The Mission of the Department of Counseling is to prepare counselors who value equity and equality, to meet the demands of a culturally and linguistically diverse clientele through a special emphasis on knowledge bases and internships in an urban setting. The Counseling program will prepare counselors to fulfill the following roles:

• Serve as advocates, leaders, counselors, and consultants to increase the options of clients they serve;
• Become managers of resources and partnership builders, enlisting the support of stakeholders in the local, national and international communities;
• Develop in students a commitment to achieve and provide conditions that enable clients to accomplish their goals; Serve as problem solvers for clients living in an urban environment in particular, as well as those attempting to cope with societal demands in non-urban settings; and
• Develop professionals capable of conducting research germane to urban challenges.

The Department of Counseling offers three programs leading to professional certification: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration prepares candidates to become counselors in community agencies and other private sectors. In addition to completing core counseling courses, candidates are required to complete courses specific to Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This concentration meets the requirements for Licensure as a Professional Counselor in Texas, as well as the requirements for the National Board for Certified Counselors.

The Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration prepares candidates to become Rehabilitation Counselors in either the public state agency or to provide services in the private sector.  Once candidates complete core counseling courses, each is required to complete the appropriate courses relevant to Rehabilitation Counseling. The Rehabilitation Counseling concentration will allow candidates to qualify to take the Certified Rehabilitation Counseling examination.

The School Counseling Concentration prepares candidates to become PreK-12 School Counselors.  Candidates become familiar with the design and implementation of the comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling model. In addition to core counseling courses, candidates take courses specific to School Counseling. The School Counseling concentration meets the requirements for the Texas School Counselor Certification.

Degree Requirements

1. Secure departmental recommendation for candidacy status for the Master’s degree in Counseling.
2. A student in the Counseling program who fails to maintain a “B” or better grade point average (GPA) in COUN 593, COUN733, COUN843 and COUN833 (for Clinical Mental Health) or COUN878 (for Rehabilitation) or COUN539 (for School Counseling), (the first 12 hours in the program), will be placed on academic probation that includes an approved Remediation Plan if the grade point average is 2.5 or better. If a student has a grade point average below 2.5, he or she is subject to dismissal from the Counseling Program. The student, faculty advisor and dean will sign the Remediation Plan specifying specific actions and date of completion. If the Remediation Plan is not completed, the student is subject to dismissal from the program. Pass the Interpersonal Skills Evaluation.
3. Complete 600 hours of internship in a setting appropriate to area of specialization or counseling concentration.
4. Take and pass the College of Education Comprehensive Examination for the master’s degree. A master’s degree student may be allowed three attempts to pass the comprehensive examination. A student who fails the comprehensive examination the second time may petition for a third examination and the petition must show a plan of action wherein the petitioner will endeavor to improve his/her chances for satisfactorily passing the examination. The academic advisor, department chairperson and the Dean of the College of Education and the Dean of the Graduate School must approve the petition. A student who fails to pass the master’s comprehensive examination after the third attempt will be automatically discontinued as a student in the relevant master’s program.
5. Complete the semester hour requirements specified for the designated course of study.

Approved Electives