the M.Ed. program prepares graduates to be critically reflective, with a professional understanding of basic counseling theory and practice, competencies in essential counseling services, the ability evaluate evidence-based research and implement it in practice, and a dedication to continuing professional development.

The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and requires a minimum of two years of study to complete.

Degree requirements for the school counseling concentration »

Please keep in mind, however, that the exact course requirements may vary depending on when you matriculated into the program, so please consult your adviser or the program coordinator with any additional questions.

M.Ed. in counselor education with a concentration in couples and family counseling is a 60-credit hour program designed to prepare students for careers as counselors in clinics, healthcare centers, schools and private practice. The program focuses on training to address a range of personal and professional problems faced by individuals, couples and families through a systemic framework. As our newest concentration, we are eager to pursue accreditation for the couples and family counseling concentration with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) during our next review cycle. Upon successful approval from CACREP, it will be added to our existing accredited specialty areas (i.e., school counseling, college counseling and student affairs concentrations). Per CACREP policy, students who graduate from this concentration up to 18 months prior to accreditation would be recognized as graduates of a CACREP-accredited program.

The course sequence meets the educational requirements for both the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) as set by the state of Virginia Department of Health Professions. The Couple and Family Counseling concentration meets the licensure requirements for others states; however, certain states have different requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to check with the state licensure board to verify the necessary requirements to be eligible for licensure and to plan on meeting those requirements. The program requires a minimum of two years of study to complete.

Coursework

Program Core (33 credit hours)

• CLED 600 – Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice in Counseling
• CLED 601 – Theories of Counseling
• CLED 602 – Techniques of Counseling
• CLED 603 – Group Procedures in Counseling
• CLED 605 – Career Information and Exploration
• CLED 606 – Assessment Techniques for Counselors
• CLED 607 – Multicultural Counseling in Educational Settings
• CLED 612 – Seminar in Counseling
• CLED 640 – Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
• CLED 650 – Addiction Counseling
• CLED 660 – Mental Disorders, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

Concentration Courses (21 credit hours)

• CLED 644 – Sexuality Counseling
• CLED 645 – Couples Counseling
• CLED 641 – Advanced Family Counseling
• CLED 609 – Practicum: Couple and Family Counseling
• CLED 672 – Internship: Couple and Family Counseling (six credits)
• Elective

Foundation of Education Courses (6 credit hours)

• CLED/EDUS 615 – Lifespan Development: A Gender Perspective
• EDUS 660 – Research Methods in Education

Student Course Schedules

Students have the option to start their program in the summer semester or fall semester. In addition, there is a full-time and part-time course option for each semester. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor and pick one of those course scheduling options. The course scheduling options can be found in the Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook (link is below in the Resources section).

Resources

• Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook [PDF]
• Admission requirements

Comprehensive Exam

A final, comprehensive examination is required of all degree candidates. In order to be eligible to take the comprehensive exam, students must have completed CLED/EDUS 615 and EDUS 660 and all counseling core courses (excluding Practicum and Internship). Students are exempt from these requirements if they are graduating in the semester in which the exam is given. Students must be enrolled during the semester in which they take the exam.

The comprehensive exam is a nationally standardized exam for counselors-in-training. It consists of 160 questions. There are 20 items in each of the following areas:

• Human growth and development: studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels.
• Social and cultural foundations: studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society.
• Helping relationships: studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes (Theories and Techniques).
• Group work: studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group work approaches.
• Career and lifestyle development: studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.
• Appraisal: studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
• Research and program evaluation: studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics, and ethical and legal considerations in research.
• Professional orientation and ethics: studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards and credentialing (based on the ACA Code of Ethics).

The comprehensive exam is given two times per year: on the first Saturday in October and on the third Saturday in March (dates are subject to change if there is a conflict with university holidays). More detailed information can be found in the Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook.

Graduation Application Information

• Graduation instructions

The accelerated B.S. in Psychology and M.Ed. in Counselor Education programs allow qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Psychology and M.Ed. in Counselor Education in six years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Students in the program may count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S and M.Ed. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 168 credits rather than the 180 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.

Minimum qualifications for admittance to the program include completion of 75 undergraduate credit hours including at least one undergraduate CLED course; undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the most recent 60 credits of coursework. Successful applicants would enter the program in the fall semester of their senior year.

Students who are interested in the accelerated program should consult with both a psychology academic adviser and a graduate counselor education adviser before they have completed 75 credits. Undergraduate students must have psychology departmental approval (e.g., academic advisor, department chair) to participate in this accelerated program and meet admission criteria of the M.Ed. in Counselor Education program prior to beginning their final year of full-time undergraduate study. This criteria includes the following:

• Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education (including at least one from a psychology faculty member)
• Current resume
• Statement of intent (please see the handbook for specific guidelines)
• Transcripts of all previous college work
• Personal interview (to be scheduled after application is received)

Candidates should submit applications for admission immediately following the fall of their junior year, but no later than Jan. 15 of the same academic year. Students enrolled in the accelerated program must complete the accelerated graduate course work (CLED courses) in two semesters during their final year of the baccalaureate program. The entry term for the master’s program will be the next available admission term following the last semester of undergraduate study.

Admission to the master’s program is provisional until the undergraduate degree has been conferred. Upon completion and conferral of the undergraduate degree, with a undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the most recent 60 credits of coursework and minimum grades of B in all 600-level CLED courses, students are fully admitted to the master’s program. To graduate with the M.Ed. in Counselor Education, students will meet graduation requirements of the degree as presented in the bulletin that is effective at the time of their full admission to the master’s program.

Both the undergraduate psychology adviser and the graduate counselor education faculty adviser provide guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program. For full academic program information, please see this page.