Counselor Education (M.S.Ed.)

Master of Science in Counselor Education (M.S.Ed.)

School of Education   

Neff Hall 250 ~ 260-481-6861 

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this degree, students will:

• Demonstrate mastery of core counseling knowledge including theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundations of counseling, therapeutic relationship and change factors, case conceptualization skills, and treatment planning abilities.
• Demonstrate a professional counseling identity in terms of leadership and advocacy through an understanding of, and effectiveness in, working with a) diversity issues (e.g., moral, social, cultural, racial, sexual, political, and economic) in school-related or clinical mental health counseling-related contexts; and b) an awareness of foundational ethical, legal, and licensing standards.
• Demonstrate effective skills as scholar-practitioners such as selecting, administering, and interpreting psychological assessments; understanding, critiquing, and applying counseling research; and assessing the effectiveness of a) school counseling programs and their work with students and school communities as school counselors, or b) their work with clients and agencies as clinical mental health counselors.
• Demonstrate mastery of applied clinical counseling competencies through supervised university and field-based professional counseling experiences.

Completion of the school counseling concentration is designed to lead to a School Counselor K-12 educator license for the state of Indiana. Completion of the clinical mental health counseling concentration is designed to lead to subsequent licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Indiana. Indiana holds reciprocal licensing agreements with other states. The Student Affairs concentration is a non-licensure option.

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The Degree:

To earn the master’s degree with a major in counseling, you must satisfactorily complete either the Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration or the School Counseling concentration curricula. You also must satisfactorily complete supervised off-campus internships and two (School Counseling) or three (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) on-campus practica. You must satisfy the requirements of Purdue University Fort Wayne (Regulations ) and the School of Education.

Subject to approval by the Director of Counselor Education, you may substitute up to 6 credits of graduate-level counseling courses you have successfully completed at Purdue Fort Wayne, or earned at another comparably accredited institution.

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Accreditation:

• Both the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentrations are nationally accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The School Counseling program is also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and is recognized as a high-quality program through the Indiana Department of Education. 

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Acceptance to the Counselor Education Program:

Acceptance to the program is available only for the Summer II Semester. Preference is given to applications received on or before February 15th. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and those from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply! To be considered, you must provide the following materials with your application for admission to graduate study in education:

• A completed Counselor Education program application form, official transcripts from all colleges you have attended, two professional recommendation letters, and copies of all applicable licenses

• A current résumé or curriculum vitae

• A statement, approximately two pages in length, that summarizes your

  • Professional goals, including preferred professional setting(s), examples of typical employment activities, and any specialized interests

  • Past experiences contributing to the development of your cited professional goals

  • Unique skills and characteristics aiding your pursuit of your cited goals

After the Director of Counselor Education has determined that you qualify for admission to graduate study in education, your application to the Counselor Education program and the additional material you have provided will be referred to the Dean of the School of Education. The Dean and appropriate faculty will evaluate your demonstrated academic ability and evidence of your aptitude for working with people. You will also be required to participate in an interview process. Applicants are accepted to the program with the stipulation they adhere to the curriculum of their elected concentration.

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