Graduate Catalog - Shippensburg University

University Curricula2. For the Clinical Mental Health, College Counseling, and theCollege Student Personnel Programs, a 2.75 undergraduate QPAis the minimum for admission. If applicants to these programshave less than a 2.75, they must successfully complete the GraduateRecord Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).For the School Counseling Program, a 3.0 undergraduate QPAis the minimum as required by the Pennsylvania Department ofEducation. Completing the GRE or MAT is, therefore, not anoption for applicants to the Elementary or Secondary SchoolCounseling programs.Applicants are required to submit a résumé, three references ondepartment forms, and supplemental data forms. If the applicantmeets the initial requirements, the Admission Committee will invitethe applicant for a group interview. The applicant will be notifiedby mail of this decision. During the group interview, each student’ssocial skills will be observed.Students applying to the school counseling program must passthe Pre-Professional Skills Tests (reading, writing, and mathematics)required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Successfulcandidates to the school counseling program will be provisionallyaccepted until they pass these tests. Provisional acceptance allowsstudents to register for courses, but will only remain valid until thetime of candidacy at the end of Phase I. If students have not passedthese three tests by the time of candidacy, they will be dismissed fromthe program.Because counseling and personnel work include a variety ofexperiences in practicum, internship, or other clinical experiences, thestudent’s effectiveness and suitability for the program will be subjectto an ongoing and broad-based evaluation by faculty and/or fieldsupervisors. Decisions regarding continuance of studies will be predicatedon a combination of factors such as demonstrated clinical skillsand other relevant professional competencies in addition to grades incourse work.Under certain conditions, a counseling department committee mayask students to do one or more of the following:1. Interrupt their program for a specified period of time.2. Engage in a therapeutic relationship with a qualified mentalhealth specialist for the purpose of remediation or for the purposeof decreasing behaviors that detract from the ability to provide aconstructive helping relationship with others.3. Submit for review additional supportive evidence that demonstratescompetence in the skill areas deemed deficient via presentationsof skills.4. Limit enrollment to those courses that do not have a significantexperiential component for a specified period of time.Admission to Candidacy1. All candidates must apply through the department for admissionto candidacy. This should be done during the semester CNS585Practicum is scheduled.2. The purposes of candidacy are to ensure students are integratingmaterial from the classroom to real-life experiences, to verifyprofessional goals are specific and focused, to determine if studentshave formulated a realistic view of what they need to do tobecome effective professionals, and to ensure students can expressthemselves regarding controversial issues in the field.3. Candidates are evaluated with respect to aptitude, competency,and potential for completing the requirements of their requestedprogram.4. Specific procedures for admission to candidacy are outlined inthe Department of Counseling and College Student Personnel’sStudent Manual made available on line at ship.edu/counsel/.Certification in CounselingThe Department of Counseling and College Student Personneloffers a graduate program leading to certification in schoolcounseling.Completion of the appropriate program in counseling is requiredfor certification. A quality point average of 3.0 must be maintained.Additionally, a grade of B or better must be earned in CNS578 Pre-Practicum, CNS585 Practicum, and CNS580/589 Field ExperienceI and II, to qualify for continuation in the program and departmentendorsement for certification.Licensure in CounselingThe Department of Counseling and College Student Personneloffers a 60-hour graduate curriculum that enables students to becomeeligible for licensure as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania.Counseling (M.S.)The Master of Science degree with specialization in counselinghas been designed to meet the needs of students whose backgroundsand aspirations vary. Its orientation is toward persons who are preparingfor service in areas such as community mental health agencies,hospitals, college counseling centers, and student affairs and highereducation. Therefore, completion of the Master of Science degreewill not lead to certification as a school counselor. A minimum of 48to 60 semester hour credits is required for completing the degree. Acommon core curriculum provides each student with a common baseof substantive and experiential knowledge. The remaining credits aretaken in an area of emphasis that has been planned with the assistanceof an advisor.Students in this counseling program must select, with departmentalapproval, an area of emphasis from the following:• College Counseling—This concentration prepares counselorsto work in therapeutic settings at colleges, universities, andcommunity colleges.• College Student Personnel—This concentration providespreparation for persons who plan to work as student affairseducators in colleges, universities, or community colleges.• Clinical Mental Health Counseling—This concentration isdesigned to prepare students to work in therapeutic mentalhealth settings with an emphasis on assessment, diagnosis, anddirect counseling services.College Counseling ConcentrationREQUIRED COURSES (48 crs.)Courses are organized into three phases and should be taken inthat order. The sequence within each phase should be followed asclosely as possible. Consultation with an advisor on a regular basis isrequired as a student progresses through the program. Students mustapply for admission to candidacy the semester they are enrolled inPracticum.Phase I (Required by all students)15 crs.CNS559 Introduction to Helping ServicesCNS600 Research and StatisticsCNS515 Career DevelopmentCNS519 Implications of Human Development for CounselingCNS578 Pre-Practicum in CounselingPhase II27 crs.CNS585 Practicum in CounselingCNS522 Assessment Techniques in CounselingCNS509 Multicultural CounselingCNS573 Theories of CounselingCNS512 Group Counseling Leadership SkillsCNS560 Introduction to College Personnel WorkCNS565 The College Student and the College EnvironmentCNS588 Counseling Strategies and TechniquesCNS524 The DSM and Psychopathology for a CNS PerspectivePhase III6 crs.CNS580 Clinical Field Experience ICNS589 Clinical Field Experience IIAdditional classes may be taken with approval of advisorMinimum = 48 crs.49