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 coursework in statistics is recommended, but not required. 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:
– COUN 500 (3)- Basic Facilitative Skills
– COUN 502 (3)- Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
– COUN 504 (3)- Adult and Child Psychopathology and Diagnosis
– COUN 505 (3)- Analysis of the Individual
– EDFR 501 (3)- Educational Research
– COUN 510 (3)- Theory and Procedure in Group Counseling
– COUN 511 (3)- Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
– COUN 512 (3)- Cognitive Behavior Theory & Applications
– COUN 513 (3)- Applied Psychopharmacology
– COUN 519 (3)- Advanced Lifespan Developmental Psychology
– COUN 520 (3)- Psychological Counseling Practicum I
– COUN 521 (3)- Psychological Counseling Practicum II
– COUN 527 (3)- Career and Lifestyle Development
– COUN 526 (3)-Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy
– COUN 537 (3)- Substance Abuse Counseling
– COUN 522 (3)- Interventions for Diverse Needs
– COUN 545 (3)- Counseling Internship I
– COUN 546 (3)- Counseling Internship II
– COUN 549 (3)- Professional Issues and Ethics in Counseling
– COUN 596 (0)- Clinical Mental Health Master’s Comprehensive Exam
Elective Courses: Candidates must complete three hours from the following courses:
– PSYC 506 (3)- Applied Behavior Analysis
– COUN 525 (3)- Problems in Counseling
– COUN 538 (3)- Theory and Practice of Play Therapy in Counseling
– COUN 550 (3)- Special Topics in Counseling: May be taken multiple times if topic differs
