Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2007-08 
    
Graduate Catalog 2007-08 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Arts in Counselor Education


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Advisors:
Mary Anderson, Gary Bischof, Carla Adkison-Bradley, Stephen Craig, James Croteau, Lonnie Duncan, Suzanne Hedstrom, Alan Hovestadt, Phillip Johnson, Norman M. Kiracofe, Kelly McDonnell, Jerry E. McLaughlin, Joseph Morris, Patrick Munley, Eric Sauer, Jennifer Wiebold.
Department Office, Room 3102, Sangren Hall.

The program options leading to a Master of Arts in Counselor Education are designed to prepare individuals for entry level positions in counseling, rehabilitation, and student affairs practice in a variety of educational and non-educational settings. The program options are:

  1. Community Counseling a, d
  2. School Counseling: Elementary a, b, d; Secondary a, b, d; or School Counselor License, K-12 a, c, d
  3. College Counseling a, d
  4. Rehabilitation Counseling a, e is offered as part of the Rehabilitation Counseling/Teaching program (RCTM) which is jointly administered by the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology and the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies.

Superscript (a,b,c,d,e) Definitions

a Leads to Michigan license as a counselor.

b Leads to endorsement as a counselor on a current, valid Michigan teaching certificate.

c Prepares students who do not hold a valid Michigan Teaching Certificate for school counselor license recommendation in Michigan.

d Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

e Accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)

Admission Requirements


Admission to one of the options above is based upon grade point average, educational background, counseling and/or student affairs related experiences, as well as other factors. Prior to consideration by the M.A. Admissions Committee, applicants are required to complete and return a questionnaire indicating, among other things, the program option desired. Interviews, letters of recommendation, test scores, and other material may be required.

The Department has three different application deadlines for M.A. program admissions during the year: January 15, for ensuing Summer and Fall semesters, May 15, also for the ensuing Fall semester, and September 15 for the following Spring semester. Applicants interested in beginning their graduate master’s degree studies in the Fall semester are encouraged to meet the January 15 application deadline. This allows applicants to receive admission offers well in advance of the fall semester. Also, applicants who plan to seek assistantships or campus employment beginning in the fall semester should apply by January 15 to be competitive for such assistance or positions. Applicants must complete a WMU graduate application and a Department application.

Applications materials may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Orientation and from the Department, and are also available on-line through links on the WMU Office of Admissions and Department webpages. Upon admission, each student is assigned an advisor who will assist in preparing a program of study. It is recommended that the program of study, which also serves as the application for candidacy, be completed during the first semester or session of enrollment.

The department recognizes the importance of increasing the educational opportunities of racial minority students, as well as the importance of ensuring an increased diversity of role models in the fields represented by its training programs. Therefore, the department strives to create an atmosphere conducive to the concerns of racial minorities and diverse populations, to integrate these concerns into programs and course offerings, and to fulfill its commitment to recruit, admit, support, and graduate a diverse population of students prepared for their chosen careers.

Program Requirements


All program options require a minimum of forty-eight semester hours of course work.  The program of study for each of the options includes seven, three-semester-hour, core courses.  Curriculum guides for the program options are available from the Department office.

Students are expected to work with advisors in order to be informed of policies, course offerings, prerequisites, and applications required for designated courses.  A student’s performance and progress will be evaluated throughout the program.  This process includes “check points,” such as candidacy, assignment of a grade below “B” in any course, and final evaluation prior to graduation.  The student is referred to the Department’s Policy on Retention.

The Community Counseling program incorporates coursework in research methods, group dynamics, tests and measurement, counseling theory, counseling techniques, professional issues and ethics, multicultural counseling, lifespan development, career development, and community counseling. The program includes a 600-hour internship at a community/agency setting. Graduates of this program are prepared to work in a variety of professional counseling settings. This option leads to licensure as a professional counselor.

Programs in School Counseling (Elementary, Secondary, or School Counselor License) incorporate courses emphasizing counseling theory and practice, ethics, testing/appraisal, career development, and psychoeducational consultation.  In addition, students desiring school counselor certification will elect courses related to the administration of pupil personnel services in elementary and/or secondary schools.  A license as a professional counselor may be earned through this option.

The College Counseling program is designed to prepare counselors to work in post-secondary educational setting (universities, four-year colleges, community colleges and technical institutes/colleges). The College Counseling option accents college student development, individual and group counseling, ethics, and foundations of college counseling. The program includes a 600-hour supervised counseling internship experience in a college setting.  This option leads to licensure as a professional counselor.

The Rehabilitation Counseling option is offered in conjunction with the Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Teaching.  The seventy-six hour Rehabilitation Counseling/Teaching degree program prepares a dually competent practitioner who is able to provide both rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation teaching skills.  Application for the dual Master of Arts degree in rehabilitation counseling/teaching (RCT) is made through the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies.  Upon completion of the RCT program, the individual earns a Master of Arts in Counselor Education: Rehabilitation Counseling and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Teaching.

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