All students who are pursuing a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education must complete core courses with some additional work needed based on program requirements. This program satisfies University and College of Education requirements and is part of the requirements needed prior to taking the NCE examination of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the CRC examination of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). This program is also approved by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission of Oregon. Students should work with their advisers in the process of understanding the licensure requirements of both of these credentialing groups.
The primary purpose of the Counselor Education department is to educate competent counselors for public and private schools, community behavioral health agencies and rehabilitation settings. The program is designed to strengthen competencies in the behavioral sciences and to broaden the students’ background in human growth and development, counseling theories and interventions, interpersonal relations, individual and group processes, career counseling, assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, research and program evaluation, and multicultural aspects of counseling.
Students may pursue one of four areas of specialization within the Counselor Education department: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; School Counseling; Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. This is primarily an evening program. The program takes three years to complete.
Students can choose (a) written comprehensive exam, (b) thesis, or (c) professional portfolio (for school counseling students only). Thesis credits are in addition to the required credits for graduation. The thesis must be no less than 6 credits and no more than 9 credits.
Note: Students in all four specializations must complete COUN 541 Introduction to Counseling and one course in psychopathology prior to admission or before enrollment in the fall term of the first sequence of coursework. Additional prerequisites are specified for students in the School Counseling specialization (see “Licensure”). Courses numbered 808 are not allowed.
Core courses (56 credits)
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization prepares individuals to work as counselors in a range of private and public clinical mental health settings, including outpatient and inpatient treatment agencies, community mental health, counseling centers at colleges and universities, and in private practice. This program intentionally integrates a multicultural and social justice-oriented lens throughout our coursework and clinical experiences. The program of study leading to an M.A./M.S. in Counselor Education with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization must include the following 90 credits:
Courses
| Coun 507 | Crisis Assessment and Intervention | 1 |
| Coun 544 | Consultation: Theory and Practice | 2 |
| Coun 546 | Grief and Loss | 2 |
| Coun 552 | Theories and Interventions II | 3 |
| Coun 553 | Advanced Therapeutic Strategies | 3 |
| Coun 572 | Systemic Perspectives on Human Sexuality | 3 |
| Coun 575 | Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 577 | Family Therapy | 3 |
| | or | |
| Coun 578 | Couples Therapy | 3 |
| Coun 586 | Psychopharmacology and Mental Illness | 3 |
| Coun 587 | Foundations of Mental Health Services | 3 |
| Coun 588 | Diagnosis and Treatment Planning II | 3 |
| | Electives | 5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 90 |
Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Specialization
Clinical Rehabilitation Counselors provide services to individuals with disabilities who are psychologically and vocationally adjusting to the disability experience. The Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program prepare graduates to work in a wide variety of clinical mental health and rehabilitation settings, including public mental health agencies, public and private community counseling agencies, employee assistance programs, day treatment and inpatient hospital settings, private practice, group practice, community colleges, university settings, and public and private vocational rehabilitation agencies. Our CRC master’s degree is organized around core foundation courses, an intensive on-campus practicum training clinic experience, interpersonal growth experiences, advanced theory and practice courses, and a culminating half-time field internship placement. Our program consists of 90 graduate credits designed to meet CACREP national accreditation standards for professional counselors and the academic degree requirements to become licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Oregon and other states.
Courses
| | Core coursework | 56 |
| Coun 552 | Theories and Interventions II | 3 |
| Coun 575 | Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 586 | Psychopharmacology and Mental Illness | 3 |
| Coun 587 | Foundations of Mental Health Services | 3 |
| Coun 588 | Diagnosis and Treatment Planning II | 3 |
| Coun 590 | Foundation of Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 591 | Medical Aspects of Disability | 3 |
| Coun 592 | Psychosocial Aspects of Disability | 3 |
| Coun 593 | Case Management | 3 |
| Coun 594 | Occupational Analysis/Vocational Evaluation | 3 |
| Coun 595 | Contemporary Issues and Applications in Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| | Elective | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 90 |
Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Specialization
The Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Program prepares individuals for specialized practice with relationships and families. The program emphasizes developmental systems thinking and relationship-focused counseling skills, with special attention paid to sociocultural factors, equity, and social justice in relationship and family practice. Graduates are trained to work as professional counselors in mental health centers, community agencies, private practice, and additional settings. The program leads to an M.A./M.S. in Counselor Education with specialty in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling, and requires completion of the following 90 credits:
Courses
| | Core coursework | 56 |
| Coun 552 | Theories and Interventions II | 3 |
| Coun 572 | Systemic Perspectives on Human Sexuality | 3 |
| Coun 573 | Contemporary Couples, Marriage, and Family Systems | 3 |
| Coun 574 | Family Life Cycle and Transitions | 3 |
| Coun 575 | Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 577 | Family Therapy | 3 |
| Coun 578 | Couples Therapy | 3 |
| Coun 579 | Advanced Systemic Interventions: Couples and Families | 3 |
| Coun 555 | Counseling Children and Youth | 3 |
| Coun 588 | Diagnosis and Treatment Planning II | 3 |
| Coun 544 | Consultation: Theory and Practice | 2 |
| Coun 546 | Grief and Loss | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 90 |
School Counseling Specialization
The School Counseling specialization prepares individuals to work as counselors in school settings (P-12). Emphasis is placed on preparing school counselors to work with students to support them in the process of achieving academic, career, and personal/social success. Students who have a teaching license and two years teaching experience take 6 additional elective credits (Track I). Students who cannot document a teaching license and two years of teaching experience must complete a 6-credit, 200- hour Effective Teaching sequence to obtain licensure as a school counselor (see “Licensure") (Track II).
Courses
| | Core coursework | 56 |
| Coun 526 | Effective Teaching (Track I, 0 cr.; Track II, 6 cr.) | 0 or 6 |
| Coun 527 | Counseling Individuals with Diverse Needs | 3 |
| Coun 545 | Youth at Risk | 3 |
| Coun 546 | Grief and Loss | 2 |
| Coun 547 | Legal & Ethical Issues in School Counseling | 1 |
| Coun 555 | Counseling Children and Youth | 3 |
| Coun 575 | Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 576 | Parents, Families, and Communities in Schools | 3 |
| Coun 589 | Action Research in Counseling | 5 |
| Coun 596 | Foundations of School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN Electives | Electives (Track I, 8 cr.; Track II, 2 cr.) | 2 or 8 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 90 |