11824_JFKU_Catalog Front Cover.indd - John F. Kennedy University

College of Graduate and Professional Studiesvariety of community-based mental health agencies, schools, andhospitals within the greater Bay Area. At the end of this component,students complete the written portion of the MA comprehensiveexamination, modeled after the state’s MFT licensure examination.Phase III: While continuing advanced coursework, students in theMFT specialization continue to focus on their practicumexperience, receiving both individual and group supervision, andattending 2-hour group didactic trainings. Students in the PCCspecialization concentrate on completing the PCC coursework anda lesser amount of practicum hours. Late in Phase III, students inthe MFT or PCC specialization complete the oral portion of theMA comprehensive master’s examination. Students who choose tocomplete an optional, in-depth MA thesis do so during this phase.During Phases II and III, the MFT specialization practicum will beaugmented by weekly clinical case seminars for a total of fourquarters/sessions.academic advisement and MentoringStudent advising is readily available with a faculty or staff advisor.Students are required to meet with an advisor or participate in agroup advisement meeting once per quarter/session to plan eachupcoming quarter/session’s coursework and schedule. If additionalquestions arise during the group advisement, the student will bereferred to their academic advisor. Students can schedule anadditional meeting with their advisor at any time during aquarter/session.Course GradingLetter grading is given for the following MA in CounselingPsychology Program courses: PSy/PSJ/PSB 5001, 5070 5112, 5115,5120 I, F, C, 5154, 5156, 5157, 5179, 5303/5304, 5310, 5403/5404,5405, 5406, 5435, 5436, 5613, 5635 and 5780. All other courses andworkshops are normally graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.Students are responsible for meeting course requirements,assignment deadlines, and grading criteria outlined in each coursesyllabus. e grade of B- is acceptable but MA in CounselingPsychology Program considers any grade below B- as not passingand results in an automatic referral to Review and Advisement (seebelow) and the course must be retaken. University policy requiresthat a master’s student achieve and maintain a cumulative gradepoint average (GPA) of 3.0 or above. A cumulative GPA 2.9 or belowwill place a student on university academic probation. MACounseling Psychology Program upholds the University policyregarding academic misconduct such as plagiarism and cheating.review and advisementFollowing admission, an ongoing process of student evaluationbegins. When such evaluation indicates that a student’sperformance falls below the standards expected of a member of theMA in Counseling Psychology program learning community, thestudent will be referred to the Review and Advisement (R&A)Committee. Such issues to be addressed in R & A may be related toacademics or conduct expected of a member of the profession anda plan is developed to address the identified concern and providefurther mentoring and direction for the student. Please refer to thespecific policies, procedures and guidelines in the StudentHandbook as well as to the JFK University 2012-2013 catalog.Supervised Practicume supervised practicums completed in Phases II and III providethe student with the opportunity to apply their academiccoursework, and may not be completed in less than five quarters.Except for the Berkeley Cohort, students may do the first threeacademic quarters of their practicum experience at one of JFKUniversity’s Community Centers, or at the School Based CounselingProgram, an approved external site in a community. e JFKUniversity’s Community Centers draw upon the teaching andsupervisory skills of psychologists, marriage and family therapists,clinical social workers, who are all licensed in their respectivedisciplines.At our JFK University Community Centers, students counselindividuals (adults and children), couples, families, and groups.Relationship difficulties, parent-child conflicts, and adjustmentproblems of adolescents and children are among the many familyissues encountered at the centers. various teaching tools, includingone-way mirrors and audio- and video-aids, provide direct feedbackand help students develop their therapeutic skills. Students areresponsible for the intake procedure with new clients andparticipate in the administrative operations of the center.During the first three quarters of practicum, students participate inweekly clinical group supervision in which each student makes atleast one comprehensive case presentation. e supervisorfacilitates discussion of the theory and practice relevant to the issuesat hand. e group supervision also serves as a support group forstudents as they meet the challenges of providing therapy to clients.Additionally, for four quarters/sessions, MFT specializationstudents are required to take and participate in 2.5-hour weeklyclinical case seminars taught by faculty.During this time, PCC specialization students will focus on takingthe PCC specialization coursework. completing the first threequarters of the practicum, Pleasant Hill and San Jose students mustapply in order to remain at one of the University’s CommunityCenters in a different capacity, to complete an advanced program,or to begin an external practicum. If approved to go on to anexternal practicum, students meet with the external practicumcoordinator at least one academic quarter before the quarter inwhich they will being their external practicum.e MA in Counseling Psychology program maintains ongoingrelationships with a range of agencies throughout the greater SanFrancisco Bay Area. ese include community mental healthprograms, private nonprofit outpatient clinics, residential treatmentprograms, and inpatient and outpatient hospital settings andveteran’s centers. Other placements include substance abusetreatment centers and settings that use specialized techniques, suchas sport psychology or expressive arts therapy.MA in Counseling Psychology students are required to have 225hours of direct client contact within their graduate studies in orderto pursue MFT licensure. PCC students are required to have aminimum of 280 hours of face-to-face in order to pursue LPCClicensure. Typically, students satisfy this requirement during theirpracticums. Occasionally, students who are unable to achieve theseminimum hours of direct contact must enroll in PSy/PSJ/PSB 5266Supervised Supplemental Experience for an additionalquarter/session of fieldwork. Units earned in PSy/PSJ/PSB 5266Supplemental Fieldwork Experience do not apply toward the 90graduate units required for the degree.JOHN F. KENNEDy UNIvERSITy College of Graduate and Professional Studies 87College of Graduate andProfessional Studies