Program Advisors: Kristi Bitz, Jarilyn Gess, Michelle Westbrock

Mission

In keeping with the mission of the University of Mary and the traditions of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, the Master of Science in Counseling (MSC) program seeks to:

• Develop competent leaders in service to others
  
• Promote scholarship and evidence-based practice
  
• Encourage integration of Christian values with professional ethics
  
• Prepare individuals for advanced levels of professional service in diverse communities

Master of Science in Counseling (MSC)

The University of Mary Master of Science in Counseling offers advanced education for those seeking clinical and direct practice opportunities in mental health, education and human services settings. Completion of the program will position students for professional credentialing and licensure in specific fields of practice.

The program curriculum is designed to provide foundational coursework in counseling theories, practice models, and professional ethics as well as specializations in community counseling, school counseling, and addiction counseling. Term three of the program of study provides the counseling track courses after the successful completion of the Practicum before the internship begins. If the 100 hour COU 590 Practicum and all foundational coursework is successfully completed, the student may make application for the internship by completing appropriate forms. 

Upon successfully completing the coursework, optional thesis, practicum, and internship, graduates will have demonstrated academic competence, ethical and evidence based practice, and personal growth.

The curriculum is based on the outcomes and standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the North Dakota Board of Counseling Examiners (NDBCE), the North Dakota Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners (NDBACE), the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB), and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Program Outcomes

To educate ethical and evidence based professional counselors in a collegial learning environment that will foster competence in:

• Effective communication and relationships
  
• Critical thinking, analysis and decision making
  
• Leadership development in profession and community
  
• Professional skill development for education and human services counseling
  
• Self understanding, growth and enrichment
  
• Contributions to professional knowledge base of counseling through research and scholarship
  
• Integration of Christian and Benedictine values with professional ethics
  
• Culturally sensitive practice

Distinctive Features and Requirements

• Student centered learning environment
• Concentrated Coursework-one class at a time
  
• Cohort learning community
  
• Courses offered in evenings
  
• Some clinical training offered weekends
  
• Focus on development of competent practitioners
  
• Faculty with school, addiction, clinical, counseling, and social work practice
  
• Only program in Western North Dakota
  
• The core curriculum brings all three tracks together strengthening the preparation of counselors statewide.

Admission Requirements

• Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA equivalent of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale; if the GPA is not a 3.0, a scheduled one on one meeting with the program Director is an available option.
  
• Undergraduate major in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, Education, or closely related human services or healthcare field is optimal
  
• Coursework or experience in the following areas: developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, and methodology
  
• Any areas found to be unmet can be petitioned for waiver or completed during the first semester in the program

Qualifying Conference Requirements for the Master of Science in Counseling

• Minimum academic performance in completed coursework of 3.0 average
  
• Completion of all unmet areas of admission criteria
  
• Satisfactory progress on program outcomes for personal and professional behavior
  
• Continuing Requirements for the Master of Science in Counseling
  
• Requirements for beginning Internship in the Master of Science in Counseling
  
• Completion of all appropriate application forms
  
• Completion of state and federal background checks, individual assessment, and child abuse and neglect check prior to the required COU 590 Practicum experience.

Candidacy Requirements for the Master of Science in Counseling Program

• Minimum academic performance in completed coursework of 3.0 average
• Satisfactory progress on program outcomes for personal and professional behavior
• Completion of all appropriate application forms

Required Core Courses

• COU 510 Professional Orientation and Ethics
  
• COU 520 Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling
  
• COU 530 Dynamics of Self
  
• COU 540 Career Counseling and Testing
  
• COU 570 Counseling Methods and Techniques
  
• COU 572 Counseling Theories
  
• COU 574 Group Counseling Theories and Techniques
  
• COU 580 Assessment Techniques
  
• COU 582 Psychopathology and Assessment
  
• COU 590 Counseling Practicum
  
• COU 610 Research and Program Evaluation for Counseling
  
• COU 612 Relationship Counseling
  
• COU 614 Counseling Internship Seminar
  
• COU 695 Internship
  
• COU 698 Counseling Thesis (optional)

Thesis Option

Each student may complete a thesis if they wish to. This should be decided in consultation with the Counseling Program Director during the Qualifying Conference in the first year.

Thesis

The thesis option emphasizes original research. It represents a student's capacity for detailed, in-depth research or advanced scholarship. A thesis must demonstrate a student's ability to clearly define a worthwhile problem, to conduct a thorough investigation, to organize the findings, to draw defensible conclusions, and to give an oral presentation of the findings. After the student has been admitted to candidacy for the degree, a research proposal is written and the thesis committee is selected.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam is required and emphasizes an assessment of the entirety of learning that takes place in the program. It involves case assessment, demonstration of individual and group skills, development of a therapeutic plan, theoretical and methodological explanation and application. This examination is administered during the 4th Term of the program. Students are required to master the material on the examination before the degree is conferred. Non-Degree Seeking Candidates There are a number of reasons a student may select to be non-degree seeking. The most common being students already holding a Master's Degree and who are seeking a specific licensure. If this is the case, please meet with the Program Director for approval. Persons may also take courses for personal growth and development.

Community Counseling

Professional counselors interested in providing services to individuals and families within a mental health or family based practice setting. Courses in family counseling, spousal counseling and community counseling are required. Internships are completed in a community-based setting that provides mental health, individual and family counseling. A minimum of 800 supervised hours in the internship is required for licensure at the Licensed Professional Counselor  level in North Dakota.