Counseling, MA

48 credit hours

The counseling school certification preparation program has the option for candidates to complete coursework for MO K-12 school counselor certification and, if desired, professional licensure in Missouri. Graduates of the master’s in counseling program are qualified to work in a variety of schools and other settings.

The Master of Arts in counseling program is intensive and comprehensive, requiring a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework and applied experience.

Admission to the counseling program school counseling certification preparation (48 credit hours) is selective. To be considered for admission applicants must submit the following:

Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree
Completed application to Graduate Admissions
Current résumé with 3 professional references
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at the highest degree awarded

The American Counseling Association code of ethics (2014) requires that institutions providing counselor education screen students for professional, personal, and academic fit within the profession of counseling. Completion and graduation from the MA in counseling programs require successful completion of all graduate courses with appropriate academic success; development of appropriate interpersonal and counseling skills evidencing competency as a counselor; and being deemed fit for the counseling profession by program faculty as determined by development of counseling knowledge, skills, and counselor formation, interpersonal relations with others in the program, and openness to supervision and feedback.

Acceptance into the MA in counseling program is required in order for potential counseling candidates to enroll in the preliminary courses, IPC 51000 - Foundations of School Counseling (3) or IPC 51100 - Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3). These foundations classes will be considered screening classes. Foundations instructors will evaluate all students using the Pre-Service Counselor Candidate Disposition Assessment introduced at
the beginning of the Foundations classes (see Program Handbooks at www.lindenwood.edu/counseling) in the middle of the program in counseling theories (IPC 55200 and IPC 55300 , respectively) and when enrolled in field and internship experiences. Any student identified by Foundations instructors as lacking clinical or academic potential to develop a career as a clinical mental health or counselor will be referred to the counseling review board to determine whether or not the candidate will continue in the program or receive remedial actions (e.g., personal counseling or an action plan developed by the candidate and the advisor). This review board will be made up of the head of the department, a full-time faculty member, and an
adjunct faculty member. The review board will make recommendations to remediate the student. Efforts at remediation will be reviewed again the following semester. If sufficient progress has been made, the student will continue in the program. If the student demonstrates the same or additional deficits, as described above, the student may be removed from the program.

Students admitted to the MA in counseling degree program must attain a 3.0 GPA for the first 12 hours of graduate course work with no grade less than a B nor a report from any instructor, program staff, or advisor for minor or major concerns according to the Pre-Service Counselor Candidate Disposition Assessment. Failure to maintain such standards will result in the candidate being referred to the remediation committee to determine if the student will continue in the program. It is the objective of the counseling program to, as early as possible; identify students who demonstrate difficulty achieving the
standards for competent practice and to initiate appropriate intervention to assist them. Thus, the faculty of the counseling program reserves the right to review students at any stage of their coursework. A student earning any grade less than a B in IPC 51000 or IPC 51100 , IPC 52401 , IPC 55100 or IPC 55300 , or IPC 61100 , IPC 62000 , IPC 63000 , (clinical practicum and internships) or IPC 62100 , or IPC 62400 (school field placements) will be allowed to
repeat the course one time and must earn a grade of B or better to continue in the program. In addition, any instructor may submit a Pre-Service Counselor Candidate Disposition Assessment form to the remediation committee to ensure appropriate professional and clinical disposition and skills are being practiced, during the program. The counseling remediation committee, however initiated, may result in the termination of the student’s degree program or the development of a persistence plan. Persistence plans are developed to ensure skills that are essential to the development of competent and ethical practices as a clinical mental health counselor or as a counselor serving in the schools or professional practice settings.

Completion of the counseling program is contingent on meeting the following criteria:

Maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0 in Counseling coursework; and
Completing the required number of courses, based on the current curriculum; and
Completing an electronic portfolio
Satisfactory resolution of any disposition documentation provided by candidate’s instructors; and
Receiving satisfactory evaluations from site supervisors during internship or field placement experiences; and
Passing the comprehensive examination Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) in the CMHC clinical mental health counseling candidates. Missouri School Counseling students must pass the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA): Missouri School Counseling Content Assessment, test MO056 as an exit requirement.

Note: Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has raised the criteria for certification as a school counselor. State regulations can and do change and all counseling candidates must meet Missouri DESE requirements to complete this Missouri approved certification program. Current Missouri requirements can be found online at http://dese.mo.gov/eq/ and your counseling advisor will help you understand what you are required to do to meet those standards. Currently, a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for all school counseling coursework.

All students are periodically reviewed to assess their academic progress. Only those students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue.

Students completing the Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling must obtain a minimum of 700 hours of supervised internship experience of which 100 are completed during a Practicum. Internship placements may be arranged with a variety of mental health agencies that provide counseling services to clients that have been approved through the Counseling Department. Internship students receive individual supervision from qualified professionals at their field sites and will also participate in a group supervision course conducted by a faculty member of the Counseling Department. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum and Internship Handbook specifies the details for the practicum and internship experience.

Students completing the 48 credit hour counseling, school certification preparation program, must obtain a minimum of 400 hours of field placement experience in an approved school setting. The school counseling program now requires 100 hours at an alternative grade level building to qualify for MO DESE k-12 certification. Students completing their field placement experiences receive individual supervision from a certified school counselor at their site and will participate in a group supervision course conducted by a faculty member of the Counseling Department. The School Counseling Handbook specifies the details for both field placement experiences.

Exit requirements vary by program. Brief descriptions of the exit requirements are provided in the following sections. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Handbook and the School Counseling Handbook.

Background Check

Some states will not provide a clinical mental health counseling license to those with a failed background check. If an applicant or student has questions regarding such, the student should check with the state clinical mental health counseling licensure board, preferably prior to applying to the MA in counseling program. A conviction, guilty plea, or nolo contendere plea involving a crime involving drugs, moral turpitude, or other criminal charges may prohibit licensure or employment as a school or professional counselor.

Students submitting applications for Missouri field placements in school counseling are required to apply for a Missouri substitute certificate, Type 70 and a Family Care Safety Registry application. Students are responsible for all associated fees.

Also, note that some professional internship sites require completion of a background check prior to commitment to the internship. All background checks are at the expense of the student.

Citizenship/authorized alien/immigrant status is now a prerequisite for a professional license by an agency of a State or local government under Title 8 US Code Section 1621.

Requirements

Major Coursework

45 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

EDU 57000 - Educational Research Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 51000 - Foundations of School Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 51200 - Ethics and Professional Issues Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 51300 - Principles of School Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 52100 - Human Growth and Development Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 52300 - Adjustment and Learning Issues in Children and Adolescents Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 55300 - Theories of Counseling Children and Adolescents Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 56100 - Group Dynamics, Process and Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 56200 - Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 57500 - Family and School Consulting Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 58100 - Appraisal of the Individual Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 58200 - Lifestyle and Career Development Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 58300 - Analysis of the Individual Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 62100 - Field Placement 1 Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 62400 - Field Placement 2 K-12 Credit Hour(s): 3

Elective Coursework

3 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

IPC 52200 - Personality Theories and Psychopathology Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 52401 - Adult Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 53100 - Family Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 53200 - Marital Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 54200 - Statistical Analysis Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 56400 - Crisis Intervention Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 56500 - Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 59000-59999 - Special Topics in Counseling Credit Hour(s): 1-6
IPC 61002 - Peer Helping Programs Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 61003 - Spirituality and Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 61004 - Adult Survivors of Trauma Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 61005 - Clinical Hypnotherapy Credit Hour(s): 6
IPC 61006 - Grief Counseling Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 61007 - Core Communication Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 62101 - Field Placement 1 Extension Credit Hour(s): 0
IPC 62201 - Field Placement 2 K-8 Extension Credit Hour(s): 0
IPC 62301 - Field Placement 2 7-12 Extension Credit Hour(s): 0
IPC 62401 - Field Placement 2 K-12 Extension Credit Hour(s): 0
IPC 62500 - Individual Intelligence Testing Credit Hour(s): 3
IPC 62600 - Individual Diagnostic Assessment Credit Hour(s): 3

Education Coursework

9 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

Students seeking certification under this degree program must hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate as required to teach in public schools in Missouri or complete the following education classes to be eligible for certification.

The Counseling Department offers a cluster of these three education courses, to be taken concurrently, which requires access to and familiarity with the internet and Canvas. If students elect to take these education courses separately (or have taken one or two equivalent education classes previously), they may take the education classes through another program, such as Curriculum and Instruction. Undergraduate equivalent courses are accepted.

EDC 52100 - Classroom Teaching/Management for Counselors Credit Hour(s): 3
EDC 53500 - Teaching Methods for Counselors Credit Hour(s): 3
EDC 54100 - Education of the Exceptional Child for Counselors Credit Hour(s): 3

Field Placement Requirement

Students in the school counseling track are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field placement experience. Field Placement 1 (IPC 62100) requires a minimum of 200 clock hours. Field Placement 2 (IPC 62400) requires a minimum of 200 clock hours. All field placements must be in K-12 settings under the supervision of a certified school counselor with a minimum of 3 years full-time experience as a certified school counselor. A minimum of 100 hours must be spent at an alternative grade level building. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to begin Field Placement 1 or Field Placement 2 and be placed at an approved K-12 site through the Office of Field and Clinical Experiences. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Field Placement (IPC 62100 and IPC 62400 ) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an incomplete in IPC 62100 and are unable to complete at least half the required field placement hours, they must enroll in Field Placement 2 K-12 Extension (IPC 62101) for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. If students take an incomplete in Field Placement 2 , regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in IPC 62401 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.

MO K-12 Certification Requirement

If a student was MO certified prior to September 1, 2021 as k-8 or 7-12 certification levels and is seeking to become k-12 certified, they are required to earn 100 hours at an alternative grade level building other than their current certification level. In such cases, students may enroll in a 3 credit-hour IPC 62499 , K-12 bridge course.

Exit Requirements

In order to fulfill degree requirements, each student completes IPC 60500 (Comprehensive Examination) by passing the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA): Missouri Content Assessment, test MO056 MEGA Counselor. During the program, each student will also complete all state required assessments. In addition, each student will purchase and compile an electronic portfolio demonstrating competencies as delineated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards, to be completed by the end of Field Placement 2 . Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the School Counseling Handbook.