Mar 28, 2024  
2016-17 Graduate Catalog 
    
2016-17 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Professional Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration, M.Ed.


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Christopher Quarto, Program Director
(615) 898-5933
Chris.Quarto@mtsu.edu

The Womack Educational Leadership Department  offers the Specialist in Education degree (Ed.S.) with majors in Administration and Supervision and in Curriculum and Instruction, and it offers the Master of Education degree (M.Ed.) with majors in Administration and Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction, and Professional Counseling.

The M.Ed. in Professional Counseling offers concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. The goal of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration is to prepare students to provide professional counseling services in mental health-related settings. Students are offered preparation to diagnose and treat select mental and emotional disorders and to promote optimal mental health.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements


Students apply separately to the College of Graduate Studies and the Professional Counseling program. Admission to the Professional Counseling program is not automatic for students meeting minimum admission requirements. Admissions decisions for the Professional Counseling program will be made after reviewing all materials and determining the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study in this area.

Successful applicants for the Master of Education in Professional Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling typically have demonstrated the following:

  1. 3.00 or higher undergraduate GPA (If an applicant’s GPA is lower than 3.00, Professional Counseling faculty will consider applicant’s academic performance during the last 60 hours of his or her undergraduate program);
  2. Completion of undergraduate courses in basic statistics and abnormal psychology (with minimum grades of B in both courses);
  3. A combined Verbal + Quantitative score of 291 or higher on the GRE with scores on both the Verbal and Quantitative measures of the test above 146 and 140 respectively;
  4. Three positive references on Professional Counseling recommendation form;
  5. A written essay/statement of purpose on the supplemental application form in which the applicant’s reason for pursing a master’s degree in Professional Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is congruent with the focus/emphasis of the program;
  6. Resume that includes name, address, and phone number of applicant; school applicant attended and applicant’s major, minor, and grade point average; honors and awards; and employment and volunteer experiences;
  7. If invited, participation in a half-day interview within the first six (6) hours of coursework (invitation based on how the applicant compares to other applicants in relation to the previous six requirements). The interview is conducted by Professional Counseling faculty, a practicing mental health professional, and school counselor. An invited applicant must review the Professional Counseling handbook and the most current version of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics prior to the interview day and agree in writing to abide by the contents of those documents-should they be admitted into the program-on the day of the interview. Applicant must receive a positive recommendation from the faculty and counselors for program admission.

Note: Meeting minimum requirements for program admission does not guarantee admission, as applicants are selected on a competitive basis.

Application Procedures


All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application materials for Summer/Fall admission must be submitted by February 10; September 10 is the deadline for Spring admission.

Applicant must

  1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
  2. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
  3. submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
  4. submit a current resume;
  5. complete and submit a Professional Counseling Program supplemental application. This is available online at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/professional_counseling/admission.php;
  6. submit recommendation forms that are specific to the counseling program. These are available at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/professional_counseling/admission.php. If possible, two of the recommendations should come from faculty who can attest to the applicant’s academic abilities. The third can come from someone who has either supervised the applicant’s work, has been a colleague, or has known him/her for at least three years (other than family).

Professional Counseling faculty will review all completed application files (all of the above), and if minimal requirements are met, will arrange with the applicant for participation in an admissions interview in February/March or September/October. The admissions committee consists of Professional Counseling faculty members and at least one practicing mental health professional and school counselor.

Following the admissions interview, Professional Counseling faculty will make admissions decisions. The following are considered in the decision-making process:

  1. input from regular, adjunct, and affiliate program faculty (if the applicant has taken or is currently taking classes);
  2. input from practitioners who served on the admissions committee;
  3. each applicant’s potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts;
  4. each applicant’s aptitude for graduate-level study, including technological competence and computer literacy;
  5. each applicant’s career goals and objectives and their relevance to the program; and
  6. each applicant’s openness to self-examination and personal and professional self-development.

Applicants will be formally notified of the admission decision by the College of Graduate Studies within 30 days of the admissions interview. If accepted into the Professional Counseling program, the applicant must within two weeks notify the program coordinator of his/her intention to enter the program.

Degree Requirements


The Master of Education in Professional Counseling degree with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling requires completion of 61 semester hours.

Candidates must successfully complete the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Professional Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling


 Candidate must complete 61 hours in the following course of study:

Prerequisites/Corequisites


  • PSY 3020 - Basic Statistics for Behavioral Science with a minimum grade of B (or an equivalent undergraduate statistics course taken at another accredited educational institution)
  • PSY 3230 - Abnormal Psychology with a minimum grade of B (or an equivalent undergraduate abnormal psychology course taken at another accredited educational institution)

Mental Health Counseling Specialty Area (6 hours)


Select one:

Child/Adolescent Counseling Specialty


Adult Counseling Specialty


Program Notes


A 100-hour combined practicum in a mental health setting and the MTSU Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is required. In addition, a 600-hour internship in a mental health setting is required.

Candidate must

  1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
  2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.

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