Master's Degree in Counseling (M.S.Ed.)

The Master's Program in Counseling requires 48 to 60 credits, a 100-hour practicum, a 600 hour internship, and a comprehensive examination. The program faculty are particularly committed to educating students who are dedicated to reducing disparities in society based on race, gender, class, and sexual orientation, and other social group membership.

Four specializations are available in the program. All master's degree students complete a core curriculum that prepares counselors for professional practice in all settings. The core course work in the master's program covers a range of counseling and human development issues including approaches to individual and group counseling; ethical and professional issues in counseling; fundamentals of the counseling profession; counseling ethics; measurement and evaluation in counseling; lifespan and career development; research in counseling; and social and cultural issues.

In addition, students select one of four specializations:

• College Counseling (48 credits)
• Community Counseling (48 credits)
• Mental Health Counseling (60 credits)
• School Counseling (48 credits)

Preparation for specialized practice in counseling includes two to four unique courses important for particular specializations and a 600 hour internship in a setting appropriate for the specialization chosen.

The chart below sets forth the course requirements for the four specializations.

Counselor Education M.S.Ed.

Program Course Requirements for Four Specializations

x = Required Course

National Accreditation

The College Counseling, Community Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, and School Counseling specializations are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP). The school counselor certification program is also approved by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Four Specializations

The College Counseling specialization prepares counselors to work as counselors in positions in institutions of higher education including technical colleges, community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. Counselors are employed in higher education institutions in a number of offices including counseling centers, career centers, offices for disabled student services, international student offices, and programs for special populations of students including minority students, more mature students returning to college, women students, or student athletes. Individuals who wish to work as student services administrators, rather than counselors, in colleges or universities should consider the ODU master's degree program in higher education described at http://education.odu.edu/elc/academics/highered/msed/higher_education_msed.shtml.

The Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling specializations are similar in that both prepare students to work in all settings where counselors are hired outside of K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Counselors who choose these specializations often work in community mental health programs, hospitals, substance abuse treatment programs, programs for youth, social services agencies, and private counseling practices. The differences between these two specializations are described below.

The School Counseling specialization leads to licensure by the Virginia State Department of Education as a School Counselor. School counselors work in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Most schools require that counselors they hire be licensed or certified as school counselors by the state in which they are employed. School counselors are members of the team of educators within schools and provide counseling services to students.

Comparison of the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling Specializations

These two master's degree specialization programs are similar in that they both prepare counselors to work in settings that employ counselors outside of schools and colleges/universities. In addition, the programs are similar in that students earn a Master's of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in both of the specialization programs.   The 48 credit community counseling specialization has been discontinued by CACREP and will not be offered as a specialization choice after spring semester of 2011.

At Old Dominion University, the primary difference between the two programs is that the community counseling master's degree specialization requires 48 graduate credits, while the mental health counseling master's degree specialization requires 60 graduate credits.

Students who are trying to decide whether to pursue the specialization of community counseling or the specialization of mental health counseling should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each program that are listed below.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Community Counseling Specialization

Advantages

• Requires 12 less credits (requires 48 credits rather than 60)
• Can be earned in one less full-time semester
• Graduates can begin their two years of supervised experience required for licensure as a Professional Counselor in Virginia as soon as they have completed 48 credits and graduated

Disadvantages

• Some employers may perceive a 48 credit master's degree as less than a 60 credit master's degree program and may give preference to graduates of a 60 credit program
• After graduating with the 48 credit degree, graduates will have to return and earn 12 more credits before having the 60 credits required to become licensed as a Professional Counselor in Virginia
• If graduates return to earn 12 additional credits for licensure, they will not be eligible for financial aid if being in a degree program is a requirement for financial aid

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Mental Health Counseling Specialization

Advantages

• Graduates will have the 60 credits needed to become licensed as a Professional Counselor in Virginia
• Since 60 credits are required for the degree program, financial aid can be received while earning all of the 60 credits needed to become licensed as a Professional Counselor in Virginia
• Some employers may give preference to graduates of a 60 credit master's degree program over applicants who have graduated from a degree program requiring less credits

Disadvantages

• 12 more credits required to earn this specialization
• Requires an additional full-time semester to earn the degree
• Graduates cannot begin their two years of supervised experience required for licensure as a Professional Counselor in Virginia until they have completed 60 credits and graduated