Counseling Program Admission and Completion Requirements
Program Admission
The Counseling program limits its enrollment to a cohort of 22 new students each fall and 22 each spring. The Counseling program does not have an application deadline. Completed applications for a particular cohort will be accepted until that cohort is filled. Any other applications received after that will be considered for the next cohort. Therefore, students are encouraged to apply early.
Application Requirements
- An undergraduate bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university;
- An overall undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 or 2.75 on the last 60 hours (2.75 minimum overall GPA is required for school counseling applicants);
- A competitive score on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
- A successful interview with program faculty;
- A Professional Essay; and
- Two Completed Reference Forms.
Note: Applications may be submitted prior to taking the MAT or GRE exam.
As noted In the above admission requirements for graduate study, applicants to the Counseling program must submit a professional essay. This essay should be 4 to 6 paragraphs in length and contain a brief statement of long-range professional goals in counseling. The applicant’s name and track of choice should be included at the top of the essay. This essay will be used by the department admissions committee in selecting applicants for the program, and no application will be reviewed without the essay. In addition, an interview with the counseling faculty will be required. Applicants will be contacted regarding the scheduling of this interview after all other application materials have been received. A candidate must also present evidence of a clear criminal background check.
Program Retention
Students enrolled in graduate programs are required to maintain a minimum of a 3.00 grade point average both for each semester in which classes are taken and cumulatively in order to retain good academic standing status. Note: students enrolled in the School Counseling (SC) Track are required to maintain a minimum 3.25 grade point average to comply with ALSDE requirements for completion and certification. If a student’s cumulative GPA or individual semester GPA (or both) falls below 3.00 (SC: 3.25), then the student will be placed on academic warning status. This warning period begins the first semester of enrollment immediately following the one in which the student’s cumulative or individual GPA (or both) fell below the 3.00 minimum (SC: 3.25). The student is then given one term of enrollment in which to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 (SC: 3.25). Summer sessions count as one term. Failure to raise the GPA to the required minimum as prescribed above will result in termination from the graduate program.
The minimum passing grade for a graduate course is C. A course may be repeated only one time if a grade lower than C is assigned and the hours will be counted as hours attempted. Courses may be repeated only at the University. Once a semester, the counseling faculty reviews all student files to evaluate student performance of Program Objectives (p. 6) and Program Professional Dispositions (p. 9). Students receive notifications of the outcome of reviews regarding their progress in the program through letters of satisfactory progress, letters of exceptional progress, or letters of concern. Behaviors of concern include, but are not limited to, excessive tardiness or absenteeism, academic problems, disrespectful behaviors toward other students, faculty, staff, guest speakers, and clinical supervisors, impairments such as signs of substance abuse, unprofessional behavior, and violations of ethical standards or making statements inconsistent with the ethical standards of the American Counseling Association.
Completion Requirements
Although the following curriculum outline is similar for the clinical mental health and school counseling tracks, the track selected will determine the specific courses, as well as the practicum and internship placement. Students in the School Counseling track must complete their internship in a school setting in order to qualify for the Class A Certificate in School Counseling. School Counseling students must also earn a passing score on the Praxis II and the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test in order to qualify for certification. Students in the School Counseling track will be required to take a special-education course if they have not previously done so. In addition, all students must earn a satisfactory score on a comprehensive examination covering the eight content areas required by CACREP. Students who do not pass the comprehensive exam in three attempts will be required to complete remediation determined by the faculty prior to a subsequent attempt. Each subsequent attempt will require additional remediation. A passing score must be achieved within the 6-year limit for degree completion or the degree will not be awarded. The passing score is 80 + Standard Error of Measurement S for the test administration. All students will be required to enroll in EDC 502 and EDC 515 during their first semester in the program unless otherwise specified by a faculty advisor. Students must earn a minimum grade of B in EDC 541 in order to enroll in the internship. Students must also earn a minimum grade of C in the internship to successfully complete and graduate from the program.