Gwynedd Mercy University AY2023-2024 Graduate Academic Catalog
Counseling
Program Name : Counseling Accreditation : Program Pennsylvania Department of Education Certification Status : School Counseling Concentration : Meets PDE defined educational competencies for certification as a PreK-12 School
Counseling in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . Degree : Master of Science Tracks : Clinical Mental Health Concentration ; School Counseling Concentration ( K-12 Certification in PA ) Program Type : Non-Term Program Modality : Online Program Director : Elizabeth Brokamp
Program Description : The Graduate Counseling Program at Gwynedd Mercy University is designed to help students become professional counselors with areas of expertise in the community mental health and school counseling settings . The program uses a scholar-practitioner model based in the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Program ( CACREP ) educational standards for training students . The scholar-practitioner model allows students to gain the prerequisite knowledge , skills , and expertise to be competent , well-trained and marketable entry-level counselors . Through involvement in program course work , interaction with peers , instructors , and their faculty mentor , students learn to integrate class content and skills to further develop counseling knowledge and deepen counseling identity . Students will synthesize their knowledge and skills in counseling experiences during two residencies and extensive faculty-supervised field experiences .
All program courses ( except field , skills , and group courses ) are accelerated ( 7 weeks long ) and are offered in an asynchronous online format . Field courses are 15 weeks long and involve weekly group synchronous supervision with class faculty one night per week . CNS 501 Counseling Skills and CNS 535 Group Counseling and Facilitation Skills / CNS 536 Group Counseling and Facilitation Skills for the School Setting are also 15-week courses . Detailed information regarding the program residency requirements are available in the Counseling Program Student Handbook .
Every student entering the Counseling Program at Gwynedd Mercy University is considered a professional in the counseling field . Our faculty interact with students as emerging colleagues and mentors as we feel students learn best when they are valued . The expectations of the program ( academic , skills and dispositional ) are high and can be demanding . Students accepted into the program can be successful and benefit greatly from professional interaction with everyone in the program .
The program allows students to concentrate their studies in the following areas .
Master of Science Degree The Master of Science ( MS ) in Counseling degree requires 60 credits of coursework and has two concentrations of study : Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling . Students completing the master ' s degree will be eligible to sit for the National Counselor Exam ( NCE ) leading to license as a professional counselor ( LPC ).
The Clinical Mental Health concentration trains students to develop expertise in counseling children , adolescents , families , and adults and to gain the credentials to assume supervisory positions in mental health community agency settings . This concentration requires a 100-hour practicum and 600 hours of internship .
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