Program Requirements

The M.Ed. in counseling, with specialization in clinical mental health counseling, is an application-oriented experience designed to enhance the skills of bachelor-level practitioners presently employed or planning a professional career in counseling. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP grants accredited status to graduate-level programs in the professional counseling field. In most circumstances, graduates also are immediately eligible for provisional or temporary licensure in the state where they received coursework.

Employment opportunities for licensed professional clinical counselors are diverse and abundant. In addition to private practice settings, possible employment opportunities for graduates of the program include city and state human services departments, community mental health centers, correctional departments, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, residential foster care agencies, hospice programs, the military, counseling agencies, psychiatric hospitals, rape crisis centers, and vocational services.

This degree does not lead to P-12 school counselor certification.
  1. Entrance Requirements

    2. Applicants to the professional counseling program will need to:

    • Complete the Graduate School Application for Admission form, which must be submitted online, with non-refundable fees of USD 35.00 to the appropriate administrative assistant serving the community campus, site, or format;
    • Send an official undergraduate transcript showing completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university to the Lindsey Wilson College Registrar’s Office;
    • Send three letters of recommendation to the appropriate administrative assistant; and
    • Successfully complete an interview.

    Once the materials for applications are received and a successful interview completed, the student may register for classes.

  2. Classification of Applications

    3. All applicants admitted to the master's program in professional counseling are admitted on a conditional basis. The status is reviewed by the Regional Admissions Committee at the end of the candidate’s first semester to consider each student’s unconditional acceptance into the program.

    A change in status from conditional to unconditional must be accompanied by a successful student review and subsequent recommendation by the Regional Admissions Committee.

    Note: Admissions decisions are based on academic performance and personal characteristics/ dispositions as reflected in the Graduate Student Review and Recommendation process. Students who receive scores of “Pass” will be granted unconditional admission status. A student who receives one or two “No Pass” scores will meet with the resident faculty supervisor to discuss and formulate a remediation plan. A student who receives three or more “No Pass” scores will meet with the Regional Admissions Committee to plan required remediation or discuss alternatives to the program.

  3. Non-degree Admission

    4. Upon application, non-degree admission may be granted to those who wish to enroll in courses but who do not intend to pursue a degree. Such coursework may aid in completing certification requirements, enriching professional development, or similar objectives. Non-degree seeking applicants to the professional counseling program will need to:

    1. Complete the Graduate School Application for Admission form, which must be submitted online, with non-refundable fee of USD 35.00 to the appropriate administrative assistant serving the community campus, site, or format;
    2. Send an official undergraduate transcript showing completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to the Lindsey Wilson College Registrar’s Office; and
    3. Successfully complete an interview with members of the Regional Admissions Committee, if requested.

    If a student who is enrolled in the non-degree category subsequently wishes to seek a degree, he or she must make application to the program requesting a change in status and must meet all criteria for admission. If approved, a student may carry forward no more than 12 hours of credit earned as a non-degree student.

  4. Transfer of Credit

    5. All master's students who wish to transfer graduate credit from other institutions to be applied to Lindsey Wilson College’s counseling degree should be aware of the following criteria:

    • Transfer credit must carry a grade of A or B and must be earned at the graduate level.
    • Transfer credit must be consistent with the program’s curriculum, which comprises the required COUN program structure.
    • Normally no more than 15 credit hours may be transferred into the COUN program. Exceptions must be approved by the director of the counseling program.
    • The counseling program director reviews all requests for transfer credit.
    • In cases where a graduate degree has been earned in a related field from a college or university with U.S. Department of Education recognized institutional accreditation, the graduate faculty may accept credit earned, provided these courses satisfy requirements of the program to which the student is applying. The COUN Admissions Committee may require a student to retake any course in an area where there are questions regarding the content of the curriculum or the student’s competence in a given area.

  5. Graduate Credit without the Bachelor’s Degree

    6. The following criteria apply to those students who wish to enroll in master’s coursework but who have not earned a bachelor’s degree:

    • Undergraduates must have senior status;
    • They must have a cumulative quality point average of at least 3.00; and
    • They must have the permission of the director.

    No coursework applied toward undergraduate graduation requirements may be counted toward requirements for a graduate degree. A maximum of nine graduate credit hours may be taken by an undergraduate.

  6. International Students

    7. International students applying to a graduate program must provide proof of English proficiency based on:

    • TOEFL minimum score:
      • Internet-based (iBT): 79 composite with 21 writing and 19 reading,
      • Paper-based: 550, or
      • Revised Paper-delivered: 21 writing and 19 reading;
    • IELTS minimum composite score of 6.5;
    • Duolingo 100;
    • English is the student’s native language; or
    • Student completed undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited U.S. institution.

The Master of Education in counseling, with specialization in clinical mental health counseling, requires a minimum of 60 semester hours and participation in a non-credit group experience of not less than ten hours facilitated by the program. Requirements include 30 hours from nine core areas (human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, helping relationships, group work, career and lifestyle development, appraisal, research and program evaluation, professional orientation, and abnormal), nine hours of clinical instruction, and an additional 21-22 hours of specialty requirements in clinical mental health counseling.

Core Curriculum: 30 hours
  • Personal Growth & Development Group (COUN 5000) -- non-credit
  • Lifecycle Development in Individuals & Families (COUN 5003) -- 3 hours
  • Multicultural Counseling (COUN 5013) -- 3 hours
  • Counseling Theories & Techniques: Affective/Humanistic (COUN 5023) -- 3 hours
  • Counseling Theories & Techniques: Cognitive/Behavioral (COUN 5033) -- 3 hours
  • Group Counseling Techniques (COUN 5043) -- 3 hours
  • Career Education Counseling (COUN 5053) -- 3 hours
  • Research Methods (COUN 5083) -- 3 hours
  • Ethics in Professional Counseling (COUN 5093) -- 3 hours
  • Assessment & Evaluation (COUN 5303) -- 3 hours
  • Psychopathology & Clinical Diagnosis (COUN 5313) -- 3 hours
Clinical Instruction: 9 hours
  • Practicum: 150 hours (COUN 6003) -- 3 hours
  • Internship I: 300 hours (COUN 6013) -- 3 hours
  • Internship II: 300 hours (COUN 6043) -- 3 hours
TOTAL HOURS, CORE AND CLINICAL: 39 credit hours

Specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: 21-22 hours
Although a significant emphasis in the core curriculum is the development of a clinical mental health counseling knowledge and skill base, the following specialty coursework and clinical experiences are designed to provide specialized expertise in the area of clinical mental health counseling. In addition to the 39 hours of core and clinical experiences above, each student who specializes in clinical mental health counseling must complete the following coursework within the specialty area. This coursework provides an introduction to clinical mental health counseling, contextual dimensions, knowledge and skills for the practice of clinical mental health counseling, and clinical instruction.
  • Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (COUN 5323) -- 3 hours
  • Theories of Addiction & Pharmacology (COUN 6173) -- 3 hours
  • Clinical Documentation of Mental & Emotional Disorders (COUN 6203) -- 3 hours
  • Mental Health Administration, Supervision & Consultation (COUN 6513) -- 3 hours
  • Systemic Family Therapy (COUN 6613) -- 3 hours
Choose two course from the following:
  • Advanced Clinical Diagnosis & Treatment (COUN 6053) -- 3 hours
  • Advanced Clinical Assessment (COUN 6063) -- 3 hours
  • Counseling Procedures & Strategies, Legal Issues & Prevention Strategies with Addicted Populations (COUN 6174) -- 4 hours
  • Assessment, Diagnosis, & Treatment of Addiction (COUN 6183) -- 3 hours
  • Relationship Counseling, Group Process, & Techniques with Addicted Populations (COUN 6193) -- 3 hours
  • Gerontology (COUN 6213) -- 3 hours
  • Counseling Latino Clients (COUN 6223) -- 3 hours
  • Crisis Intervention (COUN 6233) -- 3 hours
  • Human Sexuality (COUN 6243) -- 3 hours
  • Introduction to Play Therapy (COUN 6253) -- 3 hours
  • Trauma-Informed Counseling (COUN 6263) -- 3 hours
  • Introduction to Adlerian Play Therapy (COUN 6273) -- 3 hours
  • Adolescent Intervention (COUN 6283) -- 3 hours
  • Psychopharmacology for Mental Health Professionals (COUN 6293) -- 3 hours
TOTAL: 60-61 hours


Assistantships

The COUN graduate assistant (GA) placement is designed as a learning milieu for the master’s student while assisting faculty. Each assistantship requires 25 hours per week. Contact the counseling program director or the community campus coordinator for more information. The duties of the COUN GA will vary. COUN GAs at community campus locations work closely with campus coordinators, faculty supervisors, and the counseling program director.



Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling

The graduate certificate in substance abuse counseling provides students the opportunity for additional knowledge and skills in substance abuse counseling. The certificate program admits students and practitioners who are either currently enrolled in a graduate degree program or who already have an appropriate master’s degree. The certificate may contribute toward the educational requirements as required by state boards for credentialing as a substance abuse counselor.

Curriculum: 13 hours

  • Theories of Addiction & Pharmacology (COUN 6173) -- 3 hours
  • Counseling Procedures & Strategies, Legal Issues & Prevention Strategies with Addicted Populations (COUN 6174) -- 4 hours
  • Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment of Addiction (COUN 6183) -- 3 hours
  • Relationship Counseling, Group Process & Techniques with Addicted Populations (COUN 6193) -- 3 hours

COUN 6013 (Internship I) and COUN 6043 (Internship II)

Students who seek the certificate in substance abuse counseling concurrently with their master’s degree in professional counseling should seek one internship placement where substance abuse counseling can be practiced. Supervision must be provided by a person who satisfies all the requirements for an onsite supervisor of a clinical mental health graduate student in addition to at least two years of post-master’s degree experience in the field of substance abuse counseling.

This program has been designed to contribute toward the educational requirements for certification and/or licensure in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Students are responsible for understanding all requirements in the states through which they are seeking certification and/or licensure and for verifying the current requirements in addition to remaining up-to-date on any changes taking place at the state level. Students are responsible for working with their state board toward identifying all requirements and applying for the appropriate credential.

Admission Requirements

The following items are required to apply for the certificate in substance abuse counseling for those not already enrolled in the COUN counseling with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling master’s degree program at Lindsey Wilson College:

  • A completed application to the substance abuse counseling certificate program; and
  • At least three evaluations from persons familiar with the applicant’s personal and professional qualifications.
Exit Assessment

The award of the certificate in substance abuse counseling requires:

  • A cumulative quality point average of 3.00 or higher for the certificate courses; and Filing of an Application for the Certification Completion form with the Registrar’s Office following the specific guidelines set forth in this catalog (see Residency and Graduation Requirements).
Exit Assessment

The master’s program has the same academic policies and standards as the undergraduate program except where specifically stated. All degree requirements must be completed within seven years of initial acceptance into the program. Graduation from the Master of Education in professional counseling degree program requires:

  • A cumulative quality point average of 3.00 or higher;
  • Completion of a program evaluation survey;
  • Filing an Application for Graduation form with the Registrar’s Office following the specific guidelines set forth in this catalog;
  • Recommendation of the graduate faculty; and
  • Completion of the Comprehensive Professional Counseling Examination (CPCE).
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