Program Objectives

As prospective professional counselors, graduates of the program are prepared to: counsel clients, both individually and in groups, on educational, career, life planning, social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and organizational concerns; provide information to clients for educational, social, career, and/or life planning; consult with other professionals concerning client needs; and conduct needs assessments, evaluations, and other activities for program design.

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the criteria for admission to the M.A. program in Counseling include an applicant’s potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts; aptitude for graduate-level study; career goals and objectives; openness to self-examination; and potential for personal and professional self-development. Admission decisions are based on applicants’ individual profiles and made by a committee of program faculty. Applicants with the highest profile rankings are invited to campus for an interview process; the number invited is determined by the number of anticipated openings in the program. Students are admitted to the program in the spring of each year, and they are expected to begin their studies the following summer or fall. The application deadline for each year’s admissions process is December 1.

Admission to Candidacy

In addition to meeting Graduate School academic regulations, counseling students should submit a completed Application for Admission to Candidacy when they submit their application for the program’s capstone experience to the Department of Counseling .

Prerequisite Requirements

Students are not required to have an undergraduate major in any particular field to enter the counseling program.

Degree Requirements

The M.A. program in Counseling requires a total of 60 hours of core courses for all students and specialization courses for students in school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, or addiction. Each concentration includes a series of required courses, clinical experience courses, and elective courses.

Concentrations

Comprehensive Exam or Master’s Project

Students must successfully complete either a written comprehensive examination or a master’s project near the end of their program of study. Students are expected to consult with their advisors during the first 24 hours of coursework concerning procedures and preparation for this experience.

Advising

All students should plan their program of study by December of their first year of study with their advisors.

Licensure

Students who graduate from the school counseling track are eligible, upon passing the exam required by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), to be recommended for school counseling licensure from the North Carolina DPI. All graduates are eligible to apply for the credential of Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) through the NCBLPC upon completion of the application and required exam.

Program Certifications/Accreditation(s)

The school, clinical mental health, and addiction counseling specializations are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).