Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Art (M.A.) program in Mental Health Counseling is a 48-credit course of study in which students are required to take a fixed sequence of courses in counseling theory and practice, group dynamics, psychopathology, appraisal and assessment, foundations of mental health counseling, social and cultural foundations, career counseling, family counseling and clinical instruction. Students are also required to participate in a two-hour child abuse workshop. These are complemented by courses in developmental psychology, research and evaluation, and professional ethics. Students must successfully complete a one-year; 9-credit supervised internship and pass a comprehensive examination in order to be awarded the M.A. degree. The comprehensive examination will assess students' abilities to integrate and synthesize theoretical and practical knowledge into an effective, professional method of and approach to counseling.
The Program is designed to fulfill the goals of: providing students with a thorough grounding in advanced principles of mental health counseling at a graduate level, and providing students with an understanding of the tools of counseling that is suitable for building careers in private and public mental health agencies.
The objectives of the Program include: providing students with advanced research-based knowledge in the area of group and individual counseling, counseling techniques, and testing and diagnosis; providing students with a full understanding of the professional and ethical issues relevant to mental health counseling and consultation; and provide students with detailed knowledge of multicultural and career issues in counseling.
Admissions Requirements
Medaille College has a rolling admissions policy and students may be admitted for the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Applicants are encouraged to apply in accordance with the following schedule:
Fall Semester Deadline |
August 15 |
Spring Semester Deadline |
January 1 |
Summer Semester Deadline |
June 1 |
Successful admissions candidates will generally have met the following selection criteria:
· An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7: The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews the undergraduate record, noting the total GPA, the area of concentration, and the trend of grades. A minimum 2.7 GPA is recommended, although all applications will be reviewed. Students under 2.7 will require convincing evidence of intellectual ability, communications skills, and initiative.
· A degree from a regionally accredited educational institution .
· Two applicant reference forms: The committee reviews references of applicants as they contribute to an understanding of the applicant's academic ability, leadership skills, and aptitude for graduate study. All applicants are required to have two forms submitted for review.
· Satisfactory GRE score: A good balance of scores in verbal and quantitative areas is needed. No minimum total GRE is required, but the average entering student is above the 50th percentile. Students may be accepted provisionally pending receipt of exam scores or successful completion of the first 12 credits of course work.
Provisional Admission
Students may be admitted provisionally to the M.A. program pending receipt of credentials such as original transcripts or scores. Students admitted as provisional students may take no more than 12 semester hours of credit (four courses) prior to formal admission.
Convenient Weekend Format
Medaille's M.A. is offered as a fixed sequence of 13 8-week courses, taken one course at a time, plus one Supervised Internship. Each 8-week course will include 38 in-class hours (split between the fourth and eighth weekends of the course) and appropriate amounts of independent study. Students will proceed thorough the Program as a cohort. This delivery method requires students to take two classes per semester, and six classes per calendar year. Students will be part-time and will not qualify for TAP.
What is a Mental Health Counselor?
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) defines mental health counseling as the provision of professional counseling services involving the application of principles of psychotherapy, human development, learning theory, group dynamics, and the etiology of mental illnesses and dysfunctional behavior to individuals, couples, families, and groups for the purposes of treating psychopathology and promoting optimal mental health. Mental Health Counseling is a distinct profession with national standards for education and clinical practice. The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) is the primary organization representing Mental Health Counselors. A licensed Mental Health Counselor has met of exceeded the following professional standards: a master’s degree; completed a minimum of two years post-master’s clinical work (3000 hours) under the supervision of a licensed/certified counselor (or other licensed mental health professional); and, passed a state or national licensure examination.
What is the difference between a Mental Health Counselor and a Social Worker or Psychologist?
Mental Health Counselors- along with Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, and Psychiatric Nurses- are one of the five CORE mental health providers recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH). In general, psychologists are all doctoral level practioners with a Ph.D./Ed.D./Psy.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. Psychologists receive extensive training in assessment and testing. Social Workers are mostly a masters level profession receive broad training in a variety of social services roles, including counseling, but also case management, social welfare and others. Mental Health Counselors, like Social Workers are primarily a master’s level profession. Unlike the above mental health professions, Mental Health Counselors are primarily trained to practice counseling and psychotherapy (though MHC’s will also receive training in testing and assessment). Naturally, all three of these mental health professions provide many of the same services, often resulting in public confusion regarding respective roles. Because professional counselors and social workers are licensed in almost every state, this blurring of professional boundaries is likely to continue. Counselors and Social Workers may also earn doctorate degrees, though most professionals in these two professions have master’s degrees.
In what settings do Mental Health Counselors work?
Mental Health Counselors work in:
* County mental health clinics
* Drug and alcohol programs
* Hospitals
* Psychiatric centers
* College and University counseling centers
* Pastoral counseling centers
* Crisis services
* Hospice and Palliative care services
* Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
and many other settings as well
Mental Health Counseling Professional Associations
American Counseling Association (ACA)
The American Counseling Association is the flagship organization and the largest counseling organization in the world with some 57,000 members and 18 divisional affiliate organizations. ACA has written a comprehensive Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that all professional counselors are expected to read and understand. There are currently 17 Divisions comprising ACA. ACA was founded in 1952. You can find more information on ACA at www.counseling.org.
American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
The American Mental Health Counselors Association was founded in 1978 and is the ACA Division representing the profession of Mental Health Counselors. The AMHCA also has a separate Code of Ethics from ACA, though the two Codes are consistent on major issues. You may find more information about AHMCA at www.counseling.org.
The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) .
CACREP is the accreditation body for graduate counseling programs affiliated with the American Counseling Association (ACA). Founded in 1981, CACREP sets standards for accreditation of graduate mental health counseling programs, school counseling programs, geriatric counseling programs and many others. CACREP’s web-site may be accessed at www.cacrep.org.
The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC)
The National Board for Certified Counselors is the national credentialing board for professional counselors. Mental Health Counselors seeking national certification may take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) in order to become a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC). While national certification differs from state licensure, most states use the NCE as their counselor licensure examination. (Counselor licensure is explained below) NBCC’s web site is www.nbcc.org.
Web sites for additional information on Mental Health Counselors:
American Counseling Association (ACA) www.counseling.org
American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) www.counseling.org
National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. NBCC) www.nbcc.org
New York Counseling Association (NYCA) www.nyca.org
New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA) www.nymhca.org
Written Comprehensive Examination
Purpose
The comprehensive examination serves the following functions, the primary one being the measure of academic attainment:
1. Academic Excellence. The primary function of the Master’s comprehensive examination is to ensure that students demonstrate competence in the field of study. The Master’s examination not only assesses student achievement, but it also motivates the student to perform competently and rewards this performance.
2. Integrating Function. Another function of the examination is to provide students with an opportunity to review, synthesize, and integrate the material that has been learned in coursework, readings, research experience, applied settings, and informal interactions with the faculty and other professionals.
3. Diagnostic Function. The comprehensive examination serves this function in two ways: (a) students and their advisors ascertain their strengths and weaknesses in the conceptual knowledge base required by the department. (This is particularly true for the Individualized component of the examination described below); and (b) Mental Health faculty, by reviewing the collective quality of the students' responses in different areas, can determine how the curriculum may be improved.
The comprehensive examination consists of two components: (a) The Core/Departmental component, and (b) The Individualized component.
1. The Core/Departmental component is administered at the department level under the auspices of the Graduate Committee. It consists of a total of 3 hours of written examination consisting of a three-hour written examination requiring the student to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the literature in any one of three core content areas in Mental Health (i.e., human growth and development, social and cultural counseling, counseling theory, group counseling, career development, ethics, clinical methods and/or assessment of individuals and groups). The question within one of these core areas will be written and evaluated by a team of three faculty. These faculty examination teams are designated on a yearly basis by the Graduate Committee.
2. The Individual component of the Comprehensive Examination encourages and evaluates the student's proficiency and development of professional skills within his or her own area of interest. The specific nature and content of this component of the Comprehensive Exam is determined by the Program Committee, which consists of the student’s advisor and two additional members of the Mental Health faculty.
The Core/Departmental component of the exam will be administered at the Department level twice each year. Extenuating circumstances, such as personal health or residency at great distance from Medaille College, may warrant special arrangements by the advisor and be subsequently approved by the Graduate Committee.
Reading lists for the core areas in Mental Health (human growth and development, social and cultural counseling, counseling theory, group counseling, career development, ethics, clinical methods and/or assessment of individuals and groups. Exams are available from the Graduate School (see advisor for details). To prepare for the examination, the student is encouraged to review the material on these reading lists beginning at least one semester prior to the semester in which he or she plans to take the exam. It is also recommended that the student be familiar with material that has been covered in classes, current research in books and journals in the field, and participate in study groups that may be organized by fellow students prior to the exam. Questions asked on prior exams can be obtained from the Graduate School.
Evaluation of Master’s Comprehensive Exams
- Written Exam
1. Core/Departmental Component
Faculty evaluate examination responses to the core/departmental component without knowledge of the student's identity. To preserve this anonymity, students will be assigned an examinee numeral, which will be used to identify their examination answers.
The faculty teams appointed by the Graduate Committee to write the comprehensive questions pertaining to each of the three core areas is also responsible for evaluating student responses to their respective core areas. For example, the faculty team responsible for writing the question(s) concerning mental health assessment and treatment planning would evaluate student responses in that area. The student's responses to the Core/Departmental component are evaluated as follows:
a). The student's response to the examination is reviewed by two faculty members from the team who prepared the question(s). Performance is graded as " High Pass", "Pass", or "Fail".
b). When the student’s performance is graded "Fail" by one reader, then one additional faculty member from the team who prepared the question(s) for the core area being examined will independently read and score the student's response.
c). A student who receives a grade of "Fail" from two readers fails the comprehensive examination. Likewise, a student who receives a grade of " High Pass" from two readers receives a grade of " High Pass" on the comprehensive examination.
2. Individual Component
After receiving notification that a student has passed the Core/Departmental Component of the Comprehensive Exams, he or she should obtain approval of the Individual Component of the Exam. A brief memo from each of the members of this committee can be submitted as documentation that this Component has been approved.
Student Feedback
After all examination results have been summarized, the Graduate Committee Chair conveys the results to each student by letter. Students usually receive the letter about four to six weeks after the examination date. Should students fail either component of the examination, they MUST confer with their advisor about options available to them.
** Failure of the Master’s Comprehensive Examination: Students who fail either the Core-Departmental or the Individualized component may re-take that component (or both) once. Students who fail one or both components a second time are dropped from their degree program.
Other Requirements and Procedures
Time Limits
All requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling must be completed within five years of the date of admission to the Department of Psychology Graduate Program. All graduate students must be registered for a minimum of six credit hours during each fall, spring and summer semester. Graduate students in good academic standing who cannot maintain continuous registration should apply for a leave of absence by the beginning of the semester in which the leave is to begin.
Transfer of Coursework Taken at Other Institutions or as an Advanced Special Student
A maximum of six (6) credit hours of graduate level coursework earned from regionally accredited institutions prior to or after matriculation at Medaille College Graduate School may be applied towards a master’s degree in Mental Health. All transfer credits must meet the following criteria:
a) Courses must have been offered at the graduate level.
b) Courses may not have been used to meet degree requirements for previously earned graduate degrees.
c) Courses must have been completed within the last five years of matriculation in the Department.
d) Courses must receive approval from the student's advisor, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
e) A grade of "B" or above must have been earned in the requested transfer courses.
* The student may be subject to final examination in all coursework transferred into the Master's degree in Mental Health.
** No credit is granted for correspondence courses or for "credit-by-examination" courses.
Waiver of a Course Requirement
In certain circumstances, a waiver of a course requirement may be requested based on coursework taken at Medaille College or at another institution. To petition for a course waiver, the student must submit a formal written letter requesting a Waiver of a Course Requirement. This letter must be approved by the student’s advisor, the department chair, and the dean of the graduate school.
Academic Review/Probation/Dismissal (Added on July 11, 2006)
Any graduate student who receives a grade of F in any course required for completion of the M.A. degree or who indicates a lack of ability as determined by the program faculty, will receive an immediate academic review by the graduate program faculty. Upon completion of the academic review, the graduate program council may place the student on academic probation. Such notice will be made in writing by the department chairperson or designee prior to the end of the drop/add period of the next semester and will indicate the terms of the probation and its removal. Any student placed on academic probation is limited to three (3) credits per semester while on probation and is required to sign and adhere to a prescribed probationary contract. Any graduate student not meeting the written terms of their academic probation may be academically dismissed from the College.
Students will not be allowed to begin or continue internship placements if they are placed on academic probation. Further, students placed on probation or suspension for violations of the Student Handbook will not be allowed to begin or continue internship placements and depending on the severity of the offense, a student may be dismissed from the College.
Procedure for Change of Advisor
Requests for change of advisor must be made in writing and approved by the Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education.
Concerns or Questions about a Course or Program Requirement
In the event that a student has a concern or question about a course, the instructor of the course should be consulted before bringing concerns to the Department. If the situation is not resolved in consultation with the instructor, concerns and/or questions should be brought to the attention of the advisor and the Department Chair.
Grade Point Average Requirements
The Graduate School at Medaille College requires that all graduate students maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.0 after completion of 9 credits will be placed on academic probation for the following semester. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.0 for a second and successive semester may be allowed (with the recommendation of the Department and the consent of the Graduate School) a third semester in which to raise his or her grade point average to 3.0 or above. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.0 after three successive semesters will be required to withdraw from the College. A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 will not be recommended for graduation.
Likewise, any graduate student who receives a grade of F in any course required for completion of the M.A. degree or who indicates a lack of ability as determined by the program faculty, will receive an immediate academic review by the graduate program faculty. Upon completion of the academic review, the graduate program faculty may place the student on academic probation. Such notice will be made in writing by the department chairperson or designee prior to the end of the drop/add period of the next semester and will indicate the terms of the probation and its removal. Any student placed on academic probation is limited to three (3) credits per semester while on probation and is required to sign and adhere to a prescribed probationary contract. Any graduate student not meeting the written terms of their academic probation may be academically dismissed from the College.
* A student earning less than B- in any course is required to repeat the course. A student may repeat any course in an effort to earn a higher grade. The later grade will be used in computing the grade point average.
Academic Integrity
Medaille’s faculty and administration expect all students to complete their academic assignments with honesty and integrity. Students who engage in any form of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on a test, forging a signature or an entire college document) will be dealt with severely, with penalties ranging from an F on a given assignment to failing a course or even academic suspension or dismissal from the program. It is important to note that the Graduate School at Medaille College interprets the submission of the same paper, or substantially the same paper, to more than one instructor to be a violation of this code. Students found guilty of such offenses risk expulsion from the College. Students should consult their Student Handbook for full details on the college’s policy and procedures for handling formal charges of academic dishonesty.
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