Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Professional Counseling
Our department offers a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Professional Counseling (CAGSPC).
This is a post-master’s degree program designed to supplement the educational requirements for a licensed professional counselor.
Requirements for licensure were legislated in Pennsylvania Act 136 – The Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act. Under Act 136, the educational requirement for a licensed professional counselor is completion of a planned program of 60 graduate semester hours of coursework in counseling or a field closely related to the practice of professional counseling, including a qualifying master's degree, from an accredited educational institution. This certificate allows students to obtain the additional graduate credits in professional counseling that, together with a qualifying master's degree, complete the 60-credit planned program and fulfill the educational requirements for counselor licensure.
Admissions Criteria
All applicants for the certificate program must apply for formal admission to The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Applicants must possess:
- A master’s degree in counseling from a counseling program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); or
- A master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from a program accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) or Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); or
- A master’s degree in counseling, or a master's degree in a field closely related to the practice of professional counseling as defined under Pennsylvania Act 136 and its implementing regulations. A field closely related to the practice of professional counseling means one of the following:
- a) A degree in social work, psychology, art therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, human services, counseling education or child development and family studies.
- b) A degree in any applied behavioral science that incorporates a practicum or internship and satisfies at least five of the eight academic content areas listed below.
- Human Growth and Development: Includes studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels.
- Social and Cultural Foundations: Includes studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society.
- Helping Relationship: Includes studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes.
- Group Work: Includes studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group-work-approaches.
- Career and Lifestyle Development: Includes studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.
- Appraisal: Includes studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
- Research and Program Evaluation: Includes studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics and ethical and legal considerations in research.
- Professional Orientation and Ethics: Includes studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards and credentialing.
- Field Experience (Practicum and Internship): For admission under category (b) above, a practicum or internship completed as part of the applicant's degree helps satisfy the qualifying degree requirement. For completion of the certificate, the full clinical instruction must be met: a minimum of 700 hours of supervised counseling experience (a 100-hour supervised practicum followed by a 600-hour supervised internship) in an appropriate work setting.
An applicant whose master’s degree is not from a CACREP or CORE accredited program and whose course work does not meet the criteria in Item 3 (above) may be admitted after the Licensing Board reviews their application.
A planned program of at least 60 graduate credits (semester hours) in professional counseling must be completed before the certificate is granted, consistent with the educational requirement under Act 136. Twelve graduate credits in professional counseling beyond the prerequisite 48 graduate credits must be completed in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in order to obtain the certificate.
Each student will design a plan of study in conjunction with their program director that addresses licensure education requirements and the student’s unique needs. The post-master’s degree coursework needs to be related to the practice of professional counseling congruent with the applicant’s specialization.
CAGSPC applicants who completed their master’s degree at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ should consult the Admissions Office for the Second Degree or Program Request Form. The length of time since completing the master’s degree determines the specific application materials needed.
| OPEID: | 003384 |
| CIP: 13.1101 | School Counseling |
| 51.2310 | Rehabilitation Counseling |
| CIP Program Name: | Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor |
| Our Program Name: | Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Professional Counseling |
| Level: | Graduate Certificate |
| Program Length: | 12 Credits - 1 year |
| Normal Time to Complete: | Up to 1 year |
| Number Completed in Year 2014-2016: | 7 |
| Tuition and Fees: | $9,084 |
| Books and Supplies: | $600 |