Program Director: Sachin Jain, Ph.D.
The Master of Science in Counseling (MSC) degree program prepares students to work as professional counselors in a variety of settings. The MSC Core and Advanced Area courses are augmented by elective coursework chosen by the student and academic advisor depending on the student’s area of interest and professional goals.
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), granted accreditation to the Department of Counseling at University of Providence: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.) effective July 31, 2017. The counseling department has submitted the Interim Report in December 2018 to expand CACREP accreditation until 2025.
The program consists of sixty (60) semester hours of courses specific to counseling, and includes required practicum and internship experiences. The content, course sequence, and contact hours of the degree program are structured to prepare students for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), which are used by Montana and other states as a requirement for licensure as a professional counselor. The Montana Code Annotated sets additional requirements related to post-degree supervised counseling experience as part of the licensing process.
Goals
- To provide participants with a broad theoretical base that serves as the basis of a personal model of counseling.
- To expose participants to historical, current, and emerging counseling methods that provide options for the best counseling practice.
- To provide participants with knowledge and skills that serves as a basis for critically consuming data-based professional literature and informs data-based counselor practice.
- To provide participants with opportunities to develop knowledge and skills necessary for self-growth and self-care for continued exemplary practice through time.
- To provide participants with clinical experience that serves as the basis for the practice of emerging counseling skills.
- To prepare students for passage of the state licensure exam as a basis for entering a professional counselor role.
- To prepare students to assume leadership positions in their professions and their communities.
- To provide students with a capstone experience that integrate all of the goals from above.
Transfer Credits
Up to twelve (12) semester hours of post-baccalaureate credit from a regionally accredited, CACREP accredited institution of higher education may be transferred toward the 60 credit MSC degree. As per the Montana Code Annotated (MCA 24.219.604.¶ D), the acceptance of credits from other institutions may be granted 6 (six) years or less from the anticipated date of graduation from the MSC program. Furthermore, transfer credits must be approved by the director of the MSC program. (Consult Credit Aging policy).
The following courses must be taken within the MSC degree program at UProv:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MSC 512 | THEORIES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 517 | TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 607 | GROUP COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 617 | ADV. TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 695 | COUNSELING PRACTICUM | 3 |
| MSC 696 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP I | 3 |
| MSC 697 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP II | 3 |
Admission to Advanced Candidacy
In order to enroll in Advanced Area core classes and to apply for Practicum and Internships, students must apply for and be accepted into Advanced Candidacy. The Advanced Candidacy application should be completed at least three weeks before the start of the semester in which the student intends to enroll in Advanced Core curriculum classes. Applications are available from the MSC Coordinator’s office and from the Academic Program Assistant for Graduate Studies. To qualify for degree candidacy, a student must:
- have a GPA of 3.0 or better, and
- have completed all of the following courses:
Course List Code Title Credits MSC 500 PROF ORIEN AND ETHICS 3 MSC 516 RSRCH MTHDS & STATS FOR CNSLNG 1 3 MSC 508 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 3 MSC 512 THEORIES OF COUNSELING 1 3 MSC 515 STANDARD TEST & INDIV ASSESS 3 MSC 517 TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING 1 3 MSC 606 MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE 3 MSC 607 GROUP COUNSELING 3 - have completed at least 12 semester hours of the above courses at the University of Providence.
| 1 | Must have a B or better. |
The Candidacy committee will review the Application for Advanced Candidacy and inform the student of his/her candidacy status before the student will be allowed to enroll in Advanced Core classes.
Qualified Continuation
Professional counseling is a combination of knowledge, skill, and art in which the uniqueness and personality of the counselor have enormous influences on relationship building and counselor effectiveness. It is imperative that each student progressing through the MSC degree program be willing to grow in self-awareness and be open to direction from faculty. Students are also expected to exhibit the highest professional and ethical standards of practice and to actively contribute to the well-being of clients and other students.
Successful completion of the Master of Science in Counseling program is based on the demonstration of competence in academic, professional, and personal areas as they relate to a student’s professional objectives. The faculty has a professional responsibility to assess the academic, professional, and personal development of every student in the MSC program. As part of the student review and retention policy of the UP Graduate Studies, faculty may share information about student progress with one another.
All students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to graduate from the MSC program. Only two (2) grades of C or below are accepted for degree completion. If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, the student is placed on academic probation and has until the completion of the next semester of enrollment to restore the GPA to at least a 3.0. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the MSC program.
In addition to maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, specific courses are considered essential to successful progression through the MSC program. Students must earn a minimum of “B” in Theories of Counseling, Techniques of Counseling, Professional Orientation and Ethics, Group Counseling and Advanced Techniques of Counseling. Practicum and Internships are graded on a Pass or Fail basis. If the student does not achieve the minimum requirement, the student cannot enroll in sequence courses until the student retakes the course and completes it with a grade of “B” or better.
Assessment is an ongoing process that begins with admission to the MSC program, and continues through an informative examination (taken during MSC 695 Practicum). Accumulation of credits and satisfactory grades are not a guarantee of successful program completion. MSC students are assessed for fitness as counseling professionals. Assessed characteristics include, but are not limited to, self-awareness, self-confidence, resilience, balance, emotional stability, communication skills, professional presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Personal Growth Experience
Effective counselors strive for self-awareness, personal congruence, and their own continual personal growth. At some time during enrollment in the MSC program, students are required to participate in a personal growth experience, which entails receiving a minimum 6 hours of personal counseling, either individual or group in nature.
Many students choose to remain in personal counseling beyond the minimum 6-hour requirement. During the internship, many students have recognized the value of working through personal issues so that they do not interfere with professional performance and service to clients. Participating in a personal growth experience will be documented by the student in the form of a written evaluation of the experience.
Program of Study
The MSC program requires 60 credit hours of the outlined course work. The program typically takes three calendar years (Fall, Spring, and some Summer sessions) of full-time study to complete. Students who are employed full-time, and/or have other outside obligations are strongly encouraged to attend MSC courses on a part-time basis. Part-time attendance will extend the length of time required to graduate, but will enhance academic and personal success.
It is important for students be familiar with the sequential course structure of the MSC program. Course emphases move from a focus on foundations in the history and theories of counseling and related fields, to skill acquisition and practical experiences. The MSC curriculum sequence is designed so that students gain competency and integrate the content into a meaningful, practical body of professional knowledge and skills. Students are expected to become increasingly autonomous in their professional activities, academic and otherwise, as they progress through the program.
The clinical practicum course undertaken near the end of the program is designed to facilitate development of higher levels of counseling skills. Before enrolling for Practicum credits, students must complete a Practicum Application, for approval by the Program Coordinator, and have completed a minimum of 40 credit hours. These 40 hours must include the Core Courses. The student must provide proof of professional liability insurance prior to enrollment in Practicum. The University also offers an Addictions Counseling Certificate. MSC students can obtain the Addictions Counseling Certificate by taking 5 additional Addictions Counseling courses (at Continuing Education rates). The particulars for this certificate program are outlined in the Addictions Counseling section of the undergraduate catalog.
Program Outcomes
The specific MSC curriculum components are designed to embrace not only the broader University of Providence mission, but actively incorporate the Providence Leadership Covenant, licensure law standards, and professional counselor preparation guidelines., especially the criteria set forth using the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards, as described below:
- Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice – By the end of this program, students will be able to evaluate ethical practice according to the counseling profession; describe ethical practice according to the counseling profession; and synthesize elements of ethical practice in counseling.
- Social and Cultural Diversity – By the end of this program, students will be able to analyze the impact of social and cultural diversity on served clientele; determine multicultural theories to describe cultural identity development; and integrate this knowledge to provide examples of multicultural counseling competencies.
- Human Growth and Development – By the end of this program, students will be able to determine theories of individual and family development across the lifespan; and describe factors that affect human development, functioning, and behavior.
- Career Development – By the end of this program, students will be able to analyze theories and models of career development related to counseling; describe strategies for career development program planning and implementation; and identify approaches for conceptualizing the interrelationships among work, relationships, and mental well-being.
- Counseling and Helping Relationships – By the end of this program, students will be able to analyze theories and models of counseling; identify relevant counseling interventions suitable to a specific population; and integrate gained knowledge and formulate a personal model of counseling.
- Group Counseling and Group Work – By the end of this program, students will be able to determine theories of group counseling and group work; identify dynamics related to group process and development; synthesize gained knowledge to demonstrate relevant strategies to facilitate groups.
- Assessment and Testing – By the end of this program, students will be able to define basic concepts of assessment procedures in counseling; identify relevant strategies for selecting appropriate tests in counseling; and evaluate assessment results to diagnose developmental, behavioral, and mental disorders.
- Research and Program Evaluation – By the end of this program, students will be able to indicate the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession; identify evidence-based counseling practices; analyze various methods used in research and program evaluation; and evaluate statistical methods used in conducting research and program evaluation.
Degree Requirements
Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MSC
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Professional Counseling Courses | ||
Successful completion of foundation courses is required for full candidacy in the MSC program. | ||
| MSC 500 | PROF ORIEN AND ETHICS | 3 |
| MSC 512 | THEORIES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 517 | TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Counseling Core courses | ||
Students must be admitted to Full Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling in the Core courses. | ||
| MSC 508 | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 3 |
| MSC 515 | STANDARD TEST & INDIV ASSESS | 3 |
| MSC 516 | RSRCH MTHDS & STATS FOR CNSLNG | 3 |
| MSC 520 | CRISIS PLAN AND INTERVENTION | 3 |
| MSC 527 | EVID. BASED PRAC. & OUTCM EVAL | 3 |
| MSC 529 | DEVELOPMNT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| MSC 553 | COUNSELING THE ADDICTED CLIENT | 3 |
| MSC 604 | CAREER COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 606 | MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE | 3 |
| MSC 607 | GROUP COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 617 | ADV. TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Advanced Core Curriculum | ||
Students must be admitted to Advanced Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling the Advanced Core courses. | ||
| MSC 625 | MEDICAL ASPECT OF DISABILITY | 3 |
| MSC 630 | MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR COUNSELORS | 3 |
| MSC 695 | COUNSELING PRACTICUM | 3 |
| MSC 696 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP I | 3 |
| MSC 697 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP II | 3 |
| MSC 505 | SPIRITUALITY AND COUNSELING | 3 |
| Total Credits Required: | 60 | |
Addiction Counseling Concentration, MSC
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Professional Counseling Courses | ||
Successful completion of foundation courses is required for full candidacy in the MSC program. | ||
| MSC 500 | PROF ORIEN AND ETHICS | 3 |
| MSC 512 | THEORIES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 517 | TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Counseling Core courses | ||
Students must be admitted to Full Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling in the Core courses. | ||
| MSC 508 | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 3 |
| MSC 515 | STANDARD TEST & INDIV ASSESS | 3 |
| MSC 516 | RSRCH MTHDS & STATS FOR CNSLNG | 3 |
| MSC 520 | CRISIS PLAN AND INTERVENTION | 3 |
| MSC 527 | EVID. BASED PRAC. & OUTCM EVAL | 3 |
| MSC 529 | DEVELOPMNT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| MSC 553 | COUNSELING THE ADDICTED CLIENT | 3 |
| MSC 604 | CAREER COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 606 | MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE | 3 |
| MSC 607 | GROUP COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 617 | ADV. TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Advanced Core Curriculum | ||
Students must be admitted to Advanced Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling in the Advanced Core courses. | ||
| MSC 625 | MEDICAL ASPECT OF DISABILITY | 3 |
| MSC 630 | MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR COUNSELORS | 3 |
| MSC 695 | COUNSELING PRACTICUM | 3 |
| MSC 696 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP I | 3 |
| MSC 697 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP II | 3 |
| MSC 505 | SPIRITUALITY AND COUNSELING | 3 |
| Focused Electives | ||
| MSC 511 | ALCOHOL AND DRUG STUDIES | 3 |
| MSC 620 | GAMBLING & GAMBLING DISORDERS | 3 |
| Total Credits Required: | 66 | |
Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration, MSC
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Professional Counseling Courses | ||
Successful completion of foundation courses is required for full candidacy in the MSC program. | ||
| MSC 500 | PROF ORIEN AND ETHICS | 3 |
| MSC 512 | THEORIES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 517 | TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Counseling Core courses | ||
Students must be admitted to Full Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling in the Core courses. | ||
| MSC 508 | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 3 |
| MSC 515 | STANDARD TEST & INDIV ASSESS | 3 |
| MSC 516 | RSRCH MTHDS & STATS FOR CNSLNG | 3 |
| MSC 520 | CRISIS PLAN AND INTERVENTION | 3 |
| MSC 527 | EVID. BASED PRAC. & OUTCM EVAL | 3 |
| MSC 529 | DEVELOPMNT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| MSC 553 | COUNSELING THE ADDICTED CLIENT | 3 |
| MSC 604 | CAREER COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 606 | MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE | 3 |
| MSC 607 | GROUP COUNSELING | 3 |
| MSC 617 | ADV. TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING | 3 |
| Advanced Core Curriculum | ||
Students must be admitted to Advanced Candidacy in the MSC program before enrolling in the Advanced Core courses. | ||
| MSC 625 | MEDICAL ASPECT OF DISABILITY | 3 |
| MSC 630 | MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR COUNSELORS | 3 |
| MSC 695 | COUNSELING PRACTICUM | 3 |
| MSC 696 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP I | 3 |
| MSC 697 | ADVANCED INTERNSHIP II | 3 |
| MSC 505 | SPIRITUALITY AND COUNSELING | 3 |
| Focused Electives | ||
| MSC 507 | INTRODUCTION TO REHABILITATION COUNSELING | 2 |
| MSC 518 | REHAB COUNSELING SRVCS | 1 |
| MSC 621 | PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF DISABILITY | 2 |
| MSC 635 | JOB DEV & PLCMT IN REHAB CNSL | 1 |
| Total Credits Required: | 66 | |