DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING
Master of Arts Degree in Counseling
The Department of Counseling offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Counseling with programs in Community Counseling and School Counseling. Additional coursework can be taken in addictions counseling, couple and family counseling, multicultural counseling, and sports psychology. Students may earn credit toward a state license and/or certification to practice in either community or school settings (Licensed Professional Counselor and/or Certified School Counselor). The Community and School Counseling Programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Program Admission Requirements
- Application for admission is conducted through the Graduate School. Applicants must hold a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) during the last 60 hours of their undergraduate studies to be eligible for admission to the counseling program. Admission to the program is competitive. Competitive applicants often exceed minimum requirements.
- Applicants without adequate coursework preparation in education, psychology, sociology or a related field may be required to take COU 3103 Helping Skills and, at the discretion of the admissions committee, to complete up to 15 additional hours of preparatory courses as a condition of admission. Contact the Graduate Advisor of Record for the M.A. in Counseling for more information.
- Three Applicant Rating Forms and a two-page narrative statement are required (see current requirements, forms, and directions available on the UTSA Graduate School Web site: www.graduateschool.utsa.edu). Interested persons should contact the Student Development Specialist for the Counseling program or check the Web site for more information. The number of students admitted to this program may be limited.
Degree Requirements. Candidates for the Master of Arts degree in Counseling must earn a minimum of 48 semester credit hours. Students must pass a comprehensive written examination toward the end of their formal coursework. The comprehensive examination may be repeated, but students who fail the examination two times must petition the Graduate School for re-examination.
Community Counseling Program
- 39 semester credit hours of required courses:
COU 5203 Introduction to Community Counseling
COU 5213 Counseling Theories
COU 5223 Psychological Assessment for Counselors
COU 5233 Group Theory and Process
COU 5243 Counseling Individuals with Behavioral and Emotional Disorders
COU 5253 Child and Adolescent Counseling in a Systemic Context
COU 5283 Counseling in a Multicultural Setting
COU 5393 Development of Counseling Skills
COU 5683 Practicum in Counseling
COU 5713 Community Counseling Internship I
COU 5723 Community Counseling Internship II
COU 6153 Career Development and Choice
EDP 5033 Human Development Across the Life Span
EDU 5003 Research Methods
- 9 semester credit hours of elective courses for the Community Counseling program:
Option 1. Thesis Option: 6 hours of thesis, plus a 3-hour research methods or statistics course to be approved by the Thesis Committee Chair (total of 48 semester credit hours).
Option 2. Nonthesis Option: 9 hours of electives (total of 48 semester credit hours).
School Counseling Program
- 48 semester credit hours of required courses:
COU 5103 Introduction to School Counseling
COU 5213 Counseling Theories
COU 5223 Psychological Assessment for Counselors
COU 5233 Group Theory and Process
COU 5243 Counseling Individuals with Behavioral and Emotional Disorders
COU 5253 Child and Adolescent Counseling in a Systemic Context
COU 5283 Counseling in a Multicultural Setting
COU 5393 Development of Counseling Skills
COU 5683 Practicum in Counseling
COU 5793 School Counseling Internship I
COU 5803 School Counseling Internship II
COU 5813 School Counseling Internship III
COU 6003 Consultation and Program Evaluation
COU 6153 Career Development and Choice
EDP 5033 Human Development Across the Life Span
EDU 5003 Research Methods - School Counseling Thesis Option: Requires 9 semester credit hours beyond the 48 hours applied to the degree (6 hours of thesis, plus a 3-hour research methods or statistics course to be approved by the Thesis Committee Chair).
Standards and Procedures
As a degree requirement, students must comply with the following Departmental fitness to practice policies (see Fitness to Practice Policy in the Master’s Counseling Program Handbook):
- maintain scholastic performance meeting or exceeding department standards;
- demonstrate the ability to apply counseling skills;
- demonstrate emotional and mental fitness;
- conform to professional ethical codes and standards.
Counseling faculty evaluate all students according to these standards in classes, in advising and counseling settings, in conversations, and in correspondence. Students will appropriately respond to feedback and evaluations. Conformance with standards must be demonstrated by students. Only students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue in the program. Refer to the Master’s Counseling Program Handbook for a detailed outline of the due process procedures related to this policy.
Only two courses with the grade of “C” will be accepted toward this degree. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in all clinical courses (COU 5393, COU 5683, COU 5713, COU 5723, COU 5793, COU 5803, and COU 5813). Students who earn a “C” or lower in a clinical course must retake that course and earn a grade of “B” or better before progressing in the clinical course sequence.
A minimum of a 3.0 grade point average will be required for graduation. Students who obtain more than two grades of “C” will be placed on academic probation and may be required to complete appropriate remedial work.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Counselor Education and Supervision
The Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision is intended to prepare professionals for future careers in academic, clinical, research, and consultation settings. This degree program is nationally accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Program graduates will have opportunities to acquire: (a) advanced theoretical knowledge, (b) advanced clinical skills, (c) research skills and (d) advanced clinical supervision skills deemed necessary by core Department faculty to work in academic counselor education departments and in school and community practice. Students will be expected to formulate their own philosophy and approach to the counselor education field. Multicultural competencies will be emphasized throughout the program.
The Doctoral program objectives include opportunities for:
- Research
- Scholarly writing
- Clinical supervision with practicum students
- Supervised co-teaching experiences
- Advanced clinical competencies
- Advanced multicultural competencies
Program Admission Requirements. Admission to the program is limited and competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Competitive applicants often exceed minimum requirements.
- A master’s degree in counseling or in a related mental health field requiring a minimum of 48 semester credit hours equivalent to the master’s degree requirements of the UTSA Counseling program and/or Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Students with fewer than 48 semester credit hours may be considered for admission to the program with conditional status pending completion of the deficient hours and satisfactory completion of courses fulfilling CACREP core course requirements.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in master’s level courses in counseling or in a related mental health field.
- A portfolio consisting of the following items, which will be evaluated by the Doctoral Program Committee:
- A 48-hour (or greater) master’s degree transcript documenting a grade point average of 3.0 or better in counseling or an approved related mental health field;
- For applicants whose native language is not English, a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL; paper version);
- Three letters of recommendation attesting to the student’s academic and personal attributes for success in the program and potential for contributing substantially to a field of study related to the degree;
- A written personal statement/essay describing research interests and purpose for pursuing the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision;
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores not older than five years;
- Documented experience in a work environment (formal positions or internships) where counseling was the primary professional emphasis (may include but not limited to one-on-one counseling, counseling for couples, psychological assessment and testing, group or community counseling);
- Professional résumé listing prior experiences in the field of counseling.
- Successful completion of a finalist interview with the admissions committee.
Degree Requirements. Students pursuing the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision will be required to pass a qualifying examination prior to admission to candidacy. All candidates will be required to submit a scholarly contribution in the form of a dissertation as partial fulfillment of requirements for this Doctorate (see Dissertation handbook). All students will be evaluated by the fitness to practice policy of the Department (see Doctoral handbook).
- Foundation courses:
48-semester-credit-hour Master’s degree or equivalent
- General core courses (37 semester credit hours):
COU 6003 Consultation and Program Evaluation
COU 6323 Advanced Psychological Assessment
COU 7121 College and University Teaching Seminar
COU 7133 Seminar in Professional Development
COU 7213 Advanced Theories of Counseling
COU 7283 Advanced Multicultural Counseling
COU 7313 Practicum in Counseling
COU 7383 Advanced Practicum in Multicultural Counseling
COU 7413 Internship I
COU 7513 Internship II
COU 7583 Supervision of Counseling
COU 7593 Practicum in Counseling Supervision
COU 7893 Advanced Research in Counseling and Development
- Research courses (12 semester credit hours):
COU 6893 Foundations of Research in Counseling and Development
COU 7103 Qualitative Research Methods in Counseling and Development
EDU 7043 Educational Research Statistics: Descriptive and Comparative
EDU 7063 Inferential Statistics
- Approved emphasis curriculum area courses (9 semester credit hours)
- Dissertation (9 semester credit hours):
Standards and Procedures
As a degree requirement, students must comply with the following Departmental fitness to practice policies (see Fitness to Practice Policy in the Counseling Doctoral Program Handbook):
- maintain scholastic performance meeting or exceeding department standards;
- demonstrate the ability to apply counseling skills;
- demonstrate emotional and mental fitness;
- conform to professional ethical codes and standards.
Counseling faculty evaluate all students according to these standards in classes, in advising and counseling settings, in conversations, and in correspondence. Students will appropriately respond to feedback and evaluations. Only students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue in the program. Refer to the Counseling Doctoral Program Handbook for a detailed outline of the due process procedures related to this policy.
Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in all courses. Students who earn a “C” or lower in a clinical course (COU 7313, COU 7383, COU 7413, and COU 7513) or clinical supervision course (COU 7583 and COU 7593) must retake that course and earn a grade of “B” or better before progressing in any clinical and clinical supervision course sequence. Students must complete the general doctoral core courses except internship before taking their doctoral qualifying examinations (see Counseling Doctoral Program Handbook for additional details and procedures). Before beginning their doctoral dissertation or data collection, students must successfully complete their doctoral qualifying examination, secure UTSA Institutional Review Board approval, complete all University, College, and Department requirements, and receive dissertation chair approval.
A minimum of a 3.0 grade point average and a successful dissertation defense are required for graduation.
