M.S. Ed. in Counseling

The Counseling program is intended to prepare competent mental health professionals for the counseling field. The program offers concentrations in School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling, with specializations in community or college counseling, both leading to the M.S. in Education degree. These respective concentrations prepare counselors for provisional certification as school counselors, or licensed mental health counselors in New York State, as well as for work in community mental health settings or for work in college counseling centers.
 

School Counseling (48 Credits)

The 48 credit School Counseling concentration is intended to prepare professionals for the demanding task of meeting the needs of children and adolescents in K-12 school settings. The program leads to provisional NYS school counselor certification.

Competencies in working with students, parents, teachers and administrators are developed through a combination of course work in theory, application, and the internships in school counseling. Competence in school counseling is gained through course work in:

traditional and comprehensive developmental and preventative guidance programs
child and adolescent development and psychology
theory-based and specialized interventions
counseling skills to meet the unique needs of students, and
tests, measurement and appraisal.

The internships in school counseling allow students to take knowledge gained from course work and apply it to practical situations in a school setting. This is done under the cooperative supervision of a New York State-certified school counselor and a faculty liaison. There are no electives in this concentration, which allows course work to be focused within the concentration.
 

Mental Health Counseling Concentration: Community (60 credits)

The 60 credit Mental Health Counseling Community concentration is intended to prepare licensed professional counselors to address the clinical needs of children, adolescents and adults in a variety of mental health and community settings. Competencies in working with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities are developed through a combination of course work in theory, application, and internship experiences. Course work introduces students to current theory and research in counseling across the life span, as well as a variety of psychological disorders.

Students develop competence in mental health counseling approaches through course work in:

mental health counseling interventions
assessment and appraisal
case management and consultation
family violence
social and cross-cultural counseling methods, and
internships in a mental health or community agency setting.

The internships in mental health counseling provide students with opportunities to develop additional skills related to effective community mental health counseling practice. Interns are supervised by a licensed mental health professional at their internship sites and a faculty liaison. Electives may be taken in child, adolescent or adult development, school or college counseling, special education, or any special topics courses in counseling.
 

Mental Health Counseling Concentration: College (60 credits)

The 60 credit Mental Health Counseling College concentration is intended to prepare licensed professional counselors to address the diverse clinical needs of college and university students. Competencies in working with students, staff, and administrators are developed through a combination of course work in theory, application, and internship experiences. Students are prepared to work as mental health counselors in a college counseling setting through coursework that includes:

the United States college experience
student affairs programming
consultation
community mental health counseling, and
supervised internships in a college or university counseling center and a community mental health setting

Competence in student affairs work is gained through course work in:

student development theories
programming strategies
consultation, and
social and cultural foundations.

The internships in college counseling and community mental health settings provide students with a supervised experience in mental health counseling. This allows students to integrate theory with practice. Interns are supervised by licensed mental health professionals at their internship sites and a faculty liaison. Electives may be taken in child, adolescent, or adult development, school or mental health counseling, special education, or special topics courses in counseling.

Students interested in a less clinical counseling program who are still interested in working with college students may want to examine the College Student Services Adminstration degree.