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Home > Academics > Graduate Degree Programs > Master of Arts in Professional Counseling
Master of Arts in Professional Counseling
Jim Cook, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Director of Master of Arts in Professional Counseling Program jhcook@mckendree.edu; Stanton House; (618) 537-6875
Tami Eggleston, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Program Mission
The graduate program in professional counseling is designed for individuals interested in pursuing careers in the clinical field, such as providing counseling to individuals, couples, and families. The program offers a practitioner-oriented education to individuals interested in becoming licensed as clinical professional counselors. The program faculty is committed to providing a dynamic education and thorough clinical training that prepares students to promote health and wellness in an ever-changing world. The program emphasizes both professional and personal development, recognizing that well-prepared professionals are those who possess relevant academic training, as well as the self-understanding and awareness needed to facilitate growth, development, and healing among others. An important emphasis of the program is to promote understanding of the ways in which difference and diversity impact each individual’s life experiences, opportunities, sense of self, and overall emotional well-being.
The program meets Illinois and Missouri state requirements for licensure as a professional counselor. Once licensed, graduates of the program are fully trained to function as therapists in private practice, community mental health settings, social service agencies, healthcare settings, and university counseling centers. Those who desire to do so could also market their skills to organizations as consultants or trainers.
Admission to the Program
The faculty of the Professional Counseling Program recommends students who present evidence of their potential for scholarly and clinical work. Such evidence includes:
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- The successful completion of the equivalent of six undergraduate credit hours in a behavioral science. Of these six credit hours, three hours must be in introduction to psychology. Students lacking these credit hours may be conditionally admitted to the program on the provision that deficiencies are corrected within one year. Once deficiencies are corrected, students should submit a transcript as proof of meeting this requirement.
- A 3.0 GPA on a four-point scale in undergraduate studies. Strong applicants with a GPA of 2.75-2.9 may be conditionally admitted. Conditional status will be removed provided that students maintain a minimum a 3.0 G.P.A. for the first 12 hours of graduate coursework with no grade lower than a B. Current undergraduates will be admitted on the basis of current transcripts – final admission status will be determined after receipt of a final transcript showing the student has graduated.
- Three letters of recommendation from master's or doctoral level professionals who can attest to the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate work in a clinical program. Recommendations from personal acquaintances (i.e., friends, church leaders, family members, etc.) are not acceptable. While letters of reference are acceptable for submission, we require each reference to complete our recommendation form.
- A 3-4 page statement describing interests in counseling as a career, personal strengths and weaknesses, perceived ability to successfully pursue/complete graduate work, and future career goals.
All applicants will not be admitted to the Program. Only those who are considered academically qualified for the Program are invited for an onsite interview with the Program Director or other graduate faculty member. The purpose of this interview is to assess the individual’s interpersonal skills and boundaries, as well as their suitability to pursue graduate level training in counseling. Those judged to possess the relevant ability will be offered admission to the Program.
Course Requirements
All students in the Professional Counseling Program are required to complete 48 credit hours in a minimum of two years. Students opting to write a thesis are required to take additional research courses that are not listed here.
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Course Number
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Course Title
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Credits
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PSY 590
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Foundations of Professional Counseling
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3
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PSY 600
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Counseling Theory
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3
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PSY 601
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Social & Cultural Foundations
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3
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PSY 602
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Professional & Ethical Issues
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3
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PSY 603
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Counseling Skills
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3
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PSY 604
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Maladaptive Behavior & Psychopathology
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3
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PSY 605
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Research & Evaluation
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3
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PSY 606
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Human Development & Learning
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3
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PSY 607
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Substance Abuse Counseling
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3
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PSY 608
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Individual Assessment
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3
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PSY 609
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Couples & Family Counseling
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3
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PSY 610
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Group Counseling
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3
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PSY 611
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Career Development & Counseling
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3
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PSY 635
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Counseling Practicum
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3
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PSY 637
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Internship I
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3
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PSY 638
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Internship II
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3
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Transfer Credits
All outstanding transfer work (a maximum of 12 credit hours) must be received in the form of an official transcript by the college within the first semester of enrollment.
Degree Requirements
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Students must declare their intent to graduate by completing a Degree Application (available in the Office of Academic Records) the semester prior to the anticipated graduation term;
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Complete a minimum of 48 credit hours with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00;
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Meet all requirements and performance standards for the degree program as contained in the catalogue effective at time of matriculation;
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Complete all degree requirements within seven (7) years of matriculation.
Fall and Spring courses are on an evening semester schedule. One non-clinical course (Research & Evaluation) is offered in a blended format, with some components of the course completed online.
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