MA in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology with Emphasis in Counseling Psychology
The MU Masters program in Counseling Psychology provides students training and education in the scientist-practitioner philosophy that is consistent with most Counseling Psychology Ph.D. programs, including the one at MU. Students will complete core coursework in counseling psychology, receive clinical training in the form of practicum experience, and research training through faculty labs, research teams, and other research projects. They will also be required to complete an independent research manuscript during their second year in the program as well as successful completion of a national competency exam. This program has more of a research focus than most counseling masters programs. The program is not designed for students interested exclusively in practicing at the masters level, and students who graduate from this program will not yet be license-eligible for a LPC in the state of Missouri (this would require additional coursework and training). Students graduating from this program will be well prepared to enter doctoral training in Counseling Psychology.
Degree Requirements
The Masters program in Counseling Psychology requires 49 credit hours for completion.
| GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY CORE | 37 | |
| The Helping Relationship | 3 | |
| Counseling Methods and Practices | ||
| Social and Cultural Foundations | 4 | |
| Multicultural Issues in Counseling | ||
| Counseling Theory | 6 | |
| Theories and Techniques of Counseling | ||
| Lifespan Development | ||
| Career Development | 3 | |
| Foundations of Career Psychology | ||
| Professional Orientation | 3 | |
| Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychological Practice | ||
| Group Dynamics | 3 | |
| Methods in Group Counseling | ||
| Appraisal | 3 | |
| Interviewing, Diagnosis, and Assessment | ||
| Statistics | 6 | |
| Quantitative Foundations in Educational Research | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Educational Research I | ||
| Electives | 6 | |
| COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY CORE | 12 | |
| Research Methods | 3 | |
| Foundations of Educational and Psychological Measurement | ||
| Independent Research | 3 | |
| Research in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology | ||
| Practicum | 6 | |
| Counseling Psychology Practicum (Practicum I and II) | ||
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ESC_PS 7120 | 3 | ESC_PS 8040 | 3 | ESC_PS 8110 | 3 |
| ESC_PS 8135 | 3 | ESC_PS 8020 | 3 | ||
| ESC_PS 8082 | 3 | ESC_PS 8070 | 3 | ||
| ESC_PS 8640 | 3 | ESC_PS 8850 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ESC_PS 8090 | 3 | ESC_PS 8060 | 3 | ||
| ED_LPA 8957 | 3 | ESC_PS 8090 | 3 | ||
| ESC_PS 8940 | 3 | ESC_PS 8940 | 6 | ||
| ESC_PS 9000 | 4 | ||||
| 13 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits: 52 | |||||
Thesis/Non-Thesis Requirements
The thesis/research manuscript is a project that the student completes with his or her advisor and receives advisor approval. This project will serve as the student’s comprehensive examination. Two additional committee members will be required to approve the project. The project can be either a comprehensive literature review (i.e., modeled after a review article one would see in a scholarly journal) or an independent research study written in manuscript form (i.e., introduction, method, results, discussion) or traditional thesis format. The topic of the project should be selected by the beginning of the student’s second year in the program. The project is to be completed by the deadline date for comprehensive examinations, dissertations, and thesis in April of the student’s second year.
Admissions
Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission: the requirements of the MA in Educational and Counseling Psychology program and the minimum requirements of the Graduate School. Because requirements vary, you must refer to a degree program's graduate admission page to learn about specific admission criteria, application deadlines, eligibility and application process. Your application materials will be reviewed by both the Graduate School and the degree program to which you've applied before official admission to the University of Missouri.