Community Counseling Master's Program
Program Overview
Mission
The Community Counseling Master's Program has as its mission world class graduate-level training in the art and science of mental health in order to produce Professional Counselors/Professional Clinical Counselors who effectively enhance the lives of individuals, groups, and communities.
It is expected that graduates from the Community Counseling Master’s Program will gain: (1) a professional identity founded on human growth/wellness from a holistic perspective, (2) knowledge about bio-psycho-social causes of client distress and social/occupational impairments, (3) skills related to the enhancement of human development as well as the treatment of psychopathology, and (4) confidence/competence related to improving one’s community through individual, group, and societal advocacy and outreach.
Unique aspects of the program identified by students, administrators and community professionals include:
- Continuous CACREP accreditation since 1985--a founding CACREP-accredited program
- International attention through Chi Sigma Iota Counseling academic and Professional Honor Society award recognition--among over 250 chapters around the world, the Alpha Upsilon Chapter won the 2007 International Outstanding Chapter Award and an additional 5 international-level awards over the past seven years, including outstanding practitioner, doctoral student and entry-level student awards
- A 2006 95.7% pass rate on the licensure examination (National Counselor Exam), compared to a 79% national pass rate
- Clinical training at the renowned Clinic for Individual & Family Counseling--students are trained in a unique supervised facility using the most advanced technology among Ohio's counseling programs
- A diverse student population--the program is known for actively recruiting students of differing ethnicities, ages, lifestyles, physical exceptionalities, genders, cultures and nationalities (e.g., students who are Nigerian, Japanese, Indian, Saudi Arabian, Filipino and others
- A unique academic focus on diversity, advocacy, and social justice work
- Faculty professional diversity, including professional counselors, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, marriage/family therapists--clinical supervisors range from doctoral-level private practitioners to executive directors of large community mental health agencies
Admission Standards and Procedures
Applicants are admitted the to Community Counseling Master's Program on a competitive basis according to qualifications and number of applicants.
Approximately 30 new students are admitted each year, both Fall and Spring semesters on a rolling basis (i.e first come, first interviewed with no formal admission deadlines). New applicants will not be admitted for a given semester once that admission cohort has been filled.
Before a new student may begin graduate-level coursework, he/she must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. To gain ‘full’ admission applicants must have received at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA for all undergraduate coursework, OR at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA for the last 64 credits of undergraduate coursework. To gain ‘provisional’ admission applicants must have received an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 or better. In addition to official undergraduate transcripts (stating the applicant’s GPA and bachelor’s degree received), application packets must include: (1) a Department of Counseling application supplement form and (2) three letters of reference on Department of Counseling reference forms. Once all application materials have been received/reviewed, applicants will be contacted for a face-to-face or phone interview. All application materials, including the personal interview, will be considered during the program's acceptance process.
Please click on the Community Counseling Master's Program Details link below for more information related to the application process/requirements.
Employment Objectives for Program Graduates
Graduates from the program report a very high employment rate. The Community Counseling Master's Program prepares students to gain the Ohio Professional Counselor/Professional Clinical Counselor license. Depending upon each student’s interests/specialty areas, graduates will have the opportunity to work clinically with children, adolescents, and adults. Graduates will be prepared to work with individuals (one-on-one), groups, and communities (through consultation and advocacy). Professional Counselors/Professional Clinical Counselors may also treat couples/families if education/supervised training has been received in that area. However, the primary client populations focused on in the Community Counseling Master’s Program are individuals, groups, and communities.
As community counselors, graduates are often employed by a community mental health agency. In this regard, graduates may work in outpatient, partial hospitalization, long-term residential, or inpatient settings. Graduates may also join or develop their own private practice in their community. Finally, graduates may gain employment in an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) focused on improving the occupational/personal lives of individuals at specific work settings. Addressing the Needs of the State and the Region
Student enrollment has increased over the past five years, reflecting the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (2006) report projecting faster than average job growth in the counseling profession through at least 2014. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2006) rapid job growth for mental health/community counselors is due to increasing demand and because “insurance companies are increasingly providing reimbursement of counselors as a less costly alternative to psychiatrists and psychologists.” Job growth in Ohio is expected to parallel this national trend. Mental health/community counselor was ranked 33 among the best jobs in America by Money Magazine (2006). Additional Information and Links
Community Counseling Master's Program Details
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