Mental Health Counseling
Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program is offered at the Philadelphia PCOM campus only. Courses are offered on evenings, and the program takes two years to complete for full-time students. The program may also be completed on a part-time basis.
The mission of the Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program is to prepare highly skilled, self-aware, compassionate counselors who provide evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and collaborative treatment using a whole person approach.
Grounded in the cognitive-behavioral tradition, this program trains practitioner-scholars to offer assessment, therapeutic interventions, consultation, program evaluation, and follow-up services using a collaborative integrative approach. Incorporating knowledge of the biopsychosocial model, the program provides a foundation for ethical practice and advocacy that facilitates the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The program also trains students to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary settings as health service professionals and to engage in self-care and self-reflection.
The program prepares master’s level graduates with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills to obtain credentialing as a licensed professional counselor in many states, become advocacy-oriented practitioners, and/or pursue further doctoral training. The program allows for concentrations in addictions and correctional counseling, clinical mental health counseling, and marriage and family counseling. The addictions and correctional counseling concentration prepares students for the Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADC) credential.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Hours | |
| COUN 501 | Theories of Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 510 | Professional, Legal, & Ethical Issues in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 505 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| COUN 507 | Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 506 | Fundamentals of CBT and Suicidology | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Psychodiagnosis & Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| COUN 504 | Group Therapy | 3 |
| COUN 508 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| COUN 512 | Intro to Marriage & Family Counseling | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| COUN 509 | Tests and Measurements | 3 |
| COUN 515 | Crisis & Trauma Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 571 | Career and Vocational Counseling | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| COUN 561 | Practicum Seminar | 3 |
| COUN 552 | Research Methods, Statistics, & Program Evaluation | 3 |
| COUN 520 | Assessing and Treating Addiction | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| COUN 562 | Internship I | 3 |
| COUN 527 | Advanced Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 590 | Objective Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| COUN 591 | Case Conceptualization Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| COUN 593 | Comprehensive Exam (Standardized Patient Video) | 0 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| COUN 563 | Internship II | 3 |
| 2 Electives (3 credits each) | 6 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |