Program Overview

Professional School Counseling Program
Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling
Appalachian State University

Description

The M.A. in Professional School Counseling (*427) is a 60 semester hour program. The master's program is designed to meet the requirements for North Carolina School Counselor Licensure (K-12) and to follow guidelines and standards of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Approval by these additional accrediting agencies allows graduates to be eligible in many other states for reciprocal licensure.
All courses are taught from a multicultural perspective which emphasizes the differing experiences, cultures, histories, and perspectives of people from a variety of ethnic, gender, racial, and social class backgrounds.
The job requirements and expectations for the PSC have become increasingly complicated. The 60-hour program provides the opportunity for students to further develop their counseling skills and graduate at the “S” level status, which translates into an increase on the pay scale.


Mission Statement

The master's program is designed to meet the requirements for North Carolina School Counselor Licensure (K-12) and to follow guidelines and standards of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Professional School Counseling Program at Appalachian State University is one of six in North Carolina nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Appalachian has historically had a major responsibility for graduate and undergraduate preparation for professional educators in the Northwestern and Western Piedmont areas of North Carolina. This responsibility includes the preparation of professional school counselors to meet employment needs within the western region.
Students completing this program are prepared to design and implement comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs. Additionally, graduates are prepared to carry out the functions identified by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in the job description of the school counselor. Currently, the demand for licensed school counselors is greater than the capacity of all of the counselor education programs in North Carolina combined. Surveys indicate the likelihood that this need will continue to increase.

Objectives

1. CACREP/NCATE: Professional roles and functions; professional goals and objectives; professional organizations and associations; professional history and trends; ethical and legal standards; professional preparation standards; professional credentialing; technological competence and computer literacy; and the counselor?s role as advocate for the profession and its clientele in the public policy process.
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2. CACREP/NCATE: Societal changes and trends with a multicultural and pluristic emphasis nationally and internationally; human roles; societal subgroups; gender issues; social mores and interaction patterns; and differing lifestyles; individual, couples, family and community; and group strategies with diverse populations using experiential learning activities.

3. CACREP/NCATE: The nature and needs of individuals and families at all developmental levels across the life span; normal and abnormal behavior; and learning and personality development within cultural contexts.

4. CACREP/NCATE: Career development theories and decision making models; occupational and educational information resources including technology based applications and strategies; career developmental program planning, resources, follow-up, and evaluation; holistic approach identifying the numerous and diverse life roles which influence career development; assessment instruments and techniques; and career counseling process.

5. CACREP/NCATE: Counseling theories provide a philosophic base of the helping processes; counseling and consultation theories and their application from both an individual and systems perspective; helping skills such as basic interviewing, assessment and counseling; helper self-understanding and self-development; and facilitation of client and consultee change.

6. CACREP: Group development, dynamics, and counseling theories; group leadership styles; group counseling methods and skills; and the different approaches (both theoretical and experiential) to group work. NCATE: Individual and group counseling approaches appropriate for the developmental stage and needs of children and adolescents; approaches to peer facilitation programs; specific issues which may affect the developmental and functioning of children and adolescents; and developmental approaches to support students and families at points of educational transition.

7. CACREP/ NCATE: Individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation; historical and theoretical bases for assessment techniques; validity and reliability; appraisal methods; psychometric statistics; factors influencing assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups; the use of appraisal results in the helping process, current technological resources; and ethical and legal considerations in research.

8. CACREP/NCATE: Types of research; basic statistics; principles, practices and applications of needs assessment and program evaluation; current technological resources; and ethical and legal considerations in research.

9: CACREP: The school environment including history, philosophy, trends, purpose and objectives, ethics, legal aspects, standards, and roles within the school.

10. CACREP: The implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program including the direct counselor functions of individual counseling, small group counseling, and classroom guidance; and the indirect functions of coordination, consultation, and peer facilitation.
NCATE: Program development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program; specific strategies designed to meet program goals and objectives; preparation of a counseling schedule reflecting appropriate time commitments; and priorities in a developmental school counseling program.
Coordination of the school counseling components as they relate to the total, positive school environment and community; integration of the counseling curriculum in the total school curriculum; coordination with resource persons; referral process for specialized help; and methods of planning and presenting counseling program to school personnel, parents and the community.
Program development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program; specific strategies designed to meet program goals and objectives; preparation of a counseling schedule reflecting appropriate time commitments; and priorities in a developmental school counseling program.
Methods of enhancing collaboration within the school community to benefit children, adolescents, and their families through consultation with parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, and community resources.