Mar 28, 2024  
2005-2007 EIU Graduate Catalog 
    
2005-2007 EIU Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Counseling


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Program Mission: The M. S. in Counseling provides dynamic curricula for students interested in obtaining certification as School counselors or licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC). Students choose a concentration either in Community or School Counseling, both fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These concentrations lead to a terminal degree and prepare students for employment either as School Counselors within K-12 school systems or as Community Counselors within mental health agencies, health care facilities, employee assistance programs (EAP), or human service agencies. Students who complete the program are eligible to pursue Ph.D./Ed.D. studies in Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and other related fields or to pursue specialized training in Marriage and Family Counseling, Play Therapy, or Private Practice.

Admission Requirements: To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all of the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (see “Admission to Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs”). In addition, students must:

  • Submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to the Graduate School;
  • Complete and submit the departmental admission application;
  • Submit two departmental recommendation forms from individuals familiar with applicant’s academic or work performance. (The department prefers academic reference if possible.)
  • Deadline for submitting materials: March 1st;
  • Based on application material supplied by departmental deadline, applicants will be screened to determine those who are invited to attend a Pre-Admission/Orientation Interview. Students to be admitted will be chosen from this invited group. If you are not selected for an interview, you may request your file to be held for next year’s review.
Admission requirements for Post Master’s students seeking alternative certification as a School Counselor: Post Master’s students seeking alternative certification as a School Counselor are required to request a transcript analysis by the department and meet admission requirements listed above.

Study Plan Approval: The study plan shall be approved by the department and filed with the student’s advisor prior to the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credits which count toward the graduate degree.

Degree Requirements


Degree requirements include those outlined for the master of science degree by the Graduate School (see “Requirements for the Master of Science Degree”).  The courses for the Master of Science in Counseling must total a minimum of 48 semester hours.  The plan, therefore, requires that the student complete the following courses identified below:

Curriculum for Concentration in School Counseling


Required Courses:

Total. Credits: 48

  • Electives. Credits: 6

Curriculum for Concentration in School Counseling without Teacher Certification


For students accepted into the School Counseling program who are not certified as a teacher, the following additional courses are required. (Note: These courses cannot be counted as electives.)
SPE 2000 Disabilities in the Context of Education and the Life Span- Credits: 2
EDF 5500 Curriculum Development- Credits: 3 
EDF 5510 Social Foundations for Educational Practice- Credits: 3 
In addition to the coursework, these students are required to submit to a criminal background investigation and obtain a passing score on the Illinois Test of Basic Skills prior to Practicum (for post master’s students seeking alternative certification, these items are due prior to Internship.) The criminal background investigation is conducted by the Department of Human Resources and the College of Education and Professional Studies. Students are responsible for the cost of these background investigations.

Curriculum for the Concentration in Community Counseling


Required Courses:

Total. Credits: 48

Graduate Assistantships


Information on graduate assistantships may be obtained by contacting the Department of Counseling and Student Development by phone 217-581-2400, email csdag@eiu.ed, or in person Room 2102, Buzzard Hall, EIU.

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