Master of Science in Counseling and Development (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)

Website: https://twu.edu/human-development-family-studies-counseling/graduate-programs/counseling-development/

The master's degree in Counseling and Development prepares students for a career in counseling. Students may choose a focal area of interest in either Clinical Mental Health Counseling (designed to meet educational requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure) or School Counseling (designed to meet educational requirements of the State Board for Educator Certification and LPC). With these credentials, many graduates serve as mental health or career counselors in agencies, private practice, colleges/universities, or government settings.

The M.S. in Counseling and Development is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Critically consume research literature​.
  2. Demonstrate ethical and social responsibility​.
  3. Demonstrate multicultural competence​.
  4. Engage in crisis and conflict resolution.​
  5. Apply counseling and development knowledge to professional practice​.

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

61 semester credit hours (SCH), in either of the focal areas of interest:

  1. Professional School Counseling: Designed to meet the School Counselor educational requirements of the State Board for Educator Certification.
  2. Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Designed to meet the educational requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

Special Requirements

No grade below B is accepted towards any graduate degree in the Department of Human Development, Family Studies, and Counseling (HDFSC). If more than one grade below B is earned while enrolled in any HDFSC graduate program, the student will be dismissed from the program and ineligible to apply for admission to another HDFSC program for a period of six years. 

Additional information about specific program requirements can be found in the Counseling and Development Student Handbook.

Final Examination

In addition to the completion of a professional portfolio, students must complete a final examination consisting of an oral defense of this document. The student's advisory committee determines the outcome of the exam. The advisory committee should consist of three Counseling and Development faculty members, all of whom must hold Graduate Faculty status.

Emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Counseling Core
12 SCH to be completed within the first 21 SCH of coursework.
COUN 5303Professional Orientation and Ethics in Counseling3
COUN 5443Multicultural Counseling3
COUN 5313Counseling Theory and Practice3
COUN 5353Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning for Counselors3
Additional Counseling Core
HDFS 5003Lifespan Human Development3
COUN 5143Addiction Counseling3
COUN 5173Abnormal Behavior: Crisis Impacts and Treatments3
COUN 5323Psychological Appraisal of the Individual3
COUN 5453Counseling for Career Development3
HDFS 5931Professional Portfolio1
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialty
COUN 5493Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Ethics, Law, and Practice3
Research
HDFS 5693Research Methods in Family Sciences3
Electives
One course in couples, marriage, or families (consult with your Advisor)3
Choose two of the following6
Counseling an Aging Population
Play Therapy
Advanced Play Therapy: Theories and Applications
Counseling Children and Adolescents
Expressive Arts in Counseling
Grief and Bereavement
Clinical Competencies
COUN 5363Prepracticum (required after completion of Counseling Core & prior to completion of 30 hours)3
COUN 5373Group Counseling Procedures (taken concurrently with Prepracticum)3
COUN 5364Practicum in Counseling and Development (1 semester)4
COUN 5894Internship in Counseling (2 semesters)8
Total SCHs61