The programs of study offered by the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology provide excellent preparation for a career as a professional counselor or student personnel professional. We welcome your interest in the profession of counseling and our programs and hope that this Web site will answer many of your questions.

Graduate counselor education courses are taught at the Graduate Business Center located four miles from main campus. Please see the link below for directions.

Directions to the Graduate Business Center

Exciting Program Changes

The Department of Counseling and Educational Counseling recently made curriculum changes as part of its efforts to obtain accreditation from the Council of Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Curriculum changes became effective fall 2007. The curriculum changes do not significantly affect courses in Competency Area One which are the courses we recommend new students register for in their first semester.

CACREP Mission Statement:

The mission of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational programs is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, encouragement of excellence in program development, and accreditation of professional preparation programs.

Some of the reasons why we are seeking accreditation by CACREP:

• More than 50% of state licensing regulations [ including Pennsylvania ] require graduation from a CACREP program or an equivalent curriculum in order for applicants to be eligible to sit for the licensure examination.
• The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) relies on the CACREP Standards for derivation of exam content.
• 38 states [ including Pennsylvania ] use the NCE examination for professional counselor licensure or certification.

We believe our graduates will be better prepared and more competitive in the job market as a result of the course changes made to meet CACREP standards.

The Department offers two counselor education degree programs:

• A degree-certification program that leads to the Master's of Education and Educational Specialist I certificate for individuals who want to work as elementary, middle school, or high school counselors. Students may earn the M.Ed. in Secondary School Counseling or the M.Ed. in Elementary School Counseling.
  
  
• A Master of Science in Counseling for individuals who will seek employment as student service professionals in higher education settings.
  
  
• A Post Master Certificate in Professional Counselor Licensure for individuals who have a completed master’s degree in counseling or a closely related area and who would like to build their clinical mental health skills while completing the educational requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor.
  

There are additional undergraduate courses offered by the department. Click here for the complete list.