FAQ
Are students accepted all year
round?
The admissions committee evaluates applications three times
per year.
Application deadlines are implemented quarterly. To be considered
for Summer or Fall Quarter, your complete admissions packet
must be received by April 1st. Deadlines for Winter and
Spring Quarter are November 1st and February 1st, respectively.
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What does the admissions process
entail?
Degree candidates must submit the application form, two
sets of transcripts from each college/university attended
(excluding extension courses), results of Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) OR Miller's Analogies Test (MAT), 3 letters
of recommendation (on form provided in the application)
from people who have been in either supervisory or collegial
positions and are not friends or family, a statement of
purpose, and the $50 application fee. You are welcome to
apply by mail or online.
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What are the prerequisites for
entrance into the masters program?
You must have a bachelors degree from an accredited four
year school (or equivalent) in ANY FIELD with a 3.0 or higher.
There are no academic prerequisites in psychology. The basics
of the field will be covered within the 51 and 78 unit programs.
Prospective students should have at least a year of practical
experience in a field related to applied areas of psychology.
This prerequisite may be in the form of volunteer or paid
work.
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What is the difference between
a Masters in Counseling (51 units) and a Masters in Counseling
Psychology (78 units)?
The Masters in Counseling Psychology is considered the
"journeyman's" degree for most students. In addition
to being a more thorough study of the dynamics of counseling,
the Masters in Counseling Psychology allows you a broader
range of career options than the Masters in Counseling.
It is important to note that should you ever choose to go
into private practice as a therapist, the state of California
requires you obtain the designated licensure in Marriage
and Family Therapy (MFT). The Masters in Counseling Psychology
offers a track designed specifically for those who wish
to obtain licensure. As an MFT, not only can you set up
private practice, but you are able to work for a variety
of clinics, hospitals, hospices, non-profit social service
organizations, county facilities, schools, etc. A select
few of the aforementioned institutions do hire non-licensed
individuals. So, if you do not plan to become an MFT, it
is recommended you contact the employer for whom you wish
to work and ensure the Masters in Counseling is sufficient.
The Masters in Counseling may be a good choice for those
who are interested in bettering their relational skills
in the environment in which they already work or intend
to pursue a doctorate and have no previous academic experience
in psychology.
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What is the Department of Counseling
Psychology's student body size? Are students part of a cohort?
There are approximately 200 students enrolled in the Counseling
Psychology masters program (not including students of non-degree
status). Although there is a generally preferred class sequence
(see below), students do not funnel through the courses
within a cohort. Individuals are encouraged to take as many
classes as their schedules allow; some people are full-time
students (3-4 classes), others attend school part-time (1-2
classes).
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What is the average class size?
Class size varies depending on whether it is a required
(core) course, an elective, or specific to an emphasis.
The largest classes have a cap of 30 students. Several other
classes are capped at 24. In the past three years, the average
class size was approximately 17 students. A few specialty
emphasis classes may be as small as six students.
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When do the majority of classes
meet?
Classes usually meet once a week for three hours. The majority
of our classes are held in the evenings: 5-8, 5:30-8:30,
or 6-9. One or two classes per quarter meet in the afternoon
(1:45-4:45), but it is not possible to complete the program
in the daytime. Summer classes are on a different schedule.
Most summer classes meet twice a week for three hours, but
there are also opportunities to take weekend, morning, or
Monday-Friday classes that meet for a two week period.
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How long will it take to get my
masters degree? What about my licensure?
Depending on the masters degree you intend to complete
and whether you attend classes full or part-time, the program
length varies. You are free to set the pace of your program,
bearing in mind the recommended course sequences/prerequisites
and five-year limit on program completion. If you choose
to do the 51 unit masters (17 classes), plan for about 2
years. A reasonable time-line for completing the 78 unit
program (26 classes) is 3 years. Licensure is granted by
the State, not a University. The state of California gives
the examination for MFT Licensure. To sit for the exam a
candidate must complete the 78-unit Masters and 3000 hours
of supervised training (up to 1200 of these hours may be
obtained while in school).
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Do you have to have an emphasis
and what are the options?
You do not have to choose an emphasis. Emphases are essentially
ways for students with certain interests to focus their
elective courses into a planned sequence. Current emphases
are Career Counseling, Health Psychology, Correctional Counseling
and Latino Counseling.
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What is practicum and how do
I find a placement?
Practicum is the required supervised training that must
be completed before graduation. For MFT candidates, practicum
is a three-quarter commitment. Students in the 51-unit program
dedicate two quarters to practicum. Placements are coordinated
by Dr. Moretti. Students often explore a host of potential
placements at the "Practicum Fair" which is hosted
at SCU each spring. Representatives from organizations (social
service programs, schools, YMCA/YWCA, counseling centers,
clinics, community colleges, etc.) that are looking for
students in training come to SCU for the fair to recruit
trainees for the coming year. The sites featured at the
fair have been pre-approved by Dr. Moretti as providing
adequate amounts of training and high-quality supervision.
However, if you already know where you would like to do
your practicum and it is not yet recognized by our department,
you have the option of requesting that site be inspected.
If the placement is acceptable, you will be able to work
there for the duration of practicum.
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If I decide to become an MFT,
am I limited to working with married couples and families?
No. MFTs are trained to work with individuals (children,
adolescents, and adults), couples, and groups (including
families). Doing therapy with these parties for the purpose
of examining interpersonal relationships is within the scope
of practice. However, therapists are limited by their scope
of competence and are ethically and legally obligated to
stay within their bounds. For example, practicing hypnotherapy
without adequate knowledge of or training in hypnosis is
not acceptable.
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What is it like to be a counseling
student at SCU?
Santa Clara University abides by a Jesuit-inspired philosophy
centered around developing the whole person, justice and
service to people in need. The life of SCU is founded on
challenging individuals to make a commitment towards personal
growth in competence, conscience, and compassion. The counseling
department is a leader in pursuit of this tradition. In
addition to developing professional competence students
are encouraged to students take a sincere look at themselves
in many different capacities.
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How is the counseling program
at SCU different from other programs?
Counseling Psychology is an extremely diverse field comprised
of many different facets and understandings, all of which
have a degree of relevance and merit. The faculty of SCU's
counseling program feel it is in the best interest of the
students as well as the field at large to offer an eclectic-integrative
perspective of the therapeutic arts. Students study numerous
types of therapy and are directly and indirectly asked to
take a personal and often very soulful and emotional inventory
of the different ways of working with clients. The ultimate
goal is for students to discover the therapy that resonates
best with their personal values will be the most effective
and honest approach when dealing with others.
Programs at other schools have their own philosophies -
some adhere to one particular therapeutic theory and teach
only from that standpoint, others have a more transpersonal
orientation and tend to focus on the spiritual, still others
may have a style comparable to SCU. It is important that
you research and become familiar with the programs of greatest
personal interest and choose to apply to those that seem
the best fit for your personality.
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How is the SCU Faculty different
from other programs?
At SCU, there is a full time faculty of seven professors
and two lecturers. Each faculty member is an experienced
clinician and an active researcher. In addition, over twenty
adjunct lecturers with specific expertise in certain clinical
areas regularly teach their specialty classes in our program.
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What is the purpose of non-degree
status?
Non-degree status offers an alternative to degree status
for those who are either not seeking a masters or are not
prepared to apply for the degree program but are interested
in taking classes. The non-degree application process is
less involved than the regular process. It includes the
cover sheet, transcripts, a resume, a short statement of
purpose (to be written on the form), a meeting with the
Director of Admissions, and the $50 application fee. As
a non-degree student, you may take up to three classes.
During this time, you are welcome to apply for degree status.
If accepted, up to nine credits taken as a non-degree student
will automatically be counted towards your degree.
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How should I sequence my classes?
The core classes need to be completed within the first
one- third to one- half of your program. A good sequence
would be: 200, 218, 220, 212, 219, and 227. The other core
courses can be worked in with these six courses as they
fit into your schedule. The average student in our programs
is a working professional and usually takes two courses
per term. If you are enrolled in an emphasis program (e.g.,
Health, Career Counseling), it is wise to take the emphasis
courses as early in your program as possible because emphasis
courses are offered less frequently (at the most one time
each year).
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Should I take 318 and 319 from the
same instructor?
Yes, it is required that 318 and 319 be taken from the
same instructor, so plan accordingly. The reason for this
is that although the courses cover very much the same content,
different instructors use sufficiently different training
materials to make switching at "midstream" very
difficult for students and for instructors. These two courses
are designed as a sequence by each professor, and taking
319 from a different instructor is not permitted except
in extraordinary circumstances. Arrange your schedule to
ensure that you can take both courses from the same instructor.
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What is "Lab Group" and
when can I take it?
Lab Group is the laboratory portion of CPSY 219 (Psychology
of Group Counseling). It is a group experience in which
you are a member of a group and keep a journal of your experience.
It is recommended that you do the lab group while you are
taking the 219 class. However, you may take it before you
take CPSY 219 after you have completed CPSY 200. CPSY 200
is a pre-requisite for Lab Group. The Lab Group is a non-graded
lab. Contents of the group meetings, which are led by licensed
professionals who are not on the faculty, are confidential
within the limits set by state law and University policy.
Lab Groups are limited to 8 individuals and are offered
during each term except summer.
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I am new to the program and am
working toward my MFT license. What do I need to know about
experience hours at this point?
The University is now responsible for monitoring all experience
hours for the MFT licensing requirements. Dr. Pat Moretti
is in charge of overseeing those hours and will work with
you to make certain that your experience will meet BBSE
(licensing board) requirements. The new regulations require
that a person has matriculated status and has earned 18
units of credit before beginning to accumulate hours. The
only exception to this requirement is that you may start
counting your personal therapy hours as soon as you become
a trainee (registered in a program which prepares you for
licensing, e.g., our 78-unit program).
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Can I learn more about licensing
BEFORE practicum class? It seems very confusing and I want
some specific answers about the procedure before I am told
to get a packet from the BBS.
Yes, you can learn more about the MFT licensing laws in
the following ways: (a) Thanks to the GSA, the department
now has a comprehensive two-hour videotape on the laws.
You can schedule an appointment to see the video by calling
the SCU Media Lab at 554-4091. (b) The Board of Behavioral
Science has an excellent Web site at http://www.bbs.ca.gov/.
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What are some examples of practicum sites that I could
get if I am still working and it's not possible for me to
simply 'quit' my job and if my hours are not very flexible
(I have to work to afford the program)?
The program is meant for part-time working adults with
the majority of courses conveniently scheduled after 5:00
p.m. However, mental health sites in the community are not
always as flexible when it comes to scheduling of client
and meeting hours. Here are some sites that might be worth
investigating for the student working full-time: Bill Wilson
Center, Teen Counseling Center, Catholic Charities, Eastfield/Ming
Quong, and Alum Rock Counseling Center. Review the sites
in the practicum binder carefully and make an appointment
to see Dr. Moretti to discuss these and other options that
are available.
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If the catalog changes, do I have
to meet the new requirements?
No. The requirements that apply to you are those listed
in the catalog for the year in which you were admitted to
your degree program. If you transfer from one SCU CP program
to another, the catalog for the year in which you transfer
applies to you and supplants the earlier catalog. To prevent
confusion, don't even look at the requirements in subsequent
catalogs. Infrequently, the Board of Behavioral Science
has instituted new requirements for licensure and students
seeking the MFT license have been forced to add a new course
before graduation (e.g., psychopharmacology). Should this
occur while you are in the program, you will be well advised
in a timely manner. To avoid problems and confusion, carefully
review the requirements in the catalog that apply to you
and stick with them. The single partial exception to this
rule applies if you switch programs (e.g., go from a 51-unit
to a 78-unit program), the catalog in effect at the time
you switch is the one that applies to you.
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Is there a Division
policy on the requirements for independent study projects
in terms of number of meetings with professors and the kinds
of products the student must produce?
Independent study projects are highly individualized, though
it is important that the student produce an independent
academic product and that the professor provide educational
input that directly provides or guides the learning of the
student. As stated in our current division catalog, independent
study is supervised research initiated by the student. A
proposal must be submitted and approved by a faculty advisor
prior to registration. Full-time faculty are preferred advisors.
Approval forms are available in the main division office,
Bannan 226.
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I need to get some assistance
with writing papers. How should I proceed?
We recommend getting editorial assistance from a professional
writer/tutor who does not write the paper for you but instead
teaches you principles of good writing. The Division intermittently
offers writing workshops which are open to all students
for a fee (approximately $50).
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If I get an Incomplete in a
class, can I enroll in the following quarter?
You can enroll in the next quarter. However, your Incomplete
needs to be completed within four weeks of the beginning
of that quarter. Students with unresolved Incompletes at
the end of the quarter following the assignment of an Incomplete
will not be allowed to register for further classes until
all Incompletes have been removed. According to University
regulations, an incomplete not made up in a timely manner
becomes a F.
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What is the Comprehensive
Examination and when should I take it?
The Comprehensive Examination is a take-home essay exam
devised to help you synthesize your learning into a powerful
personal and professional statement. The exam is given once
during the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters, and you have
two weeks to complete it after it is mailed to you. You
take this exam near the end of your studies, typically the
quarter before the last quarter in which you are enrolled
in the program. Practicum experience gained by that time
can help you in the exam because one of the questions requires
the description of a case study.
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When should I begin studying for the Comprehensive Examination?
The comprehensive exam is meant to encourage an integration
of all the learning that occurs for you in the program,
so in essence, you are preparing for it each step of the
way through the program. However, a better question is "When
should I begin writing the exam?" The best strategy
for writing the exam is to begin at least one quarter before
you are going to take the examination. The questions change
little if it all from quarter to quarter and it does not
behoove you to wait until the exam is released and then
frantically complete the exam by the final deadline. It
is perfectly acceptable (and wise) to begin drafting your
answers well in advance of the formal exam, and to spend
the actual exam period polishing and refining your answers.
The exam questions from the previous quarter are available
from the CP&E office. It is not acceptable (i.e., it
is prohibited) to form study groups to work on the comprehensive
exam. The exam is meant to be an individualized experience
and it is of no benefit to you to give someone else's answers
to the questions.
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Who reads the comps?
The answer is that all core faculty are involved in reading
them. Only one faculty person will read any given comprehensive
if it receives a "Pass." If the reader thinks
it is not up to passing standards, a second person will
read it. If both agree that it is not up to standards, it
will receive a "no pass." If the two readers
disagree, a third reader will break the tie. Students
who do not pass the comprehensive examination are allowed
to retake the examination in a fashion to be determined
by the faculty member coordinating the comprehensive examination
for the quarter in which the student took the exam.
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If I decide to do a thesis, how do
I do it?
Only a very few students choose to go the thesis route,
and these are typically students who feel a need to produce
a written product that would enhance their chances to be
admitted to a more research-oriented Ph.D. program. If you
are interested in exploring this option, go to Bannan 226
and ask for the document Guidelines for Developing and Submitting
a Master's Thesis, and schedule an appointment with your
faculty advisor.
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What about Ph.D. and PsyD programs?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
If you wish to explore the doctoral studies option, you
should make an individual appointment with a faculty member.
The Masters degree in counseling psychology is a practitioner's
degree. Generally, if you want to engage in agency or private
practice counseling in California, this degree is sufficient.
Most therapists throughout their career are at times in
individual or group therapy and are in continuing education
to learn specialty skills. The Ph.D. is primarily a research
degree. In addition, some clinical and counseling psychologists
practice counseling and psychotherapy. Normally speaking
the only clinical knowledge advantage that Ph.D.'s have
is in psychological testing and interpretation. The PsyD
is also a research degree, but the research options are
less limited than in Ph.D. programs. At the current time,
PsyD programs are better known in the Eastern U.S. States.
The Ph.D. also allows a person to teach in a University
setting (M.A.'s are acceptable for Community College) and
usually to be the Principal Investigator in research projects.
There is also some higher status accorded to Ph.D.'s The
Doctoral programs are normally 4 years of full time class
work and a 1 year internship. People with Masters degrees
often can waive many of the clinical courses in a doctoral
program; usually up to 1 year of credit depending on the
program, although some programs accept no masters level
work from other universities.
There are three major types of Doctoral programs: (a) University-based
programs (the most common program, usually financially supports
all graduate students with fellowships, teaching assistantships,
etc., e.g., U. C. Santa Barbara), (b) Free-standing, accredited
schools, non-university affiliated, doctoral-only institutions.
These usually do not provide substantial financial aid.
In the Bay Area, these programs are the only ones that take
reasonable numbers of students (e.g., California School
of Professional Psychology in Alameda), and (c) unaccredited
doctoral programs which may not allow you to sit for a licensing
exam. As you begin to explore doctoral programs the issue
of whether the program or school is accredited should be
considered. The two primary types of accreditation are 1)
institutional accreditation (this is accreditation of the
University or college/institution itself by regional accreditation
bodies that determine what the minimum standards are for
post-secondary education (e.g., WASC approval), and 2) program
accreditation. Beware of any institution that is not accredited
by its regional accreditation body because this institution
will probably not be recognized by licensing boards or insurance
companies. Program accreditation is performed by the American
Psychological Association. APA only approves programs in
accredited institutions and it is generally considered very
important to attend an APA-accredited program because the
quality of the program is assured and your internship and
job opportunities are much better. See Sayette, Mayne, and
Norcross' Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical
and counseling psychology (Guilford Press) for more information
on these issues. The best reasons to go through the fairly
grueling process of a doctorate are 1) you love research
and look to doing research for a career, 2) you want to
be a university professor, and/or 3) your heart's desire
is to have a doctorate.
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What are the "S" Courses?
As most of you have noticed, there is a new academic species
amongst us, namely, the "S Courses"–single-unit
and skills-oriented versions of three courses in our curriculum:
282-S Gestalt Therapy for Individuals and Couples; 313-S
Psychodrama; and 317-S, Therapeutic Interventions with Children.
We are planning to add a 217-S Short-Term Therapy course
as well. Our goal for these courses is to give you an opportunity
to take some 1-unit classes that are more skills oriented
that you might be able to fit into your already tight schedules.
There are several important things to remember concerning
these courses: 1) These courses are electives and do not
count toward any requirements within the program except
the total unit requirement of either 51 or 78 units; 317-S
does not fulfill the MFT requirement–if you take 317-S
you will still need to take 215, 383, or the 3-unit version
of 317 to meet that requirement; 3) We intend to continue
to offer the 3-unit version of 317 during the regular school
year; and 4) The S- courses are not workshops; they are
academic courses with required readings and papers, etc.
We will make every effort to have syllabi for S courses
available for your perusal well before they are offered
so you can evaluate the amount of work the course will entail.
Sometimes it is important to read texts before the course
begins, and we will advise you if that is the case.
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Whose Idea Is It?: Guidelines
for Preventing Plagiarism
Many students have asked what the guidelines are for giving
credit to other authors when you incorporate their ideas
into your papers. What follows is a superficial introduction
to this issue. Plagiarism is a serious transgression in
academics, one that in most graduate programs can lead to
dismissal of a student or, minimally, a failing grade for
the paper in question. Given the gravity of this issue,
it is important to have a clear sense of what does and does
not constitute plagiarism. First, what guidelines exist
in the field? The Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (4th Edition) states on page 292
that plagiarism is present when the exact words of another
are not placed in quotation marks. This means that you can
never have a sentence in your paper that is taken verbatim
from another author without indicating authorship by using
quotation marks and giving the appropriate reference. Students
sometimes believe that they can take a sentence or a string
of sentences from a text and put them in their paper, with
an in-text citation being given at the end of the paragraph
in which these "borrowed" sentences are presented.
Such practices are clear instances of plagiarism. However,
paraphrasing another's work while giving appropriate credit
is an acceptable and commendable practice. The Manual has
this to say about paraphrasing: "Summarizing a passage
or rearranging the order of a sentence and changing some
of the words is paraphrasing. Each time a source is paraphrased,
a credit for the source needs to be included in the text"
(p. 294). It is not sufficient to do extensive paraphrasing
and then at the very end of a paragraph cite a single reference.
Here's the take-home message: If you ever find yourself
copying a sentence from any source into a paper you are
writing, it must be in quotation marks. If you paraphrase
someone else's writing you must cite the source close to
the paraphrased text in your paper. Plagiarism is unacceptable
in any academic setting and we must all carefully avoid
intentionally or unintentionally producing plagiarized academic
products. If you still have questions, read the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th
Edition) for more details.
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