Teaches the skills necessary for the professional practice of counseling and college student personnel work.

Location:

Shippensburg, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Counseling & Therapy

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Department of Counseling and College Student Personnel teaches the skills necessary for the professional practice of counseling and college student personnel work. Our emphasis on personal growth encourages each student to gain competencies, values, and beliefs that will enhance and facilitate the helping process. Ship’s MEd and MS in Counseling programs also facilitate the conceptualization of a professional role, which is not only relevant for the present, but also flexible enough to grow as new knowledge and development occurs.

We nurture students to become congruent lifelong learners, noble practitioners, and leaders in the profession who embrace inquiry, technology, and innovative practices. Through authentic relationships with invested faculty who model intentional practice based firmly in theory and cultural advocacy, students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be purposeful, effective practitioners with a strong sense of personal and professional identity.

Graduates have successfully obtained positions in elementary and secondary schools as well as major universities. Other graduates work in community mental health organizations, group homes, services agencies, substance abuse facilities, hospitals, and crisis units.

The department offers the following graduate degree specializations in counseling: Master of Education and certification as school counselors, Master of Science with specialization in clinical mental health counseling, Master of Science with specialization in college counseling or college student personnel.

The counseling and college student personnel program is a careful balance of theory with practice. Students are required to complete a minimum of three internships. Over the years, the department has established numerous sites for experiential learning. These sites include elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, public and private social service agencies, and hospitals. Learning sites are jointly selected between the advisor and student with advisement.

Because the department is accredited, a student may sit for the certification tests administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Upon successful completion of the National Counselor Exam, students are eligible to become Nationally Certified Counselors without additional supervised experience.

Students who complete 60 credits consistent with the Pennsylvania Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists are eligible for licensure as professional counselors; however, they must complete additional post-master’s supervisory experience in order to become licensed.

Graduate work in counseling and college student personnel is divided into three phases. Students should follow the sequence of course work within each phase as closely as possible. Frequent consultation with a faculty advisor is necessary. All students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

 

Master of Education and Certification: School Counseling Specialization (minimum 60 credits)

Master of Science: College Counseling Specialization (minimum 48 credits)

Master of Science: College Student Personnel Specialization (minimum 48 credits)

Master of Science: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization (minimum 60 credits)

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The department is also authorized by the State Board of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to offer certification programs in School Counseling. In addition, the College Student Personnel, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, College Counseling, and School Counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA). Accreditation in counseling is closely related to the credentialing process established by the American Counseling Association (ACA). The College Student Personnel program complies with standards promoted by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).

Financial Aid:

No

Requirements:

Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applicants to clinical mental health, student personnel, and college counseling specializations must present an official undergraduate transcript with a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average or successful completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Applicants to the elementary and secondary school counseling specializations must present an official undergraduate transcript with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average. GRE and MAT scores are not applicable to the elementary and secondary school counseling specializations. Applicants are expected to have a minimum of one year’s experience (paid or volunteer) in the area to which they are applying.

International Requirements:

The recommended score for the TOEFL is 68 for the internet-based test or 500 for the paper-based test. (Shippensburg University's test code for the TOEFL is 2657). The recommended score for IELTS is 6.0. International applicants from a country where English is the native/official language may be exempted from the TOEFL or IELTS requirement, however the GRE or GMAT is required.