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The M.S. in Counseling Psychology is a two-year cohort program that provides a foundation in counseling skills, assessment, and individual and group therapy. It offers students the opportunity to gain supervised practical experience in a formal practicum and internship, while also benefiting from an engaged faculty. Our faculty 'do' what they teach!

Students learn how to understand client issues and needs in a variety of settings and then collaboratively put individually tailored intervention plans into action. An emphasis is placed on training multiculturally aware ethical practitioners. Graduates meet the core educational requirements for licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Pennsylvania.

Program Mission and Objectives

I. Mission Statement: The mission of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program is to help meet mental health service needs by providing quality graduate-level training to students interested in becoming licensed professional counselors.

II. Program Goals and Objectives: The goal of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program at RMU is to train students to become knowledgeable, skillful, ethical practitioners who will be able to help people in need of professional counseling services. The program assigns a high priority to meeting the educational and personal needs of its students and provides foundational and advanced training in the provision of psychotherapy and counseling using a practitioner-scholar model. The program emphasizes a practical, holistic approach to counseling psychology and promotes multimodal assessment, case conceptualization, treatment considerations, and an understanding of the power of the therapeutic relationship.

Program Objectives. The following program objectives were developed based on competencies designated by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC 2017). The objectives serve as the foundation for the assessment of graduate student professional development and readiness for clinical experiences during the program.

• A. Professional identity and ethical and professional standards
  • 1. Exhibit knowledge of pertinent ethical principles and codes.
  • 2. Demonstrate the ability to incorporate best practices in research and clinical work.
  • 3. Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to apply, legal, ethical, and accepted standards of practice to applied settings.
  • 4. Participate in activities associated with professional groups.
  • 5. Demonstrate requisite knowledge to pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE) which is required for licensure in most states.
• B. Evidence-based theories and practice of counseling and psychotherapy
  • 1. Demonstrate an aptitude to formulate client presentations from multiple theoretical perspectives, and be adept at incorporating relevant developmental, historical, and multicultural factors, as well as consideration of empirically based concepts.
  • 2. Demonstrate the ability to apply counseling psychology associated theories and research techniques so as to promote the well-being of children, adults, couples, groups, and families.

Sample Courses:

These are some of the classes for students in this academic program:

Theories of Counseling

Foundations of Addiction

Grief & Bereavement

The application deadline for the M.S. in Counseling Psychology program is January 31.