Admissions
ADMISSION TO COUNSELING DEGREE PROGRAMS
(For General Admissions please refer to the
Graduate
Programs bulletin.)
Applicants to counseling degree programs are evaluated on
their previous experience and academic record. At least
one year of practical experience in a field related to their
chosen profession is required. Exceptions are sometimes
made when experience is taken concurrently with the graduate
program.
Santa Clara’s counseling programs are primarily designed
for the working professional, with most courses offered
in the late afternoons and evenings. A limited number of
daytime classes are available. Students are encouraged either
to continue in their present employment, if suitable, or
to select situations in which some use of counseling skills
is possible. Preference will be given to those whose working
milieu provides such experience.
Applications are welcome anytime during the year. The admissions
committee meets fall, winter, and spring quarters to select
the most highly qualified applicants for each counseling
program.
MASTER OF ARTS IN COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Jerrold Lee Shapiro (Chairman)
The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology provides an
intensive 78-quarter unit Master of Arts program for students.
Two tracks are available within the program: one is for
students seeking to meet California Marriage and Family
Therapy (MFT) licensing requirements; a second is for students
not seeking the MFT but desiring more extensive training
and experience than the 51-quarter Master of Arts in Counseling
program (see page 58) affords. Students in any track may
also can select from one of the three emphasis programs:
Health Psychology, Career Development, or Correctional Psychology
(see pages 58–60). A fourth emphasis program, Latino
Counseling, is scheduled to commence in spring 2003. These
emphases or specializations are optional and can be completed
within the 78-unit degree program through the student’s
selection of electives.
The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology MFT track is
designed to train counselors in the treatment of premarital,
marital, family, and child relationship dysfunctions. It
includes theoretical and experiential work with an emphasis
on development of practical and appropriate clinical skills.
The MFT track of the program is based on regulations provided
by the Board of Behavioral Science and on guidelines suggested
by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
Courses are designed to prepare the student for the California
MFT license examination. Six quarter units of Field Laboratory
(305) may be included.
Admission to the M.A. in Counseling Psychology
Because the state license in marriage and family therapy
allows its holder to engage in private practice using psychotherapeutic
and counseling techniques, and because all counseling psychology
graduates are likely to work in the human services, candidates
will be selected on the basis of experience, previous academic
background, and maturity with regard to life experience
and professional goals. Applicants to the MFT track should
be prepared and sufficiently motivated to complete the experience
requirements as set forth by the Board of Behavioral Science
on completion of the degree program.
MASTER OF ARTS IN COUNSELING
The 51-quarter-unit Master of Arts in Counseling prepares
students to counsel in some educational settings, community
agencies, hospitals, private clinics, religious settings,
and industry. It is an appropriate program for students
who wish to pursue a doctoral program at a later date. The
M.A. degree does not meet the content areas for the California
State License in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). According
to California State regulations, students who complete and
receive the 51-unit master’s degree cannot later apply
those credits to an MFT license program.
The 51-unit program can be completed as a general program
or can include one of the division’s three emphasis
programs. The student and the advisor create a contract,
listing the courses and the units that will culminate in
an M.A. in Counseling.
Students must adhere to the contract in their course selections
and successfully complete the comprehensive examination
in addition to the nine core courses.
Courses to be included in the student’s program are
listed on page 60–61. Persons accepted for the M.A.
in Counseling can choose one of the three emphasis programs
described below.
Emphasis in Health Psychology
Dale G. Larson (Coordinator)
The Emphasis in Health Psychology Program at Santa Clara
University offers a concentration in health psychology within
the counseling degree programs. The program focuses on applications
of psychology to issues of health and disease at individual
and societal levels. Course work concentrates on the development
of knowledge and practical skills in the following areas:
maintaining and promoting personal health; preventing disease;
exploring the individual and social contexts of health problems;
counseling healthy and ill individuals regarding health-related
problems and issues; counseling for grief and loss; developing
stress management programs; and addressing interpersonal
issues in health care settings.
The Emphasis in Health Psychology is designed for individuals
with a combined interest in counseling and health psychology.
Graduates of the program work as agency and private practice
counselors; health promotion specialists in industry, schools,
and hospitals; counselors in employee assistance programs;
and counseling and health specialists in other settings.
The emphasis is available to students in both Master of
Arts program options: Counseling with an Emphasis in Health
Psychology (51 quarter units); and Counseling Psychology
with an Emphasis in Health Psychology (78 quarter units).
The 78-quarter-unit options provide a greater depth of training
in counseling theory and skills. A student who includes
the health emphasis in the 78-quarter-unit master’s
program can meet all the academic requirements for the California
State License in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Emphasis in Career Development
Teri Quatman (Coordinator)
The Emphasis in Career Development Program at Santa Clara
University offers a concentration in career development
within each of the counseling degree programs. This emphasis
is designed to meet the current course content requirements
of both the National Board of Career Counselors (NBCC) and
the California Registry of Professional Counselors and Paraprofessionals.
The field of career development within counseling psychology
has undergone a broadening of both scope and definition
within the past decade. The focus of the field has shifted
from reactive to proactive modes of thinking and action.
Roles for counselors specializing in career development
span settings that include working with individuals in career
planning or career transition; with organizations in the
context of planning for and managing structural changes
in human resource requirements; and within school and agency
settings. By increasing their portfolio of career-related
skills, graduates may be prepared to function in a variety
of expanded roles, including work in private-practice or
agency-based career development centers, human resource
departments, industry-based career centers, out-placement
organizations, consulting services, community retraining
and rehabilitation programs, and student-related work, from
elementary through college ages.
The emphasis is available to students in two Master of
Arts program options: Counseling with an Emphasis in Career
Development (51 quarter units); and Counseling Psychology
with an Emphasis in Career Development (78 quarter units).
Only the 78-unit option provides course work leading to
the California State License in Marriage and Family Therapy
(MFT), and only the 78-unit option provides adequate course
work to meet NBCC criteria for national certification in
career counseling.
Because of the nature of the field of career development,
those candidates who present significant work experience
in industry (acquired either prior to program entrance or
concurrently with participation in the program) will stand
to benefit most from the program itself and in subsequent
career counseling endeavors. Therefore, in admissions decisions,
strong preference will be given to those who have accrued
real work experience in industry (at any level) prior to
seeking admission to the emphasis program.
Emphasis in Correctional Psychology:
Counseling Delinquent and At-Risk Youth
Stephen Johnson, S.M. (Coordinator)
This emphasis program is a professional training program
for counselors working with delinquent, at-risk, anti-social,
and non-conventional youth in mental health, social services,
community, juvenile justice, correctional, and school programs.
The emphasis is available to students in two Master of Arts
program options: Counseling with an Emphasis in Correctional
Psychology (51 quarter units); and Counseling Psychology
with an Emphasis in Correctional Psychology (78 quarter
units). Students should see Steve Johnson, S.M., for further
information.
Students interested in a certificate program complete 12
units of course work, a portfolio, and supervised field
experience. Requirements may be completed either through
the graduate program or through continuing professional
education.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: COUNSELING DEGREE PROGRAMS
Required courses for the counseling degree programs are
listed below. Elective courses should be taken in addition
to required courses to fulfill the total number of quarter
units in the student’s program. Electives may be selected
in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Note: Nine core courses are required for all counseling
degree programs: 200, 212, 216, 218, 219, 220, 227, 231,
and 275. These courses must be completed within the first
half of an individual’s program. Students exceeding
the time limit will not be allowed to register for additional
courses until this requirement is completed.
Counseling Psychology or Counseling Psychology (MFT track)
(78 quarter units)
78: Counseling Psychology - Core courses plus 217, 312,
318, 319, 331A (two consecutive quarters beginning fall),
and 11 electives. Any students who wish to qualify eventually
for a California State MFT License, must substitute Course
#333 (three consecutive quarters beginning fall) for course
#331.
78: Counseling Psychology with Health Emphasis - Core courses
plus 217, 312, 318, 319, 331 (two quarters), 291, 380, 381,
383, 385, and six electives. Any students who wish to qualify
eventually for a California State MFT License, must substitute
Course #333 (three consecutive quarters beginning fall)
for course #331.
78: Counseling Psychology with Career Development Emphasis
- Core courses plus 217, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 312, 318,
331C, and eight electives. Any students who wish to qualify
eventually for a California State MFT License, must substitute
Course #333 (three consecutive quarters beginning fall)
for course #331.
78: Counseling Psychology with Correctional Psychology
Emphasis - Core courses plus CPSY 243, 244, 245, 246, 331
or 333 (6 units), and 217, 312, 318, 319, and seven electives.
Any students who wish to qualify eventually for a California
State MFT License, must substitute Course #333 (three consecutive
quarters beginning fall) for course #331.
78: Counseling Psychology (MFT track) Core courses plus
211, 217, 311, 312, 315, 318, 319, 323, 333 (three consecutive
quarters beginning fall), and one from 215, 317, or 383,
and five electives
78: Counseling Psychology (MFT track) and Health Emphasis
Core courses plus 211, 217, 311, 312, 315, 318, 319, 323,
333 (three consecutive quarters beginning fall), 291, 380,
381, 383, 385, and one elective
78: Counseling Psychology (MFT track) with Career Development
Emphasis - Core courses plus 211, 217, 311, 312, 315, 318,
319, 323, 333 (three consecutive quarters beginning fall),
and one from 215, 317, or 383, 300, 301, 302, 303, and 304
78: Counseling Psychology (MFT track) with Correctional
Psychology Emphasis - Core courses plus 211, 217, 311, 312,
315, 318, 319, 323, 333 (three consecutive quarters beginning
fall), and one from 215, 317, or 383, 243, 244, 245, 246,
and one elective
Counseling (51 quarter units)
General - Core courses plus 312, 318, 331 (two consecutive
quarters beginning fall), and four electives selected in
close consultation with an advisor
Health Psychology Emphasis - Core courses plus 312, 318,
331H (fall term), 291, 380, 381, 383, and 385
Career Development Emphasis - Core courses plus 300, 301,
302, 303, 304, 312, 318, 331C
Correctional Psychology Emphasis - Core courses plus CPSY
243, 244, 245, 246, 312, 318, and 331 or 333 (6 units, beginning
in the fall)
The following information applies to students in all counseling
programs:
Academic Performance - Students must maintain at least a
3.0 grade point average throughout the degree program. A
grade of B or higher is required in courses 200 and 227
for continuation in the program regardless of grades earned
in other courses.
Sequence of Courses - CPSY 200, 218, 219, and 227 must
be taken during the first nine courses of study. CPSY 219
has a lab group experience, which may be taken as a prerequisite
or concurrent with enrollment.
Practicum should be taken after sufficient course work
has been completed to make it a meaningful undertaking and
should, therefore, occur in the last half of a student’s
program. Course work in preparation for practicum should
include all nine core courses. If a student intends to qualify
for the California State License in Marriage and Family
Therapy, he/she will need to complete three quarters of
MFT Practicum (333), beginning the sequence in the fall
quarter. Prerequisites for the MFT Practicum (333) include
311, 315, 318, and 319. Before beginning a practicum experience,
the student must submit a certificate of malpractice insurance
to 226 Bannan Hall.
Students wishing to gain experience in counseling prior
to qualifying for a practicum are encouraged to enroll in
308 or 309, or 305 (Field Laboratory). Students should note
those courses that have prerequisites and plan accordingly.
Mandatory Lab Group - The lab group experience associated
with Psychology of Group Counseling (219) is required of
all counseling students as a part of CPSY 219. This small
lab group experience is customarily taken simultaneously
with the 219 class. It may also be taken prior to the 219
class. The prerequisites for 219 are 200 and CPSY 218; these
should be completed during the first year of study. Lab
groups are conducted on campus by licensed professional
leaders and advanced student assistants; are interpersonally
oriented and ungraded; and are designed to facilitate personal
growth and exploration, as well as the experience of the
small-group process. The directed group experience is an
opportunity to cope with individual issues that promote
or inhibit counseling skills. Lab groups are offered each
quarter.
Ethical Principles - The counseling psychology faculty
and staff adhere to “Ethical Principles of Psychologists”
as adopted by the American Psychological Association. These
ethical principles include the following:
Responsibility
Competence
Moral and legal standards
Public statements
Confidentiality
Welfare of the consumer
Professional relationships
Assessment techniques
Research with human participants
Care and use of animals
A copy of “Ethical Principles of Psychologists”
is available in 226 Bannan Hall.
Self-disclosure - Preparing oneself to become a professional
counselor requires disclosure of personal thoughts and feelings
on a deeper level than in other courses of study. As part
of the educational process in the counseling program, students
will be expected to engage in exercises and activities that
require written or oral personal communication. Although
the effectiveness of counseling training depends on students’
willingness to participate in a self-disclosing manner,
individuals will determine their own level of self-disclosure.
Comprehensive Examination - A written comprehensive examination
will be given during the last quarter of study (summer session
excluded) or after all required courses, with the exception
of practica, have been completed. The purpose is to facilitate
a meaningful synthesis of the various concepts and experiences
provided in the program. If needed, a second opportunity
will be given to perform satisfactorily on the comprehensive
examination. Passing the comprehensive examination is prerequisite
to obtaining the Master of Arts degree.
