M.Ed. in Counselor Education

Admission requirements and procedures

The following criteria summarize the minimum acceptable standards for admission into either of the M.Ed. in counselor education concentrations.

Applications should be submitted to the Graduate School by December 1 (preferred)/January 15 (final) for summer or fall admission.

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or its equivalent.
2. Official transcripts of all previous college work.
3. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the most recent 60 credits of coursework.
4. The GRE or MAT is required. The counseling program does not have an official cut-off score for admission and encourages applicants to view this as one piece of their overall application. We do suggest students aim to score 386 or higher on the MAT, or 290 or higher (Verbal + Quantitative) on the GRE for admission. Scores may be no more than 5 years old. Prospective students who have earned a master’s degree in the last 5 years may include a letter in their application requesting that the MAT/GRE requirement be waived based on previous success in graduate school. The VCU Code for admission testing is 5570. Department codes are not necessary. Please note that there is a fee reduction program (link: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees/reductions/) run by ETS, the publisher of the GRE, for individuals facing financial hardship.
5. Three letters of recommendation from instructors or professional references addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education.
6. Personal Statement. Your personal statement should include a description of the experiences that led you to pursue this degree as well as your career goals. The statement should also include your perceived aptitude for forming effective and culturally relevant interpersonal relationships with clients. Culture is defined broadly and includes ability/disability status, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/partnership status, and socioeconomic status. Please comment on your experience with diverse populations in your personal statement. Also comment on how you exhibit the Professional Performance Standards upon which you will be evaluated in the program (The Professional Practice Standards are located in the Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook  at the following website: https://soe.vcu.edu/current-students/student-handbooks/).
7. Personal interview is required. Once all applications are reviewed by the Counselor Education Program faculty, selected applicants may be invited to interview during the Spring semester. M.Ed. interviews will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019.

Admission requirements and procedures

The following is specific admissions requirements for acceptance into the doctoral program in counselor education.

1. Completion of a master’s degree from a CACREP-accredited counseling program or a master’s degree in a related field and coursework that meets the CACREP curricular and clinical experiences for entry-level programs is required.
2. Satisfactory scores on GRE. Applicants are expected to score 290 or higher (Verbal + Quantitative) on the GRE for admission. Scores may be no more than 5 years old. The VCU Code for admission testing is 5570. Department codes are not necessary.
3. At least two years of professional counseling experience is preferred.
4. Three letters of recommendation, including at least one letter from a former professor and one letter from a professional colleague are required.
5. The department also requires a writing sample. Applicants should submit a letter of intent that includes personal and professional short-term and long-term goals; an anticipated time frame for completing the degree; anticipated possible challenges in achievement of degree and goals; the knowledge, skills and experience that has prepared the candidate to seek degree at this time; and current research interests.
6. Current resume/vita.

For more details, watch the video from our doctoral program webinar.

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