Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with School Counseling Specialization.

A comprehensive 48-credit Program that prepares students to function as K-13 School Counselors in public, private or parochial schools and various other educational settings. The Program is designed to lay the foundation for licensure in New Jersey as a School Counselor through the New Jersey Department of Education.

Program Requirements are aligned with the Standards of the Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

  • Admission requires undergraduate GPA of 3.0
  • Other admission requirements
    • GRE or MAT scores
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • Formal writing sample (APA or MLA style)
    • Admission Interview with Program Coordinator
  • Course requirements
    • 36 credits in required courses
    • Three elective credits
    • Nine credits of field work (700 hours total)
  • Capstone experience is a Comprehensive Exam consisting of a Case Study
    • Written
    • Oral Presentation to two faculty members
  • Courses are taught by practitioner faculty

Post-Master’s School Counselor Licensing Credits

A Program designed for holders of a Master’s degree in Counseling who seek the credential, School Counselor through the New Jersey Department of Education.

  • Admission requires successful completion of Master’s degree in Counseling
  • Other admission requirements
    • One letter of recommendation
    • Formal writing sample (APA style)
    • Admission Interview with Program Coordinator
  • Provides needed coursework for School Counselor license eligibility in New Jersey
    • License eligibility requires completion of a Master’s degree and an accrued 48 credits, which meet the New Jersey Department of Education requirements for School Counselor licensure
    • Academic program developed individually with Program Coordinator depending on Applicant’s graduate transcript

Post-Master's Director of School Counseling Certification

A program intended for professionals with a Master’s degree in School Counseling. The 12-credit graduate program will prepare a successful counselor to become a Director or Supervisor of School Counseling in Grades K-12. The offering will include courses in Educational Law & Regulations; Foundations of Administration and Curriculum Supervision Grades K-12; Principles of Counselor Supervision; and Curriculum Leadership. To obtain this certificate from the New Jersey Department of Education, three years of successful school counseling experience is required.

The program is aimed at those who have the School Counselor credential and have successful experience as a school counselor in grades preschool through 12.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Master's degree
  • Official graduate transcript(s)
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Writing sample: In lieu of the statement of objectives on the application, submit a research-based paper of at least 10 pages that was previously submitted in an undergraduate or graduate course. APA style preferred. Other subject matter and/or formatting may be considered if the candidate has limited recent coursework.
  • Personal Interview

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS – 48 credits

Counseling Core (18 credits)

CPS 500 Introduction to School Counseling (3)
CPS 545 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling (3)
CPS 565 Counseling Theory & Practice: The Modern Theories (3)
CPS 613 Techniques of Individual Counseling (3)
CPS 633 Career Counseling (3)
CPS 663 Psychology & Practice of Group Dynamics (3)

Testing and Evaluation (3 credits)

CPS 560 Goals & Processes of Evaluation (3)

Psychology Courses (6 credits)

(To include Childhood and Adolescent, Learning, and Exceptional Children)
CPS 595 Principles of Applied Behavior Modification (3)
CPS 667 Lifespan Developmental Psychology (3)
ED 521 Overview of Students in Special Education (3)
ED 557 Learning Disabilities: Concepts, Characteristics and Identification (3)

Sociological Foundations (6 credits)

CPS 550 School & Society: Problems & Interventions (3)
CPS 570 The School Counselor & Community Resources (3)
CPS 653 Multicultural Counseling (3)

Statistics and Research (3 credits)

CPS 505 Research Methods & Statistics I (3)

Practicum Experiences (6 credits)

CPS 580 Counseling Practicum I (2 or 3)
CPS 590 Counseling Practicum II (2 or 3)
CPS 600 Counseling Practicum III (2)

Electives (6 credits)

Preferred Electives (others may be selected with advisement)
CPS 575 Psychopathology & Assessment I (3)
CPS 637 Substance Abuse (3)
CPS 643 Counseling Children (3)
CPS 647 Counseling & Spirituality (3)
CPS 670 Principles of Counselor Supervision in Educational Settings (3)
CPS 673 Theoretical Foundations of Brief Psychotherapy (3)
CPS 677 Human Sexuality (3)

Delivery systems used for instruction

In each course a variety of instructional methods will be employed. These include a combination of technology assisted instructor and student presentations, lectures, use of scenarios, case discussions and problem solving exercises, group work and group discussion, role play examples and feedback, guest speakers, computer laboratory projects, educational videos, discussion of empirical and internet research, and field work.

Transfer of Graduate Credit

Caldwell College will accept the transfer of six credits of graduate work in Psychology or a closely related field, provided the credits were completed within five years of the student’s graduate registration at Caldwell. Official transcripts of previous graduate work as well as the catalog description of each course must be submitted for review at the time of application. Approval of transfer credit is based on course content and grade earned in the course. Each transfer request will be reviewed by the Program Coordinator.

Statement of Outcomes Assessment

Students who complete the M.A. in Counseling Psychology with the Specialization in School Counseling must demonstrate professional aptitude and an ability to integrate theory and practice by completing a three-credit supervised counseling practicum experience, and a six-credit internship experience in a school setting. The academic capstone of the program is a two-part comprehensive exam in the form of a Case Study. The first part requires a written description of counseling and intervention and/or referral services for a student scenario; the second is in the form of an oral presentation of the case to a committee of faculty members. In general, students should be able to demonstrate the following in the comprehensive exam:

  • An understanding of the fundamental principles of school counseling and intervention procedures. The student will be able to articulate appropriate treatment methodologies, a knowledge of human development, learning, individual behavior, abnormal/disruptive behavior, group processes, as well as the role of culture, gender, and spirituality, and the biological bases of behavior, among other areas.
  • An understanding of research, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs, particularly as they pertain to the profession of School Counselor.
  • Ability to read and evaluate reports of psychological research and educational testing.