School Counseling Coursework Descriptions
Coursework to Meet Objectives
(Educational Psychology and Counseling (EDPC))
5324 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of ethical standards, ethical issues, philosophical and historical foundations, and current professional practices in the field of mental health counseling.
5321 School Counseling
Students will recognize the roles and functions of school counselors, including professional advocacy. Students will also gain respect for and a commitment to advocacy for clients (individually and in the context of schools, communities, and society) and the necessity for personal self-care to maintain optimal professional performance.
5317 Human Growth and Development
Students will understand human developmental processes and theories from conception through adulthood with an emphasis on the interaction of environmental and genetic factors that affect transitions across the life span, including the impact of cultures and developmental stages on mental health.
5346 Counseling Multicultural and Divrse Populations
Students will explore multicultural counseling theories and practice in addition to the social, psychological, cultural, economic, and environmental influences that affect various student populations, including specific counseling issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability status
5341 Theories of Counseling
Students will examine the theoretical approaches to counseling from historical and contemporary perspectives, including major personality theories and their relationship to counseling theories, leading to the formation of a personal counseling approach. .
5339 Techniques of Counseling
Students will learn the practical application of counseling theories, helping relationships, essential interviewing and counseling skills, and general intervention strategies in the provision of culturally responsive school counseling services, including the prevention, management, and/or remediation of the psychological effects of crises, developmental transitions, and ongoing dysfunctional behaviors.
5332 Program Evaluation in School Counseling
Students will learn the essential skills necessary to evaluate their comprehensive school counseling program. Students will learn the difference between formative and summative evaluations. Students will also learn the basic methodology for the collection and interpretation of data associated with school counseling programs.
5310 Applied Research for Educators
Students will gain an understanding of the basic principles and practice of counseling research (including qualitative, quantitative, and single case research designs and processes of data analyses), program evaluation, and the use of research to inform evidence-based practice in addition to ethical and culturally relevant strategies for interpreting and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation studies.
5362 Counseling Children, Adolescents, and Their Families
Students will learn the theories and skills necessary for counseling children, adolescents, and their families. Emphasis will be placed on the identification of student problems and solution-focused strategies in a school setting.
5338 Group Counseling
Students will examine the theory and research, ethics, and practice of group counseling, including group formation, group dynamics, group process, group development, and group leadership, and will gain experiential knowledge through participation in a group activity for a minimum of 10 hours, leading to the development of a personal approach to group counseling.
5345 Abnormal Human Behavior
Students will study the classification system of psychopathology with an emphasis on symptomatology, etiology, treatment modalities, treatment interventions, and the adjunctive use of medications.
5335 Principles of Appraisal and Assessment
Students will learn basic principles of measurement and statistics and will inspect psychological tests and instruments used in clinical mental health counseling settings. In addition, students will practice culturally competent administration, scoring, interpretation, and use of various appraisal instruments and will also be trained in conducting clinical mental health counseling intake interviews.
5333 Crisis Counseling
Students will develop knowledge of the theories associated with crisis counseling and develop the essential skills necessary to intervene and assist children, adults, and families effectively.
5320 Lifestyle and Career Development
Students will develop a lifespan perspective on work and career by studying career development theories and the relationship between career development and emotional well-being. Students will become familiar with the availability of specialized career counseling resources and techniques for diverse client populations and those with special needs.
5368 Play Therapy
Students will learn introductory approaches to pay therapy with an emphasis on developing counseling skills using play as a method of communication and understanding. Students will learn the rationale for the use of play therapy, the various theoretical approaches to play therapy, and the techniques used for effective play therapy. Students will also complete a supervised experiential practicum component.
5323 SC Leadership & Consultation
Students will learn to lead programs and employ consultation strategies in the development and implementation of data-driven school counseling programs. Students will learn leadership and school-based consultation principles, theories, skills, and models necessary to enhance the learning environment. Emphasis is placed on the role of the school counselor as a systemic change agent. Ultimately, the course will assist future school counselor leaders in building effective stakeholder consultation teams that promote equitable services for all K-12 students.
5369 Practicum for School Counselors; 5376 School Counseling Internship I; 5377 School Counseling Internship II
As the culminating experience in the program, students will learn to practice school counseling in the field under the clinical supervision of program faculty members and site supervisors, working in a professional environment as a school counselor in training.
5365 Directed Individual Study; 5370 Special Topics in Counseling
There are certain courses that may be taken in place of another course. These courses do not replace scheduled classes and are available only under extenuating circumstances with approval by the Counseling Program Coordinator or Department Chair. See Student Handbook for more detail.