Level II Admission Requirements for School Counseling

Level I Admission: Mental Health

Level II Admission: Mental Health

Level I Admission: School Counseling

Level II Admission: School Counseling

Graduate College

Please note that Admission to Coursework, Level One, does not automatically guarantee admission to Level Two, Program Approval (degree) status. In order to be eligible for Level Two admission the following requirements must be satisfactorily completed:

• COUN 4103/5103 Introduction to Professional Counseling
• COUN 4105/5105 Counseling Skills
• COUN 6227 Counseling Theory (OR another course, as approved by the advisor).

After these required courses have been completed, you MUST submit:

The program approval decision will be made by the entire counseling faculty and is based on a performance review of the following:

1. An analysis of performance in coursework, including grade point average. A minimum of a 3.0 grade point is required.
2. A minimum of a "B" in COUN 4105/5105 Counseling Skills.
3. The ability to effectively demonstrate counseling skills as presented in the Counseling Skills class. These skills are the best predictor of professional success as well as successful completion of practicum and internship. See the attached form [ Second Level Screening Tape Evaluation] for evaluation criteria.
4. Evidence of good writing skills.
5. Demonstration of effective interpersonal relationship skills, openness to self-disclosure and personal growth, and sensitivity and flexibility in relating to others.
6. Evidence of appropriate personal characteristics for a counseling professional and adherence to ethical behavior as specified in the ACA Code of Ethics.

There are three possible outcomes of this review:

1. Program approval (degree) status is granted.
2. Provisional status may be continued for a short period of time with a specific plan and timeline for improvement outlined.
   * Occasionally provisional status is continued until another tape is submitted. This occurs when the quality of the tape is poor, when the client was so verbal that it was not possible to see a good presentation of skill, or when there was a marked discrepancy between consistent performance in Counseling Skills and the tape which was submitted.
3. Program approval (degree) status is denied. No further counseling courses may be taken.

Deadlines for submission of second level program approval materials:

• November 20 for students who will complete the required courses in the fall.
• April 20 for students who will complete the required courses in the spring.
• July 20 for students who will complete the required courses in the summer.*

Failure to submit materials on time will delay the program approval decision and may jeopardize your status with the Graduate College if you have taken over 15 hours prior to Level II admission. It is very important that you take responsibility for having all materials in on time.

Program approval decisions for fall and spring terms will be made within three (3) weeks after the deadline for submission of materials. Admission decisions will be mailed to each candidate.

* Summer applicants cannot be evaluated until early fall; written notification will be mailed prior to the second week in September.

If you are admitted to the program at the second level, please obtain a Student Informational Packet II from your advisor or the Departmental office. This packet contains important information for the completion of your program. Please read this thoroughly. If you are admitted, the GF1 form on file in the Graduate College is your official program of study. If you make any changes in this program, you must complete a Student Request form. Advisor approval must be obtained for any substitutions. It is important for you to contact your advisor as soon as you have been admitted and work closely with him or her throughout your program to help with course scheduling, research paper and comprehensive exam requirements, and other pertinent information about the program.

Practicum and Internship

Please sign up for practicum and internship NOW by contacting Dr. Bartlett or Marlene after discussing with your advisor when you think you will be eligible (these courses are taken at the end of your program). Please obtain a Practicum and Internship Informational Packet from the office or from Dr. Bartlett or your advisor, read it carefully, and adhere to the guidelines. Enrollment is limited (per CACREP standards) to five (5) students per section, and we can only offer one or two sections each semester due to staffing and site limitations.

If you receive a "C" in COUN 6205 you must retake the course before taking COUN 6290 Practicum in Counseling.

If you have questions about these procedures, please contact your advisor or Dr. Bartlett.

Coursework

Informational Packet II contains a description of all the courses, and a program planning sheet listing all courses that are included in this packet. You are strongly encouraged to take the courses in the order listed, keeping in mind that core courses (see list below) are usually offered twice a year or once a year and summer). Specialty courses (those pertinent to only school or mental health counseling) are offered once a year. We do not follow a prescribed course sequence because how many courses we can offer depends on the number of sections of practicum and internship we need to offer (maximum of two per semester) and we also survey students to see what courses they need to take and try to offer these. For this reason, it is important to communicate with your advisor and/or Dr. Bartlett about course scheduling.

Please Note: For courses outside the department (non COUN), prerequisites are not required.

Core Courses

Counseling Skills (COUN 4105/5105 )
Introduction to Professional Counseling (COUN 4103/5103)
Group Process (COUN 6220)
Counseling Theory (COUN 6227)
Family Counseling (COUN 6250)
Facilitating Career Development (COUN 6225)
Educational Research (COUN 6205)
Assessment Techniques in Counseling (COUN 6228)
Multicultural Counseling (COUN 6256)
Consultation (COUN 6226)

Specialty - School

Counseling Children and Adolescents (COUN 6254) [fall only]
Intervention and Prevention in Lifespan Development (COUN 6262) [spring only]
Developing Comprehensive School Counseling Programs (COUN 6210) [usually summer only]
Foundations of Instructional Psychology (200:214)
Practicum in Counseling (COUN 6290)
Internship (COUN 6291)

For non-teaching majors only:
200:148 Learning and Instruction in Classroom Contexts
200:128 Field Experience: Teacher as Change Agent
220:150 Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in Classrooms

Progress Review

The CACREP standards require a systematic progress for all students admitted to the School and Mental Health programs. Once each year in February, the faculty will review each student's progress (after level II admission) in three areas: academic performance, personal growth/interpersonal skills, and clinical skills. Following this review, each student will receive a copy of the evaluation and can discuss any concerns or suggestions for improvement with his or her advisor or the program coordinator. Any recommendation or requirements noted on the review form MUST be followed. A copy of the Progress Review Form can be downloaded and students are advised to familiarize themselves with the criteria and adhere to the points outlined on the review form. If significant difficulties are noted, the advisor will make contact with the student and procedures described in the Retention Review Policy (I-B and II) will be followed.

Program Exit Requirements 

In addition to taking comprehensive exams and completing a research paper, all students in the program must complete exit requirements prior to graduation. You should begin working on these requirements early in the program and document them as they are completed. These requirements reinforce what we believe all future counselors need: high levels of personal and professional development and sensitivity to diversity. Verification forms are in Information Packet II and the Comprehensive Exam Informational Packet. You may want to refer to the Mental Health and School Counseling Resource Directory (Department web site or in the Counseling Research Room) for contacts for some of these requirements.

Packet II

Informational Packet II contains information about graduate assistantships, scholarships, mental health electives, insurance, professional organizations, and so forth. Obtain a packet from the web site or the departmental office.