Master of Science in Education in Counseling in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MSEd

The Master of Science in Education in Counseling and College Student Personnel program is designed for students who are seeking a career working as a counselor in settings such as community agencies, government, private practice, and elementary, middle or secondary schools or in various student-focused positions within higher education. The mission of the Quincy University Master of Science in Education in Counseling and College Student Personnel program is to train individuals to become competent professional counselors and/or college student personnel. The program facilitates personal and professional growth via a combination of academic rigor, experiential learning, personal and professional reflection, and service to the community. The program is committed to the development of counselors and college student personnel as ethical, reflective practitioners and Servant-Leaders, who exhibit an affinity for lifelong learning, a commitment to social justice, and an appreciation for the diverse world in which they live and practice.

Admission

Applicants are encouraged from individuals in all fields. All applicants are considered on an individual basis. The applicant’s potential for successful completion of the program is a central focal point for the Admissions Committee. Applications are processed on a revolving basis. Although it is generally preferred that an individual accepted into the program start his or her coursework in the fall semester, an applicant may begin at the start of any term, providing space is available.

Applicants must submit the following to the Quincy University Office of Graduate Studies:

1. Application - A completed Application for Graduate Admission.
2. Official Transcripts - An official transcript from the college or university that the applicant matriculated from verifying that the baccalaureate degree has been conferred. In addition, the applicant needs to provide official transcripts from any other college or university at which he or she may have undertaken any additional study, undergraduate or graduate.
3. Recommendations - Two completed recommendations from professionals who can address the applicant’s academic and/or professional potential.
4. Educational requirements - Applicants must have or will have completed a baccalaureate degree. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher may be recommended for admission. Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 will be considered for conditional admission.
5. International students - Applicants from non-English speaking educational institutions must submit the results of the TOEFL. Generally, a score of 550 or above is acceptable evidence of a student’s ability to successfully study in an English-speaking environment at the graduate level. Also, the applicant must submit documentation showing how his/her education will be financed. A bank official must authorize this financial documentation.
6. Writing prompts - The applicant is requested to reply to the questions or statements regarding counseling and/or college student personnel work. It is expected that the questions are answered to the best of the applicant’s ability and each question is to be answered in 500 words or less.
7. Entrance Test Results - (Optional) A score of 380 (400 preferred) or higher on the Miller’s Analogy Test or an equivalent score on the Graduate Record Exam is preferred.
8. Coursework - While applicants from all undergraduate majors are considered, coursework in behavioral sciences (e.g., Psychology or Sociology) is desirable. It is hoped, but not mandatory, that students will have taken the following courses or their equivalent:
   1. Introduction to Psychology or Sociology
   2. Personality Theory
   3. Statistics/Research Design
   4. Abnormal Psychology
9. Professional Resume
10. Enrollment fee of $200 upon registration.

The Counseling Program Admissions Committee reviews each person’s application. As there are several measures that are used in the application process, there is no one single factor that would qualify or disqualify a person. In some cases, in addition to the written application and supporting documentation, an applicant may be required to have an in person interview with the Counseling and College Student Personnel Program Admissions Committee or its representative(s).

Disposition

A critical component to becoming an effective counselor or college student personnel practitioner is demonstrating appropriate dispositions. Disposition may be defined as having the tendency to act in a way that is helpful or facilitative for others. Disposition really cannot be measured by academic grades. Therefore, a student’s admission to the MEC program serves as indication that he or she understands that the assessment by faculty of his or her disposition will be different from the assessment for his or her academic grade. The student also acknowledges that while his or her grades may be satisfactory, the faculty may evaluate his or her disposition as inappropriate.

The faculty will assess a student’s dispositions at least annually and may find that a student is unfit for the counseling and college student personnel program and may make a decision that the student should be dismissed from the program as a result of inappropriate disposition(s).

Transfer of Credit

A student who has completed graduate work elsewhere in an approved, accredited program may request that up to 12 semester hours be transferred to Quincy University, accepted as transfer credit and counted towards the M.S. Ed. in Counseling degree. Generally, credits older than 7 years will not be accepted. Normally a grade of “B” or better is required for such transfer credit. Petition for transfer credit must be made to the Program Director, but approval must be made by the M.S. Ed. in Counseling and College Student Personnel Admissions Committee. Credits earned through correspondence courses are not accepted.

If the student has completed a master’s degree, none of the courses used in that degree completion would transfer directly into the program. While a student would not be required to take a duplicate course, he or she would need to take a course so that the number of semester hours taken for this second master’s degree would equal the minimum equivalent degree requirement at Quincy University.

Academic Regulations

Grades: The grading system used by the Counseling and College Student Personnel program is described in the current catalog under Graduate Academic Policies.

Graduate credits are earned in courses for which a student receives a grade of “C” or better. Normally, no more than two courses with a “C” or “C+” grade are allowed and a student is required to maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation. Failure to raise the GPA to 3.0 by the end of the following semester of coursework will result in the academic dismissal of the student from the program. A grade of “F” may result in academic dismissal. A student may appeal an academic dismissal in writing to the Graduate Appeals Committee, which makes decisions on a case-by-case basis. A second academic dismissal is final.

In exceptional cases, a grade of Incomplete (IN) may be given to a student. The decision to give the grade of “IN” rests solely with the instructor. All requirements for the course must be completed as stipulated in the Incompletes section of the Graduate Academic Policies. Failure to do so will result in the grade of “IN” automatically being changed to an “F” at the end of the following term.

A Deferred (DE) grade may be given for a clinical experience that is incomplete at the end of a semester.

The policies and schedule regarding withdrawal from the MEC program are identical to those in the undergraduate program.

Candidacy Requirements: A student may attain the M.S.Ed. in Counseling and College Student Personnel Degree in one of the following ways:

1. 60 semester hours including a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship in school counseling and successful completion of the comprehensive examination.
2. 60 semester hours including a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship in clinical mental health counseling and successful completion of the Illinois counselor content exam and the comprehensive examination.
3. 48 semester hours including a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship in college student personnel and successful completion of the comprehensive examination.

Time Frame: Matriculated graduate students are encouraged to enroll in two courses each semester including summer. Students may choose to take fewer courses. A minimum of one course per year is required to maintain candidacy. There is a six-year time limit from first attendance to completion of the degree program with no more than one year between enrollments. Failure to comply could result in the student being dismissed from the program. To be readmitted, a student must petition the Director of the program and is required to follow the rules, regulations and program requirements in effect at the time of re-admittance into the program.

Academic Load: The academic load is limited to 9 semester hours during any academic term.

Residency: There is a 48 credit hour residency requirement. This means that a minimum of 48 credit hours must be taken in the Quincy University program. The entire program must be completed within six years of date of first attendance. An extension may be granted for extraordinary reasons upon petition to the Director of Counseling and College Student Personnel Program.

Clinical Experience: School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and College Student Personnel emphases require a 100-hour practicum and a 600 hour internship. It should be noted that these requirements represent minimum state licensure/certification requirements and are alone insufficient to meet criteria for a passing grade in the clinical experience courses. Passing scores for the clinical experience courses are determined by evaluating a multitude of factors, including but not limited to: clinical competency, adequate completion of coursework, demonstration of dispositional appropriateness, and adherence to professional ethical standards.

Continuing Enrollment: The practicum/internship is typically completed over the source of 3 semesters (i.e., one semester of practicum and two semesters of internship). Students who do not complete the internship experience within the first 6-semester credit hours will be required to enroll in one additional credit of internship per semester until they have met requirements for completion. Contrarily, exceptions regarding students completing full-time internships in one semester may be made with approval from the Program Director.

Review: At the successful completion of 4 courses, the faculty of the Counseling and College Student Personnel Program will assess each candidate as to their academic progress and their dispositions as a Counselor-in-Training or a Student Personnel Practitioner-in-Training. After the review, a candidate could be placed on probation and/or receive a “Corrective Action Plan” stating what actions need to be completed before continuing in the program. If a candidate’s dispositions are assessed as inappropriate, he or she may be dismissed from the program.

Fingerprint Checks: All students in the school counseling program need to have two fingerprint checks, one in the first semester and the second immediately prior to the practicum.

School Counseling Tests: All students who wish to become school counselors need to take the counseling content exam offered by the Illinois State Board of Education.  The IL Counseling Content Test must be taken prior to enrollment in a practicum or internship.

Additional School Counseling Coursework for Non-licensed Teaching Candidates: The State of Illinois has made provisions for individuals who are not licensed teachers to become licensed school counselors. The specific courses that a student may be required to take will be decided in consultation with his or her advisor. Minimally, the areas that need to be covered are 1) special populations; 2) counseling school age populations; 3) classroom management and 4) school counseling related courses. All courses need to be taken at the graduate level unless permission to take courses at the undergraduate level has been received from the Counseling Program Director or the Dean of the School of Education and Human Services.

Graduation:

A student becomes eligible for graduation upon:

1. The successful completion of a minimum of 48 semester credit hours (College Student Personnel) of graduate courses or 60 semester credit hours (School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling) of graduate courses as outlined with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
2. The successful completion of a practicum and an internship in his/her respective emphasis;
3. The successful completion of the comprehensive examination. Students are allowed to take the comprehensive exams 3 times before a plan of remediation will be required for them to continue in the program. Successful remediation plans will include written analysis of areas of deficit in comprehension and may include additional coursework.

Students must apply for graduation with the Registrar according to the Application for Graduation directions under Graduate Academic Policies. Students with six (6) or fewer credits to complete for their master’s degree may participate in the May Commencement ceremony.

Note: The courses required for licensure or certification may change during a student’s residency in the program. The new requirements may need to be met by the students. Generally, while a student cannot be required to take new courses that were not listed in the catalog at the time of admission or readmission, it may be in the best interest of the student to meet the new requirements.

Program Requirements:

The coursework required to complete the M.S.Ed. in Counseling and College Student Personnel consists of: