COUNSELING
COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES
LEADING TO THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.S.)

 

Counseling Program Overview

The Counseling Program at Southeastern Louisiana University is designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in the field of counseling. There are three program concentration curricula in the Counseling Program (School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling). All program concentrations are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Graduates of all concentrations meet the current academic requirements for state licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana.

 

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Counseling master's degree program an applicant must:

  1. Initially satisfy all Southeastern Louisiana University graduate admission requirements (Consult the Southeastern General Catalog for admission requirements).
  2. Complete nine (9) hours of undergraduate or graduate study in behavioral studies (e.g. psychology, sociology, social work, etc.) and three (3) hours in statistics.
  3. Submit a GRE score (for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing).
  4. Acquire an undergraduate cumulative GPA or a last 60 hour GPA of 2.8 (inclusive of graduate work). 
  5. Submit a completed application portfolio to the Counseling Program Admissions Committee by the specified due date, which includes the following: 
      1. A current resume including full name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, academic experiences, prior related work experiences, degrees held, honors, awards, special interests, and other appropriate information.
      2. Three (3) reference forms from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic abilities and potential for success as a professional counselor. At least two references should be professional references (past or current employer, supervisor, former instructor). 
      3.  An autobiographical narrative showing evidence of life experiences and personal maturity indicating appropriateness for the counseling field.
  6. Upon evaluation of program application portfolios by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee, selected applicants will be invited to participate in a mandatory one-day Admissions interview.  (At the discretion of the Counseling Program Admissions Committee, international students, or individuals residing in distant states may be afforded a video interview in lieu of participation in the one-day on-campus interview.)

 

Program Application Admission Deadlines

The application portfolio submission due date for consideration for admission to the counseling program in the summer or fall semester of each year is April 1. The submission due date for the application portfolio for program admission in the spring semester of each year is November 1. All materials must be received by the Graduate Coordinator by these dates in order for the applicant to be considered for the admissions interview.

 

Admission Notification

Admission to the counseling program and each program concentration is selective and requires a favorable evaluation by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee. Within two weeks after participation in the program admission interview, applicants will be notified that they are either accepted for admission or not accepted for admission.

 

Guest Student Policy

Enrollment in counseling courses (i.e., COUN, MCFC, or SAC) is typically limited to those formally admitted to the Counseling Program. Those who fall in the following categories are also eligible to take classes if enrollment for the course has not reached maximum capacity. 

  • Graduates of Southeastern's Counseling Program (clinical and non-clinical courses).
  • Graduates of other CACREP Counseling Programs (non-clinical courses only).
  • Graduates of Non-CACREP Counseling Programs who are Certified School Counselors, LPCs, or PLPC/PLMFT Interns (non-clinical courses only).
  • Counseling students currently enrolled at other universities (non-clinical courses only).Students from other universities need a letter of good standing from their program coordinator or advisor. 

Those not meeting the requirements above and/or wishing to take clinical courses may petition the Department Head for consideration. 

Student seeking play therapy instruction and continuing education for special topics may be allowed to take COUN 627 (Introduction to Play Therapy), COUN 629 (Advanced Play Therapy), and COUN 670 (Special Topics). Prospective students must be licensed, provisionally licensed, or currently enrolled as a master’s student in a mental health program. Currently enrolled students get preference for enrollment. For the purposes of interprofessional collaboration, these requirements may be waived by the Department Head in the case of an arrangement agreed upon between other disciplines.

 

Counseling Program Concentration Curricula

Counseling Program Core Courses – 39 hours (Required for all concentrations.)

COUN 600 3 hours
COUN 601 3 hours
COUN 604 3 hours
COUN 608 3 hours
COUN 625 3 hours
COUN 603 3 hours
COUN 605+ 3 hours
COUN 607 3 hours
COUN 609 3 hours
COUN 610 3 hours
COUN 642 3 hours
SAC 619 3 hours
MCFC 621 3 hours

+A grade of "B" or better required. 

 

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (21 hours) – Specialty Concentration

COUN 613 3 hours
COUN 627 3 hours
COUN, MCFC, or SAC Elective 3 hours
MCFC 626 3 hours
COUN 683 3 hours
COUN 693 6 hours

Only 1 course per semester can be taken with internship

 

Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (21 hours) – Specialty Concentration

COUN, MCFC, or SAC Elective 3 hours
MCFC 622 3 hours
MCFC 626 3 hours
COUN 627 3 hours
MCFC 683 3 hours
MCFC 693 6 hours

Only 1 course per semester can be taken with internship

 

School Counseling (21 hours) – Specialty Concentration

COUN 627 3 hours
COUN, MCFC, or SAC Elective 3 hours
COUN 611 3 hours
COUN 623 3 hours
COUN 680 3 hours
COUN 690 6 hours

Only 1 course per semester can be taken with internship