Behavioral Sciences/Counseling (B.A./M.A.)

Overview
Requirements

B.A./M.A. Program in Behavioral Science/Counseling and Human Development: Mental Health or School Counseling

The B.A./M.A. program provides the best preparation for students who wish to pursue clinical mental health or school counseling careers. To accomplish this, the program integrats core theoretical and knowledge areas in psychology and sociology into a Behavioral Science major at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, the program integrates the core theoretical knowledge and skill areas in professional counselor education needed for practice as a clinical mental health counselor or school counselor. B.A./M.A. coursework integration results in a holistic, streamlined educational program wherein students can meet educational licensure requirements in school counseling or clinical mental health counseling in approximately 6 years.

The program develops counselors who assist others in making differences in their lives. To meet this overall goal, students apply theoretical models to the understanding of human behavior and demonstrate the professional attitudes, behaviors and counseling skills needed to integrate their knowledge and skills with the ethical practice of counseling with diverse populations.

General program goals include:

Develop within students the knowledge, competencies and attitudes necessary to function as professional counselors.
Assist students to develop a sense of their identity as counselors and the professional orientation needed to work for the welfare of diverse clients.
Assist students to understand both the scientific and humanistic perspectives in behavioral science and to apply this knowledge to counseling practice.
Prepare students for specialized roles as clinical mental health counselors and school counselors.

B.A./M.A. students are dually admitted to the B.A. in Behavioral Science and the M.A. in Counseling & Human Development. In addition to meeting separate admission requirements for the B.A./M.A. program (beyond general admission to the university), students must maintain a 3.3 GPA in their undergraduate coursework, follow all undergraduate and graduate academic policies and procedures, and meet appropriate interpersonal and professional behavior standards to remain in good standing in the program. With the permission of their advisor, B.A./M.A. students take three graduate courses during the last three semesters of their undergraduate degree program: BSC 560; BSC 502 (CHD 602 course); and BSC 526 (CHD 626 course). Upon completion of the undergraduate requirements for the B.A. portion of the program, students are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science. An official Change of Status form must be obtained from the Program Director of Social and Behavioral Sciences and filed with the Registrar to change the student status from undergraduate to graduate. Upon completion of all graduation requirements in the Counseling and Human Development program, students are awarded the Master of Arts in Counseling & Human Development (with Clinical Mental Health and/or School Counseling).

Admission to the B.A./M.A. program follows three possible tracks:

Track 1

Track 1 is freshman admission. Prospective students must meet two of the following three criteria:

Have a minimum high school grade point average of 3.5.
Have a minimum ACT score of 27 or SAT score of 1200.
Graduate in the top 10% of their high school class

Prospective students must also meet the following criteria:

Complete an application form and submit to Program Director, Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Submit a writing sample.
Participate in an interview with the B.A./M.A. faculty.

Students who do not meet requirements to enter the B.A./M.A. program as freshmen may apply through Track 2 or Track 3.

Track 2

Track 2 is open to students after their freshman year who meet the following criteria:

Complete 30 semester hours, including transfer credits, with a minimum 3.3 GPA.
Complete PSYC 120, 201 or 251.
Submit the B.A./M.A. application, writing sample, and transcript to the Program Director, Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Participate in an interview with B.A./M.A. faculty.

Track 3

Track 3 is open to students after their sophomore year who meet the following criteria:

Complete 60 semester hours, including transfer credits, with a minimum 3.3 GPA.
Complete PSYC 120, 201, 251, SOC 205 or 303; BSC 221; and one of the following: BSC 301, PSYC 305, or PSYC 401.
Submit the B.A./M.A. application, writing sample, and transcript to the Program Director, Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Participate in an interview with B.A./M.A. faculty.

Students in the B.A./M.A. program must follow all undergraduate and graduate academic policies and procedures including a change of status for the graduate program.

Required

General Education Requirements
Internship
Students must maintain a minimum 3.3 GPA

SCHOOL COUNSELING

B.A./M.A. students with school counseling career aspirations take two EDU courses listed below plus courses listed under Mental Health (54-60 credit hours):

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
EDUC 107	School and Society: Intro Educ	2
EDUC 206	DV:Except&MultiCultGlobSoci	3
Total Hours		5

MENTAL HEALTH

B.A./M.A. students with mental health career aspirations take the following courses (48-54 credit hours):

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
PSYC 120	T1:Principles of Psychology	3
PSYC 201	Principles of Learning	3
PSYC 204	Cognitive Processes	3
or PSYC 302	Cognitive Neuropsychology
PSYC 251	Physiological Psychology	3
PSYC 401	DV:Abnormal Psychology	3
SOC 204	DV:T1:Social Problems	3
SOC 205	T1:DV:Social/Cult Divers	3
SOC 303	H1:DV:Marriage, Family&Intimac	3
SOC 401	H2b:Sociological Theory	3
BSC 221	Stats for Behavioral Science	3
BSC 430	DV:Applied Behav Science Sem	3
BSC 440	DV:H3:Applied Behav Sci Intern	3-9
BSC 502	Research Methods/Prog Evaluati	3
BSC 526	UG:DV:Group Process	3
BSC 560	DV:Intro Counsel/Counsel Prof	3
Elective
Select one of the following:		3
PSYC 309	H1:Crit Iss in Child/Adol Deve
SOC 314	H1:DV:Sociology of Aging

M.A. IN COUNSELING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL COUNSELING

(Student must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.)

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
BSC 502	Research Methods/Prog Evaluati	3
or CHD 602	Research Methods/Prog Eval
BSC 526	UG:DV:Group Process	3
or CHD 626	Group Process
BSC 560	DV:Intro Counsel/Counsel Prof	3
CHD 603	Assessment in Counseling	3
CHD 610	Prin/Tech/Theories of Coun/Dev	3
CHD 612	Lifepsan Development	3
CHD 620	Found/Organ of School Counsel	3
CHD 624	Career Counseling	3
CHD 635	Addictions	3
CHD 637	Consult,Collabor & Leadership	3
CHD 662	Individ Study: Counsel/Dev (opitional)	3
CHD 680	Issues in School Counseling	3
CHD 730	Soc/Cult Diversity in Coun	3
CHD 740	Ethics/Issues in Counseling	3
CHD 790	Practicum: Counseling Tech	3
CHD 795	Internship: School Counseling	3
CHD Elective
Total Hours		48

Graduate course descriptions are listed in the Graduate Catalog.

M.A. IN COUNSELING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING