MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Undergraduate Preparation
Undergraduate preparation for the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health includes nine semester hours in psychology or other coursework deemed acceptable by the Program Coordinator. Three semester hours of undergraduate聽coursework in statistics is recommended, but not required.聽Six of the nine hours must be completed prior to enrollment in any graduate classes and all prerequisites must be completed within the first semester of enrollment in graduate classes.
Master’s Comprehensive Examination/Portfolio
During the final semester or session, candidates for the M.Ed. or the M.A. degree must take a written comprehensive examination and/or submit a comprehensive portfolio. The comprehensive examination for the degree in administration and supervision requires both essay and objective responses. Candidates for the M.Ed. in Early Childhood, Elementary, High Incidence Disabilities, Secondary Education, and Reading must complete a comprehensive portfolio. Candidates for the M.Ed. in School Counseling and the M.A. degree must take comprehensive examinations either in the fall or spring semester. Those students who have finished all coursework except for supervised practica may, with the consent of their major professor and program chair, complete the comprehensive examination at the end of the semester (fall or spring) in which that coursework is completed. If the student’s performance on the written examination is unsatisfactory, the student, at the committee’s discretion, may be permitted to take an oral examination or be required to retake the entire or failed portion(s) of the examination at the next or a later regularly scheduled administration of the examination. A candidate must register for EDFR 594 or 595, COUN 595, or COUN 596 at the beginning of the semester or session in which the examination is to be taken or the portfolio is to be submitted. No special examinations will be given. No candidate will be permitted a third attempt.
Graduate Course Work
Sixty-hour emphasis for those who seek employment in human service delivery systems or for those interested in pursuing licensure. Note that licensure in Louisiana (and most states) requires completion of additional post-graduate supervised counseling experience and a passing grade on a National Counselor Exam. This curriculum requires several courses that are likely to be offered only via internet. Basic computer knowledge is required for students to enroll in the MCMH program.
Required Courses:
–聽聽COUN 500 (3)- Basic Facilitative Skills
–聽聽COUN 502 (3)-聽Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
–聽聽COUN 504 (3)-聽Adult and Child Psychopathology and Diagnosis
–聽聽COUN 505 (3)- Analysis of the Individual
–聽 EDFR 501 (3)- Educational Research or
– 聽PSYC 507 (3)- Statistical Analysis and Research Methods
–聽 PSYC 523 (3)- Crisis Prevention and Intervention
–聽聽COUN 510 (3)- Theory and Procedure in Group Counseling
–聽聽COUN 511 (3)- Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
–聽 COUN 513 (3)- Applied Psychopharmacology
–聽聽COUN 519 (3)- Advanced Lifespan Developmental Psychology
–聽聽COUN聽520 (3)- Introduction to Counseling Practicum
–聽聽COUN 521 (3)- Counseling Practicum
–聽 COUN 527 (3)- Career and Lifestyle Development
–聽聽COUN 526 (3)-Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy
– 聽COUN 541 (3)- Cross Culural Counseling
–聽 COUN 545 (3)- Counseling Internship I
–聽 COUN 546 (3)- Counseling Internship II
–聽聽COUN 549 (3)- Professional Issues and Ethics in Counseling
–聽 COUN 551 (3)- Applied Theories
–聽聽COUN 596 (0)-聽Clinical Mental Health Master’s Comprehensive Exam
Elective Courses: Candidates must complete聽three hours from the following courses:
–聽 PSYC 506 (3)- Applied Behavior Analysis
– 聽COUN 509 (3)- Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals
– 聽COUN 512 (3)- Cognitive Behavior Theory & Applications
– 聽COUN 522 (3)- Interventions for Diverse Needs
–聽聽COUN 525 (3)- Problems in Counseling
– 聽COUN 530 (3)- Counseling Strategies with Children and Adolescents
–聽聽COUN 537 (3)-聽Substance Abuse Counseling
–聽聽COUN 538 (3)- Theory and Practice of Play Therapy in Counseling
–聽聽COUN 550 (3)- Special Topics in Counseling: May be taken multiple times if topic differs