Course Progression
Personal Counseling Requirements
All students will participate in 10 personal counseling sessions as a requirement for COUN 516. These sessions are an opportunity for you to benefit from firsthand experience as a client. For more information regarding these sessions email [email protected].
Note: Each of these courses requires departmental permission or course prerequisites for enrollment. Requests for enrollment are to be completed the semester BEFORE you intend to take the class. All applications must be approved before you will be permitted to enroll in the class. Late or incomplete applications are NOT guaranteed consideration. PLEASE use your Leomail address to communicate with your academic advisor, the department's administrative associate, and the Clinical Coordinator.
You will complete 10 personal counseling sessions while enrolled in this class. The 10 counseling sessions can be collected throughout COUN 516 and COUN 548. This course, 516, must be completed prior to enrolling in COUN 551.
COUN 516: Basic Counseling Skills
This course provides the foundation for all practicum and internship experiences. You will learn communication and interpersonal skills under faculty supervision. Demonstration of these skills is a prerequisite for enrollment in Practicum (COUN 551). You will examine your intrapersonal issues and interpersonal styles and will follow ACA ethical standards.
- Prerequisites: Minimum grade of B in COUN 501 and COUN 510.
- NOTE: Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs are required to participate as a client in a minimum of 10 personal counseling sessions. If this requirement was NOT completed during COUN 516, then documentation needs to be provided, signed by the counseling service provider, must be submitted by the student PRIOR to being approved to enroll in COUN 551: Practicum.
This course must be completed prior to enrolling in COUN 551.
COUN 548: Advanced Counseling Skills
A laboratory-based, experiential course, Advanced Counseling Skills will merge the continued development of basic skills with theoretically based conceptualization skills and techniques. Students will examine their intrapersonal alignments with chosen theoretical orientations. Students will practice theoretically consistent conceptualization skills and techniques. Students will be expected to adhere to ACA Ethical Standards.
- Prerequisites: Minimum grade of B in COUN 516 and COUN 528.
Before entering COUN 551, the student must have completed the following classes: COUN 501, 510, 516, 517, 528, 512, 522, 530, 540, 545, 548 and 564. Contact your advisor about any questions regarding your course progression.
Practicum requires a practice site and is only available during the spring and fall semesters. If you are not selecting a site from our approved list of field sites, you must submit the New Site Approval Request form to the Counseling Department’s Clinical Coordinator for approval. Contact the Department of Counseling administrative associate at [email protected] to request authorization to enroll. Download the application for enrollment.
COUN 551: Practicum
The practicum course provides for continued development and practice of skills learned in COUN 516 and 548. You will work to develop conceptual and professional skills related to your practice at a field site and practice specified counseling and related activities during a minimum of 100 hours at a clinical or educational setting. Graded on a satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) basis, with a grade of S required to progress to COUN 552.
- Prerequisites: Application form returned to department several months before actual enrollment in this course (check with the department for availability and due dates); a grade of B or better in 548.
Internship I and II require a practice site and may be taken during Spring, Summer, or Fall semesters. If you are not selecting a site from our approved list of field sites, you must submit the New Site Approval Request form to the Counseling Department’s Clinical Coordinator for approval. Contact the Department of Counseling administrative associate at [email protected] to request authorization to enroll. Download the application for enrollment.
COUN 552: Internship I and II
The primary interest is on the integration of process, conceptual, professional, and personal skills. Provides extensive supervised experience in a setting closely aligned with a student's chosen program.
- Prerequisites: Application form returned to department several months before actual enrollment in this course (check for availability and due dates); successful completion of COUN 551. You must receive a grade of S in the first semester of 552 to progress to the second semester of 552, and an S in the final semester of 552 to graduate.
- Note: Course is repeated for two three-credit-hour courses, each requiring approximately 20 weekly hours (300 total in each) of field experience, to meet master's degree requirement of six hours of internship.
- Note for summer sessions: You may be required to meet with your internship instructor PRIOR to the beginning of the semester to return forms required to start clinical work.