The City College, CUNY Mental Health Counseling Program The Department of Psychology is offering a Master of Arts Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on prevention and community development. The curriculum provides a thorough foundation in the theory and practice of Counseling for the prevention and amelioration of psychological distress. Prevention strategies and the application of counseling principles to the larger community context are central features of each course’s content. The Masters in Mental Health Counseling program provides an opportunity for an education in a high demand, high growth career area. Sixty post-baccalaureate credits are required to complete the degree.
The MA in Mental Health Counseling is designed primarily for students who have completed a baccalaureate degree in Psychology or a Masters degree in General Psychology who wish to obtain training needed to be effective counselors to people in need of assistance with psychological adjustment and development. As such, the degree provides educational and career opportunities to residents of the metropolitan area, particularly Manhattan and the Bronx. The City College Mental Health Counseling program satisfies the new state requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor.
All students in the program will be exposed to both basic and applied knowledge regarding psychological development, will improve their skills in understanding research and evaluating the effectiveness of programs; will be exposed to issues related to the ethics of providing counseling and to the need for understanding of the various cultural backgrounds of people they counsel, and will be exposed to problems that may develop when working in various sites (clinics, schools, hospitals etc.) in the community.
V. The Curriculum The curriculum offers courses in various aspects of understanding psychological adjustment including etiology, development, diagnosis of, and counseling for, psychological distress in general, and more specifically in areas such as substance abuse, learning disabilities, and mood and anxiety concerns. In addition, the program incorporates training in the creation, maintenance, and evaluation of, community-based interventions to prevent and treat disorders.
The degree will require 60 credits to be completed in five semesters of 12 credits each.
This will allow students to take four classes per semester with the possibility of replacing an elective with mini courses on weekends, during the intersession or summer sessions. Twenty-four (40 percent) of the 60 credits may be transfer credits at the discretion of the program. Any course completed in the general MA or PhD program at The City College that is substantially identical to a course offered in the MA Program in Mental Health Counseling may be considered for transfer and will not necessarily count toward the 24 credit limit on transfer credits.
Requirements for Admission The admissions standards of the City College Masters Program in Mental Health Counseling will allow us to be successful in admitting highly qualified applicants. The standards for admission are competitive and appropriate for students who can meet the requirements of a rigorous theoretical and applied program. Applicants will be required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 with an average in psychology of 3.5. In addition, they will be required to take the Psychology subject portion of the Graduate Records Examination and score at least 600. Other requirements include an individual and/or group interview, and three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s strong sense of personal integrity, strong verbal and writing skills, commitment to learning, and potential to perform in an exemplary fashion in the roles of graduate student and Mental Health Counselor.
We will begin accepting applications for the fall 2007 semester on February 15th 2007.
The deadline for submitting an application for fall 2007 is April 15th 2007. Students are not admitted mid-year.
Required and Elective Courses
Semester 1
Credits
Developmental Psychology
3
Theories and Techniques of Counseling
3
Group Dynamics and Group Counseling
3
Professional Orientation and Ethics
2
Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse
1
Semester II
Psychopathology
3
Clinical Instruction
3
Family and Couples Counseling
3
Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Diagnosis and Treatment
3
Semester III
Multicultural Issues in Counseling
3
Assessment and Appraisal of Individuals, Couples, Families and Groups
3
Lifestyle and Career Development
3
Practicum in Counseling I
3
Semester IV
Counseling Adolescents
3
Research and Program Evaluation
3
Foundations of Mental Health Counseling and Consultation
3
Practicum in Counseling II
3
Semester V
Psychoeducational and Community Interventions
3
Plus 3 electives (currently chosen from the list below)
