Student Affairs in Higher Education

School of Arts and Sciences

Program Overview The Student Affairs in Higher Education concentration in the MS in Counseling Psychology Core Requirements (25 credit hours) program provides a basic foundation in counseling theory and skills with additional course- • Substance Abuse: An Introduction work in college student development theory and best practice research, models and to Identification and Treatment (3cr.) applications in higher education. The Counseling in Student Affairs in Higher Education • Career and Vocational Counseling concentration prepares master-level counselors to work with students in a variety of higher (3cr.) education settings. This concentration trains students to attend to the intellectual, social, • Introduction to Counseling emotional and developmental needs of college and university students. Graduates of this and Guidance Theory (3cr.) program will be prepared to work in such areas as counseling centers, disability resources • Introductory Counseling Skills: centers, career centers, residence life, academic advising, wellness centers, academic Laboratory Level I (3cr.) advising, and student life. • Human Development: A Life Span Approach (3cr.) Students completing this concentration will, as a part of their degree program, complete • Counseling Multicultural all the educational requirements to apply for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). and Diverse Populations (3cr.) In addition, students will meet all admission criteria established by the Graduate Counseling • Counseling Practicum (1cr.) Psychology program, including undergraduate prerequisites in General Psychology, Statistics • Research Methods for the and Research Methods, some of which also may be taken through Holy Family University Behavioral Sciences (3cr.) undergraduate course offerings. The total degree hours required for this concentration is 60. This concentration requires a 600-hour internship, a 100-hour practicum, and mandatory • Assessment: Principles and faculty mentoring/advising meetings. Application in Counseling (3cr.) • Counseling Comprehensive Exam The curriculum and advising relationship for this concentration has a strong emphasis on the career placement process, real world experience, and applications to the field.The most Required Courses for Specialty unique component of the degree is the diversity of field placement options. Students in this Area (24 credit hours) concentration are able to explore multiple areas of counseling within higher education from • Group Counseling (3cr.)* a developmental approach. This allows them to complete field placement requirements at • Professional Orientation and Ethics more than one college site, or even within a site in more than one functional area, if desired. for Student Affairs Professionals (3cr.)* Recent field placements for students in this concentration include: • The College/University Student • Temple U: Student Athlete Academic Advising & Support Center; Disabilities Center (3 cr.) • Bucks County Community College: Advising and Counseling Center; Disabilities Center • Psychopathology and Diagnosis • The College of New Jersey: Career Development Center; Counseling Center Using the DSM (3cr.)* • Rider University Counseling Center • Issues and Best Practices • Holy Family U: Career Center; Student Activities Office in Higher Education (3cr.) • Arcadia U: Counseling Center; Career Counseling Center • Internship I – Student Affairs • Chestnut Hill College: Disability Resource Center; Career Development Center Counseling (3cr.) • Saint Joseph’s U: Alcohol & Drug Resource Center; Career Development Center • Internship II – Student Affairs Counseling (3cr.) • Villanova U: Multicultural Center • Professional Seminar: • Community College of Philadelphia Career Center Culminating Experience (3cr.)

In addition, the license eligibility of the concentration creates greater flexibility for students Electives (11 credit hours) who have or develop a strong clinical focus during graduate study. Graduates with this * Indicates courses that must be degree may also choose to pursue private practice, college counseling center opportunities successfully completed prior to internship.

For More Information Holy Family University visit: holyfamily.edu Newtown call: 267-341-3327 One Campus Drive email: [email protected] Newtown, PA 18940 School of Arts and Sciences

or doctoral studies. Admission Requirements Post-Master’s Opportunities Applicants must possess the following Holy Family University’s program also allows those professionals who have completed qualifications for admission to the a Master’s degree in Counseling or related profession and are interested in preparation MS in Counseling Psychology program: for a career in higher education counseling to complete as few as 24 credit hours and meet • A baccalaureate degree from an the educational requirements for a Post-Master’s specialization. accredited college or university. • An undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better Outcomes on a four-point scale. Applicants • Holy Family University’s Counseling Psychology graduate employment rate in the field with an undergraduate cumulative has averaged 91% over the past 4 years. grade-point average less than 3.0 • Holy Family University Counseling Psychology students have an 86% first time pass must submit results of the Graduate rate on the licensure exam (NCE) and a 98% first time pass rate on the school Record Examination (GRE) or the counselor exam (Praxis). Miller Analogies Test (MAT) prior to being considered for admission. The marketplace for masters’ level clinicians in higher education counseling has been • Two satisfactory letters of steadily increasing. The license eligibility requirement assures a comprehensive and recommendation or recommendation well-rounded curriculum for the needs of the field. Graduates from this concentration have forms from individuals familiar repeatedly reported back that the counseling foundation of coursework prepared them with the applicant’s academic or to work with college students in a large variety of different settings. Graduates of this professional work. concentration are far more marketable in the student affairs job search process having • An application form with a completed the counseling core curriculum. nonrefundable $25 application fee. • A 250- to 500-word personal Recent graduates are securing employment. In the last few years, students have found statement of applicant’s interests positions at St. Joseph’s University, Temple University, Bucks County Community College, in the field, future professional Chestnut Hill College, The Won Institute, Immaculata University, Neumann University, plans and goals, and reasons for Manor College, and others. Many graduates have also pursued jobs in clinical areas such requesting admission. The quality as addiction recovery or mental health facilities to pursue licensure supervision. In the of the applicant’s statement will be Fall 2014 semester, two students in this concentration were hired full-time by their internship of critical importance to the success sites prior to completing the graduate program. of the application for admission. • Official transcripts of all previous college or university work. Why Student Affairs at Holy Family University? What makes our program both unique and exemplary is the diversity of application in Applicants will be considered based career choice upon completion. There is tremendous flexibility in where the field placement on their academic ability, expression experience is completed, preparing students for a wide range of career options, while also of interests and goals, life experience, ensuring LPC eligibility. While there are several graduate programs in the local Philadelphia and personal interview. Admissions region offering a master’s degree in student affairs or educational administration, Holy are rolling with the majority in the fall Family University is the only institution that offers a program with a counseling focus and semester and a limited number in the license eligibility. As the mental health and wellness needs of the undergraduate population spring. Prior to admission, selected continue to increase, the demand for professionals in higher education with counselor applicants will be invited to complete a personal interview with Counseling training will only become more valuable. Psychology faculty. Notification of acceptance into the program usually is completed within two weeks of the personal interview. Please note that the program is limited in size because of the intensive training requirements. Although many applicants meet the criteria for admission, it may not be possible to admit all qualified students.

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For More Information visit: holyfamily.edu call: 267-341-3327 The Value of Family One Campus Drive email: [email protected] Newtown, PA 18940