Master of Arts in Counseling
Degree Plans

Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Marriage and Family Therapy
Suggested Schedules

After orientation to the Department of Counseling and Human Services and the program, students should complete a degree plan. The Graduate Advisor serves as the program advisor for students in the Clinical Mental Health specialization. The Marriage and Family Therapy Program Director serves as program advisor for the Marriage and Family Therapy students.

You may use the suggested schedules. If you have specific needs for a custom degree plan, please make an appointment with your program advisor.

Degree plans serve several purposes. First, they enable the department to make course projections for Semester schedules. Second, they facilitate in student progress toward the degree, and third, they are used by the student in registration each Semester.

Students who have a degree plan on file can register for the courses on the degree plan by returning a completed registration authorization to the Departmental Secretary. If you need to make changes from your degree plan, make an appointment with the Graduate Advisor to revise your degree plan.

Degree plans are available from the Departmental Secretary. Changes to the degree plan must be forwarded to the Program Director. It is required that these are kept up to date.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

In Summer 2009, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program replaced the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling degree programs.

Graduates of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program are prepared to work in institutions and agencies offering counseling services including alcohol and drug and social service agencies. Client problems may be, but are not limited to the effects of socioeconomic status, unemployment, aging, gender, culture, race, ethnicity, chronic illness, developing transitions, and interpersonal, family, and community violence. Graduates have knowledge of the general principles of etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior, structure and function of human service agencies, mental health education, outreach and prevention strategies, and community health promotion and advocacy. Clinical Mental Health counselors have the ability to implement education, preventive, and remedial programs. This is a 60 Semester hour program, which includes an intensive 600 clock hour internship experience. Students graduating from the program meet the academic requirements for licensing by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.

Program of Study for Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The Master of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60 Semester hour non-thesis program.

The following courses are required:

Core Courses (46hrs)
CN 6354 Introduction to Counseling
CN 6150 Practicum in Group Process
CN 6253 Group Process
CN 6321 Assessment and Appraisal in Counseling
CN 6352 Career Planning
CN 6355 Theories of Counseling
CN 6381 Methods of Research
CN 7301 Professional and Ethical Issues
CN 7302 Social/Cultural Issues in Counseling
CN 7351 Human Growth and Development
CN 7377 Sexuality Counseling and Somatic Issues
CN 6361 Crisis Counseling
CN 6369 Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy
CN 7333 Mental Health and Psychopathology
CN 7267 Community Counseling and Social Justice
CN 6382 Hope Resilience and Human Transcendence
CN 6251 Advanced Professional Issues in Organization and Administration of Counseling Services
CN 7199 Clinical Mental Health Capstone

Clinical Courses (9hrs)
CN 6357 Counseling Practicum
CN 7359 Counseling Internship I
CN 7360 Counseling Internship II

Elective Courses (totaling at least 5 credit hours)

Summary for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Requirements:
Core Courses 46 hours
Clinical Courses 9 hours
Elective Courses totaling at least 5 hours
Total: 60 hours

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Marriage and Family Therapy

Graduates of the Marriage and Family Therapy program meet all academic requirements for licensing by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT). In addition, students may take two electives that qualify their program of study to meet the licensure requirements for the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (LPC). This is a 48 hour program of study which includes an intensive 12 month internship which includes 500 client contact hours. Marriage and family therapists are employed in social service agencies, churches, and counseling offices. Some are using their skills in careers such as nursing, teaching, ministry, personnel management or social work. Since the field of Marriage and Family Therapy is relatively new, career opportunities are still developing.

Program of Study for Marriage and Family Therapy

The Master of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy is a 48 Semester hour non thesis program.

The following courses are required:

Core Courses
CN 6381 Methods of Research
CN 7333 Mental Health and Psychopathology
CN 7351 Human Growth and Development
CN 7373 Marriage and Family Life Development
CN 7378 Divorce, Mediation, and Remarriage
Total: 15 hours

Clinical Courses
CN 7372 Clinical Practicum in MFT
CN 7380 MFT Internship I
CN 7381 MFT Internship II
CN 7382 MFT Internship III
Total: 12 hours

Specialization Courses
CN 6370 Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy
CN 7370 Marital Therapy
CN 7371 Strategies of Family Therapy
CN 7374 Professional Issues in MFT
CN 7375 Therapeutic Methods with Parents and Children
*Electives
Total 21 hours

Elective Courses
*CN 6352 Career Planning
*CN 6321 Individual Assessment I
Total 6 hours
* The courses listed above are recommended as electives since they are required for licensure by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.

Summary for Marriage and Family Therapy Requirements:
Core Courses 15 hours
Clinical Courses 12 hours
Specialization Courses 21 hours
Total: 48 hours

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SUGGESTED SCHEDULE OF COURSES

Each specialization has suggested schedules for Full-Time enrollment, based on Fall, Spring, or Summer admission. If you need to adapt the schedules to your personal needs, please see your program advisor.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

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Marriage and Family Therapy

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