Accelerated Degree Program
MA Counseling Psychology

Description of Program
The accelerated Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program allows undergraduate students to begin accumulating credits toward the completion of a master’s degree in counseling psychology while still enrolled in the Department of Psychology as undergraduate Psychology majors. Students participating in this program are allowed to take a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours during their senior year that will count towards completion of their bachelor’s degree. After completing the undergraduate degree, students are admitted to the master’s program in counseling psychology in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (CECP) in the College of Education and Human Development. At this point the graduate credits they earned as undergraduates are credited towards the completion of their master’s degree.

Students enrolling in the accelerated program for the maximum of 12 graduate credits would have 12 graduate credits applied to their undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition, students enrolled in the accelerated M.A. program pay undergraduate tuition for the 6000-level graduate courses they take as undergraduate students and these courses are included in the flat tuition rate. On completion of the undergraduate degree, the student is reclassified as a graduate student and must pay graduate tuition rates for the remaining classes in the M.A. program.

Students in this program will still need to complete their major requirements, minor requirements, general education or Western Essential Studies (WES) requirements, and complete a minimum of 122 credits to receive their bachelor’s degree.

Admission Criteria
Admission criteria for this program is available for undergraduate Psychology majors in the Department of Psychology. Students must have junior status at the time of application and have earned a minimum of 30 credit hours at WMU. They also must have a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.2. In addition, students must meet all admission requirements for the M.A. in Counseling Psychology and be accepted for admission by the CECP department.

Students who have received their bachelor’s degrees will be ineligible to apply for this program and retroactively claim credits to apply toward the M.A. degree.

Students applying for the accelerated Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University should follow the application deadlines and instructions.

Application

Admission procedures:

1. Early in the junior year, potential accelerated M.A. students should contact the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology to discuss the accelerated M.A. program, application and/or admissions requirements and procedures.
2. Students must submit an online application.
3. Upon acceptance to the accelerated M.A. program, the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (CECP) approves a conditional admission to the M.A. program pending completion of the bachelor’s degree. The effective term of admission to the M.A. program is the term following receipt of the bachelor’s degree.
4. After acceptance to the accelerated M.A. program, the student must meet with a CECP counseling psychology program faculty advisor, to complete an Accelerated Graduate Degree Program Course Approval form. This form specifies the four three credit hour courses that will be counted towards both the bachelor’s and M.A. degrees. This Accelerated Graduate Degree Course Approval form will then go to the student’s undergraduate advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) who will need to approve the four graduate courses to be included as part of the undergraduate program for the student’s senior year. This form will then be placed on file with the Registrar’s Office before these courses are taken, with a copy on file in CECP. The student will also complete an approved Counseling Psychology M.A. program of study form with the counseling psychology faculty program advisor. A copy of this completed form will be kept on file in the CECP office and submitted to the Registrar’s Office to become part of the student’s permanent file once the student is admitted to the master’s program in counseling psychology.

Requirements for continuing eligibility and graduation

1. The bachelor’s degree must be awarded within one calendar year after initial enrollment in the accelerated M.A. program. Students who fail to complete the bachelor’s degree in this time frame must reapply to be admitted to the M.A. program.
2. In order to move automatically into the M.A. program, students must achieve a grade of B or better in each graduate course being counted toward the bachelor’s degree. Students who do not meet this requirement will have the earned grade applied to their  undergraduate degree only and must reapply for admission to the M.A. program. Students who meet this requirement will be admitted as M.A. students (with the relevant graduate credits) in the next semester or session after receiving the bachelor’s degree.
3. Students must follow the program of study on file with the Registrar’s Office. Failure to do so may result in ineligibility for the accelerated M.A. program.
4. A student completing the undergraduate degree with a GPA of less than 3.0 automatically will be ineligible for the accelerated M.A. program.
5. Students must complete the requirements for the M.A. degree within 24 months after completion of the bachelor’s degree. Students unable to meet this requirement must apply for an extension from the CECP department.
6. Students who have completed the accelerated M.A. program will have this noted on their undergraduate and graduate transcripts.

Withdrawal
A student may withdraw from the accelerated M.A. program by informing the Department Chair in CECP in writing. A copy of the request to withdraw must also be submitted to the Registrar’s office.