COUNSELOR EDUCATION

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

The Department of Counselor Education at Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to excellence in the initial preparation and continuing development of professionals in the counseling field. The Department, located in an urban setting, provides graduate students with research-based professional studies and clinical experiences necessary for effective counseling, advocacy, and leadership in diverse geographic and socio-economic settings. Specifically, the Department prepares counselors with the specialized knowledge and skills required for placement in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as postsecondary educational institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the nation. Consistent with this approach are the program goals of graduating students who have knowledge of basic counseling theory and practice, possess competencies in essential counseling services, exhibit scholarly inquiry, have the skills necessary to evaluate relevant research, are committed to evaluating their counseling interventions, and participate in a variety of professional development activities.

Counselor Education, a department in the School of Education, is currently pursuing accreditation through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Virginia Department of Education.

Programs of Study

The M.Ed. in Counselor Education is a 48-hour program that requires two years to complete. The Counselor Education Department offers two tracks, the School Counseling Track and the College Student Development and Counseling Track. The Department also offers a School Counseling Endorsement Program for students who have a master’s degree in Education.

School Counseling Track
The School Counseling Track prepares students for positions as professional school counselors. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible for licensure as school counselors in K-12 settings. In addition to meeting the academic and non-academic requirements delineated below, students in the School Counseling Track must meet the Technology Standards approved by the Virginia Board of Education and supply proof of Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition Training.

School Counseling Endorsement
For students who already have a master’s degree in Education, successful completion of the 33 credits of program core courses in the school counseling track will lead to recommendation for licensure as a school counselor. Students wishing to obtain this licensure must meet with the department chair and file a plan of study. Although students holding master’s degrees do not apply for admission to the graduate program, they must file the appropriate plan of study in order to qualify for the VCU approved program of study. No course work taken more than seven years prior to applying for licensure as a school counselor will count toward meeting VCU’s approved program course equivalents.

School Counseling Track

Foundations (9 credit hours)

Human development and learning
EDUS 605 Child and Adolescent Growth and Development

Cultural, historical and philosophical (one of the following)
EDUS 601 Philosophy of Education
EDUS 608 History of Western Education
EDUS 610 Social Foundations of Education
EDUS 612 Education and the World’s Future
EDUS 614 Contemporary Educational Thought
EDUS 673 Seminar on Educational Issues, Ethics and Policy

Research
EDUS 660 Research Methods in Education

Program core (33 credit hours)
CLED 600 Introduction to Counseling
CLED 601 Theories of Counseling
CLED 602 Techniques of Counseling
CLED 603 Group Procedures in Counseling
CLED 604 Practicum: School Counseling
CLED 605 Career Information and Exploration
CLED 606 Assessment Techniques for Counselors
CLED 610 Counseling in Elementary and Middle Schools
CLED 621 Secondary School Counseling Seminar
CLED 672 Internship: K-12 School Counseling (six credits)
600 clock hours in an appropriate setting. Students wanting placement in elementary, middle or high schools may not fulfill this requirement during the summer.

Approved electives (6 credit hours)

Total (48 credit hours)

Additional Information
*For additional information on the School Counseling Track and School Counseling Endorsement, contact:
Dr. Susan Leone
Chair, Department of Counselor Education
sdleone@vcu.edu
(804) 827-262

College Student Development and Counseling Track

The College Student Development and Counseling Track prepares students for counseling and student affairs positions in postsecondary educational institutions.

College Student Development and Counseling Track

Foundations (12 credit hours)

Human development and learning
EDUS 604 Adult Development

Cultural, historical and philosophical
EDUS/ADLT 631 American College and University
EDUS 633 Academic Leadership in Higher Education

Research
EDUS 660 Research Methods in Education

Program core (30 credit hours)
CLED 600 Introduction to Counseling
CLED 601 Theories of Counseling
CLED 602 Techniques of Counseling
CLED 603 Group Procedures in Counseling
CLED 608 Practicum: College Student Development and Counseling
CLED 605 Career Information and Exploration
CLED 606 Assessment Techniques for Counselors
CLED 620 Student Development Services
CLED 672 Internship: College Student Development and Counseling (six credits)
600 clock hours in an appropriate setting.

Approved electives (6 credit hours)

Total (48 credit hours)

Additional Information
*For additional information on the College Student Development and Counseling Track, contact:
Dr. Mary Hermann
Director, College Student Development and Counseling Track
mahermann@vcu.edu
(804) 827-2626

Admission Requirements
The VCU School of Education outlines its graduate admissions criteria as follows:

  • Admission to all graduate programs is competitive. As part of the application for graduate study, applicants must submit transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework. Applicants are expected to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on the most recent 60 hours of work for full admission. Applicants with a 2.8 GPA may be considered
    for provisional admission.
  • Applicants must also submit official scores from the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or
    Graduate Record Examination – General Test (GRE). Scores may be no more than
    5 years old. Applicants are expected to score 386 or higher on the MAT, or 800 or higher
    (Verbal + Quantitative) on the GRE for full admission.
  • The VCU Code for admission testing is 5570. Department codes are not necessary.

To obtain general information about applying for graduate study, or to check on the status of an application, contact the Student Services Center (804-827-2670).
http://www.soe.vcu.edu/apply/graduate.html


Provisional Admission

Applicants for graduate study who meet School of Education provisional admission requirements must receive a grade of A or B in their first nine hours of graduate study. These nine hours must include CLED 600, CLED 601, and a third course to be approved by the student’s advisor.

The VCU Graduate School Bulletin provides additional standards for all graduate students. You can view the Bulletin in its entirety on the VCU web site at www.pubapps.vcu.edu/bulletins/graduate. In this document, excerpts from the Bulletin are italicized.


Nondegree-seeking students

An individual who wishes to take graduate courses without formal admission to a degree program is classified as a nondegree-seeking student. There is no limit to the number of credits a nondegree-seeking student may take, as long as the student’s academic performance is credible. In courses where enrollment is limited, first priority is given to students admitted to the program, followed by other VCU graduate degree-seeking students. Nondegree-seeking students are not exempt from any prerequisite that may be specified for a course. A nondegree-seeking student who is later admitted as a degree-seeking student will not be allowed to apply toward a degree more than six credits earned as a nondegree-seeking student.

In order to enroll in graduate courses as a nondegree-seeking student, students must have graduated (or be in final term expecting to graduate) from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent. Information and forms certifying eligibility to take graduate courses are available at VCU Records and Registration service centers, or at the Graduate School, which is located in Moseley House on the Monroe Park Campus.


International students

The university encourages qualified international students, both nonimmigrant and immigrant, to seek admission to VCU. Complete information and application materials for international students may be obtained on written request from Virginia Commonwealth University, International Admissions, P.O. Box 843043, Richmond, VA, United States 23284-3043; by phone at (804) 828-6016; by e-mail: vcuia@vcu.edu; or online at www.vcu.edu/oie/ia.


Application procedures

Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School by March 15 for summer or fall admission to the Counselor Education Program and by November 1 for spring admission to the Counselor Education Program.

In addition to the application, applicants must provide a personal statement, three sealed letters of reference, sealed official transcripts from previous colleges/universities, and official GRE or MAT tests scores. Information about the applications process and all forms may be downloaded from http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/apply_options.html.

The graduate school application processing fee is $50. (Check or money order only – no cash will be accepted.)

Additional Information

For more information about VCU, please visit the following web sites:

Financial Aid: www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid
Tuition and Fees: www.vcu.edu/graduate/es/financing.html
Course Schedule Book: www.vcu.edu/schedule
Academic Calendars: www.vcu.edu/academiccalendars
University Resources and Services: www.vcu.edu/graduate/pops/p_resources.html Richmond, VA Visitor Information: www.visit.richmond.com


Student Recruitment Policy

The VCU Department of Counselor Education encourages the recruitment, acceptance, and enrollment of underserved populations. Efforts are made to ensure that the counseling program is diverse in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and disability. Members of underserved populations are encouraged to seek admission to the department.