Professional School Counseling, Master of Arts Counseling - U.S.A.
The M.A. in Counseling is for students who want to work as licensed counselor and/or certified school counselor in Washington State. The program trains well-rounded counselors for the realities of daily practice. It emphasizes an understanding of theory and its application to practice. Students are introduced to a broad range of professional counseling issues through a breadth of course work, delivered by core and practitioner faculty. Supported practica and internships focus on the delivery of counseling services, and assist students to develop a coherent and ethical framework for practice. The M.A. in Counseling program has specialization tracks in Addiction Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling, and Professional School Counseling.
The Master of Arts in Counseling will prepare students to:
- Recognize and apply professional ethical standards including clear and appropriate relationships with clients/students, colleagues, and the community.
- Collaborate with people of diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, religious beliefs, and socio-economic status.
- Develop self-awareness into beliefs about what impacts personal development.
- Formulate a personal philosophy of counseling grounded in these beliefs.
- Appraise the impact of work-related issues on the mental health and wellness.
- Establish and maintain effective counseling relationships.
- Employ counseling techniques that are consistent with the selected theoretical approach.
- Recognize and positively influence intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics when leading and co-leading groups.
- Gather information to assess needs and next steps in the counseling process, including assessment for suicide/homicide risk and report requirements for abuse/neglect.
- Locate community resources and critically evaluate research related to core areas of counseling practice.
- Produce written communication that meets professional standards.
- Develop multicultural and social justice counseling competencies through gaining a systemic understanding for the influence of cultural background in presenting problems and the role of counselors in promoting social justice and the well-being of the greater community.
In addition to City University of Seattle's graduate admission requirements, found under Admissions in the catalog menu, students in this program must also meet the requirements listed below:
- A cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 in undergraduate degree program.
- Three (3) confidential letters of professional reference.
- A writing sample defining professional goals and addressing past and current experience relevant to becoming a counselor. Guidelines for writing the sample paper will be sent from the academic advising office. The writing sample will be used to determine whether minimum qualifications have been met for admission to the program.
- CV/resume.
- Completed, signed background information form, with a history free of convictions for criminal misdemeanors and felonies. Applicants who have such a history may be denied a professional credential at the state level (see RCW 18.130 for US program). The background information form must be submitted prior to the interview process.
- Interview with the program director/coordinator or designee. The interview will be used to determine whether minimum qualifications have been met for admission to the program.
Total Required Credits (90 Credits)
Core CACREP Areas (45 Credits)
| COUN 501 | Introduction to Counseling Practice | 5 |
| COUN 502 | Systemic Theory: Multicultural Counseling | 5 |
| COUN 503 | Human Growth and Development | 5 |
| COUN 510 | Professional Ethics and Law | 5 |
| COUN 514 | Research Methods and Statistics | 5 |
| COUN 562 | System Theory: Trauma Counseling and Disaster Mental Health | 5 |
| COUN 525 | Testing and Assessment | 5 |
| COUN 526 | Counseling Theory | 5 |
| COUN 527 | Group Counseling | 5 |
Required Courses Outside of the Core (32 Credits)
| COUN 512 | Systemic Theory: Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | 5 |
| COUN 561 | Introduction to School Counseling and ASCA Models | 5 |
| COUN 564 | Career Counseling in School Settings | 5 |
| COUN 567 | Advanced Child Development and Play Theory | 5 |
| COUN 569 | Child and Adolescent Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology | 5 |
| COUN 529 | Addictions and Co-Occurring Perspectives | 3 |
| COUN 692 | Capstone Project and Comprehensive Examination | 4 |
Internships/Practica (13 Credits)