Counseling Services (School Counseling Concentration) Program Requirements
(60 credits)
Refer to the Counseling Services Handbook for course sequence and prerequisites.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Courses Required Before Practicum | ||
| CNPY 502 | Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| CNPY 514 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| CNPY 518 | Counseling Children, Adolescents and Families | 3 |
| or COUN 555 | Introduction to Play Therapy: Counseling Children, Adolescents, and their Families | |
| COUN 500 | Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 521 | Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings | 3 |
| or COUN 512 | Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling | |
| COUN 530 | Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy | 3 |
| COUN 550 | Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory | 3 |
| EDSO 501 | Foundations of Counseling in Edu Settings: Referral Sources for Stdnts and Stdnts With Special Needs | 3 |
| EDSO 502 | Applied Counseling & Consultation Models in Educational Settings | 3 |
| Courses Required Prior to or Concurrent with Practicum | ||
| COUN 505 | Vocational/Career Development | 3 |
| EDPS 520 | Measurement,Tests and Assessments in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 520 | Multicultural Counseling and Relationship Development | 3 |
| Practicum | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Elementary School Counseling Practicum and Student Assistance Coordinator Practicum | ||
| Secondary School Counseling Practicum and Student Assistance Coordinator Practicum | ||
| Elementary School Counseling Practicum | ||
| Secondary School Counseling Practicum | ||
| Courses Required at the End of the Program | ||
| COUN 590/CNSC 590 | Internship in Counseling I | 3 |
| COUN 591/CNSC 591 | Internship in Counseling II | 3 |
| Courses that May Be Taken at Any Time | ||
| EDPS 503 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| EDUC 500 | Introduction To Research | 3 |
| Elective Credits 1 | 6 | |
Select courses from the following list to complete six credit hours; students should reference the Counseling Program Handbook and consult with their faculty advisor about elective choices. | ||
| Advanced Psychopathology | ||
| Prevention and Intervention for Body Image and Disordered Eating | ||
| Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling | ||
| Approaches to Family Counseling | ||
| Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling | ||
| Counseling for Addiction: Practices and Principles 2 | ||
| Strategies in Addiction Counseling 2 | ||
| Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings | ||
| Gender Issues in Counseling | ||
| Introduction to Creative Arts and Specializations in Counseling | ||
| Holistic Wellness Counseling | ||
| Parent-Child Play Therapy | ||
| Independent Study and Research in Counseling Services | ||
| Counseling Supervision: Issues, Concepts and Methods | ||
| Internship in Counseling Speciality I | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| Sociological and Cultural Foundations of Education | ||
| Sport Counseling and Psychological Skills Training | ||
| Clinical Sport Counseling | ||
| Strategies for Curriculum Development, Innovation and Change | ||
| Supervisor/Teacher Leadership for Improved Instruction and Student Learning | ||
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Accelerated BA - MA
(15 credits)
Highly qualified undergraduate psychology majors are eligible to apply in their junior year for the accelerated BA-MA program. This program enables students to take graduate courses during their senior year that count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees.
Applicants for this accelerated program must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and must meet the same admission requirements as all other applicants. Students must apply by February 1 of their junior year. Those admitted must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the bachelor’s part of the program. In addition, performance in graduate-level courses is subject to all academic policies and requirements of the Department of Graduate Education, Leadership, & Counseling.
Students accepted into the School Counseling accelerated program who would like to complete the BA - MA will take the following 15 credits* of graduate courses** during their senior year, in addition to the necessary undergraduate courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COUN 500 | Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| CNPY 502 | Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 550 | Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory | 3 |
| EDSO 501 | Foundations of Counseling in Edu Settings: Referral Sources for Stdnts and Stdnts With Special Needs | 3 |
* Undergraduate students who would like to take fewer than 15 graduate credits during their senior year are also eligible to apply for the accelerated program. Taking fewer than 15 courses as an undergraduate student may mean that it will take longer to complete the BA - MA.
** Graduate program directors may suggest different graduate courses than the 5 listed above for accelerated students. Students should also consult with their undergraduate advisor on the choice of graduate courses.
Following successful completion of the undergraduate program, students will automatically be matriculated into the MA Counseling Services degree program, where they will complete the remaining MA-level coursework.
Courses and Descriptions
CNPY 502 Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions 3 Credits
Introduces the theoretical constructs of the primary theories being used in counseling and other helping professions, such as coaching. The theoretical constructs will be explored for use in self-reflection and self-development and to serve as the basis for development of psychological maps for understanding purposes of clients’ behaviors.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 500 with a minimum grade of D or concurrent enrollment.
CNPY 514 Psychopathology 3 Credits
A survey of the study of abnormal psychology. Includes classification, assessment, and treatment and prevention of psychopathology. Characteristics of healthy psychological functioning are examined. Biological, psychological, and sociocultural bases of well-adjusted and maladjusted behavior patterns are considered. Stress, anxiety, and milder forms of psychopathology are considered, as are more severe psychopathological conditions.
CNPY 518 Counseling Children, Adolescents and Families 3 Credits
This course will emphasize counselor and consultant behaviors that facilitate the helping process with children, adolescents, and their families. Information and activities will be provided that address age, ethnic, and developmental considerations in counseling children and adolescents. Issues and practices related to crisis intervention will be explored.
CNSC 580 Elementary School Counseling Practicum and Student Assistance Coordinator Practicum 3 Credits
This course provides students with a 100-hour supervised experience in counseling, collaboration, and consultation in an elementary school setting. Students will obtain a minimum of forty (40) contact hours with clients. The course will also provide an historical overview of the school counseling function. Current practices for assessing, organizing, implementing and evaluating school counseling services will be reviewed. The relationship of the school counseling program to academic objectives will be reviewed. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis interventions designed to promote the academic and social development of students of elementary school age. Role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel will be discussed in the class and experienced at the site. Students apply knowledge and skills developed in pre-practicum experiences in addressing the needs of elementary students. Students must be supervised by a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC).
CNSC 581 Secondary School Counseling Practicum and Student Assistance Coordinator Practicum 3 Credits
This course provides students with a 100-hour supervised experience in counseling, collaboration, and consultation in a secondary school setting. Students will obtain a minimum of forty (40) contact hours with clients. The course will also provide an historical overview of the school counseling function. Current practices for assessing, organizing, implementing and evaluating school counseling services will be reviewed. The relationship of the school counseling program to academic objectives will be reviewed. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis interventions designed to promote the academic and social development of students of secondary school age. Role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel will be discussed in the class and experienced at the site. Students apply knowledge and skills developed in pre-practicum experiences in addressing the needs of secondary students. Students must be supervised by a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC).
CNSC 590 Counseling Internship I 3 Credits
An internship that provides 300 hours of field experience, including all activities that a regularly employed staff member would be expected to perform (a regularly employed staff member is defined as a person occupying the professional role to which the student is aspiring). The internship placement is selected on the basis of the student’s career goals. Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. Students must be supervised by a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC). The approval and cooperation of the intern’s field supervisor must be obtained the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisites: COUN 585 with a minimum grade of B or COUN 580 with a minimum grade of B or COUN 581 with a minimum grade of B or CNSC 581 with a minimum grade of B.
CNSC 591 Counseling Internship II 3 Credits
The continuation of an internship that provides a 300-hour field experience including all activities that a regularly employed staff member would be expected to perform (a regularly employed staff member is defined as a person occupying the professional role to which the student is aspiring). The internship placement is selected on the basis of the intern’s career goals. Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. Students must be supervised by a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC). The approval and cooperation of the intern’s field supervisor must be obtained the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisites: COUN 590 with a minimum grade of B or or concurrent enrollment or CNSC 590 with a minimum grade of B or concurrent enrollment.
COUN 500 Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions 3 Credits
Educational, social, and psychological foundations of counseling services. Basic theories, principles, and techniques of counseling and related helping professions, such as coaching, and their applications to professional services. Emphasizes self-awareness as related to becoming a facilitator of helping skills. The team approach to counseling services and the contribution of the various specialties within the total counseling services program are stressed.
COUN 503 Group Counseling 3 Credits
Analyze the historical development of group treatment methods, theories, practices, methods for appraising outcomes of treatment, and review research findings. Each class member will be a group member and a leader in an actual group counseling experience.
COUN 505 Vocational/Career Development 3 Credits
Includes organizational change and vocational development theories, research, and literature in the field to inform practice with clients with vocational/career concern. The problems and techniques of using occupational and career information, assessment tools, educational and vocational goal setting, conflict management strategies, and individual and group processes are stressed. Includes concepts of career/life planning and counseling and coaching techniques, lifespan transitions, and the interrelationships among work, family, and other life roles.
COUN 512 Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling 3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the research and practice of disaster response, trauma, crisis, and grief and loss counseling in clinical and educational settings. Course will include an overview of the impact of disasters, crisis, and trauma-causing events on individuals, communities, and educational settings and of the impact of working with traumatized clients on practitioners. Emphasis will be placed on prevention, intervention, and postvention practices in working effectively with individuals, families, and groups of people in the midst of traumatic situations and who have experienced loss, crisis, disasters and trauma-causing events.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 550 (with a minimum grade of B), CNPY 502 (with a minimum grade of C+).
COUN 520 Multicultural Counseling and Relationship Development 3 Credits
Introduces, examines, and critically analyzes and reflects upon major origins and dimensions of human similarities and differences. Explores and personalizes the social-psychological and behavioral implications of these similarities and differences. Examines issues of race, ethnicity, class, disability, age, gender identity, sexual identity, etc., in the light of theories of individual and group identity development and the impact of these on, between and within group relationships. Each student is expected to utilize this knowledge for the development of healthy multicultural skills. A semester-long engagement in a multicultural interaction and a presentation of a multicultural discovery project are required.
COUN 521 Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings 3 Credits
This course takes the knowledge of trauma-informed practice in the counseling profession to the cultivation and implementation of trauma-informed practices in various counseling settings. The course will provide an introduction and more in depth understanding of various trauma-informed models such as the Sanctuary Model, and how to work with various systems to implement trauma-informed practices. Specifically, leadership will be a major component of the course, as discussion and assignments will focus on how to implement and educate others in agencies or educational settings on how to adapt a trauma-informed culture in the setting. Specific steps to implement trauma-informed practices and trauma-informed advocacy will be covered throughout the course. Furthermore, there will be an emphasis on how to collaborate with the community, teachers, administrators, and staff to promote trauma-informed practice, trauma-informed treatment, enhancing resiliency, and how to lead the implementation of trauma-informed care in schools and community settings with concrete steps.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 550 (with a minimum grade of B), CNPY 502 (with a minimum grade of C+).
COUN 530 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy 3 Credits
Examines and analyzes the legal, ethical, and professional parameters of counseling and psychotherapy. Discusses legal liabilities and malpractice cases arising from constitutional, tort, contract, family, privacy, and criminal laws. Examines client rights and counselor duties and responsibilities. Explores legal, ethical, and professional implications of third party payment, informed consent, medication, case documentation, client termination and abandonment. Advertisement of counseling services, crisis and case management, consultation and supervision, "duty-to-warn" and court appearances of an expert witness will be explored. Special attention will be given to child abuse reporting issues, dual relationships and to regional legal and ethical developments.
COUN 550 Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory 3 Credits
This is a laboratory course, which provides opportunities for both the observation and practice of counseling and professional helping skills. The purpose of this course is to provide students with their initial training in counseling and helping skills under closely supervised conditions. The focus of this course is the development of initial client interviewing and basic counseling and helping skills through an emphasis on techniques (basic and advanced listening and helping skills), strategy (the counseling and helping process), and self-development (the student as counselor and helper) grounded in theories of counseling and related helping professions.
COUN 555 Introduction to Play Therapy: Counseling Children, Adolescents, and their Families 3 Credits
This course focuses on the fundamental principles and skills of play therapy and their applications for counseling children, adolescents, and families. Students will gain understanding of children and adolescents’ developmental ways of communication and will acquire the play therapy skills and attitudes needed to facilitate their expression, self-understanding, and growth. Students will be exposed to different expressive art and play therapy activities appropriate for children and adolescents. Students will learn ways to support children and adolescents through working with caregivers and families. Topics related to diversity and inclusion will be explored. Students will engage in self-exploration regarding establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships with children and adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds
Prerequisite(s): CNPY 502; can take concurrently with COUN 550.
COUN 580 Elementary School Counseling Practicum 3 Credits
This course provides students with a 100-hour supervised experience in counseling, collaboration, and consultation in an elementary school setting. Students will obtain a minimum of forty (40) contact hours with clients. The course will also provide an historical overview of the school counseling function. Current practices for assessing, organizing, implementing and evaluating school counseling services will be reviewed. The relationship of the school counseling program to academic objectives will be reviewed. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis interventions designed to promote the academic and social development of students of elementary school age. Role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel will be discussed in the class and experienced at the site. Students apply knowledge and skills developed in pre-practicum experiences in addressing the needs of elementary students.
COUN 581 Secondary School Counseling Practicum 3 Credits
This course provides students with a 100-hour supervised experience in counseling, collaboration, and consultation in a secondary school setting. Students will obtain a minimum of forty (40) contact hours with clients. The course will also provide an historical overview of the school counseling function. Current practices for assessing, organizing, implementing and evaluating school counseling services will be reviewed. The relationship of the school counseling program to academic objectives will be reviewed. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis interventions designed to promote the academic and social development of students of secondary school age. Role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel will be discussed in the class and experienced at the site. Students apply knowledge and skills developed in pre-practicum experiences in addressing the needs of secondary students.
COUN 590 Internship in Counseling I 3 Credits
An internship that provides 300 hours of field experience including all activities that a regularly employed counselor would be expected to perform. The internship placement is selected on the basis of the intern's career goals. Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the intern's field supervisor must be obtained during the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisites: COUN 580 with a minimum grade of B or COUN 581 with a minimum grade of B or COUN 585 with a minimum grade of B or CNSC 580 with a minimum grade of B or CNSC 581 with a minimum grade of B.
COUN 591 Internship in Counseling II 3 Credits
The continuation of an internship that provides a 300-hour field experience including all activities that a regularly employed counselor would be expected to perform. The internship placement is selected on the basis of the intern’s career goals. Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the intern's field supervisor must be obtained during the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisites: COUN 590 with a minimum grade of B or concurrent enrollment or CNSC 590 with a minimum grade of B or concurrent enrollment.
EDPS 503 Human Growth and Development 3 Credits
Provides an overview and broad understanding of life span developmental theories and research applied to counseling services with special emphasis on developmental processes, individual differences and mental health. Includes strategies for working with developmental issues across the life span.
EDPS 520 Measurement,Tests and Assessments in Counseling 3 Credits
The primary goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the role of tests in a counseling relationship and of ways to select, administer, and interpret assessments for a wide variety of purposes. Students must first master some elementary statistical concepts due to their importance in understanding assessment. The basic measurement concepts of validity and reliability will be introduced and used to help students understand their role in selection of tests. Other selection criteria, administration, scoring methods, and test interpretation will enable students to evaluate, employ and interpret tests and other assessment procedures.
EDSO 501 Foundations of Counseling in Edu Settings: Referral Sources for Stdnts and Stdnts With Special Needs 3 Credits
The course provides an overview of the foundations of counseling in educational settings, including the historical roots; current and future trends, and functions in multicultural schools and higher education settings. Students examine the roles and responsibilities of professional school counselors to facilitate student success through the development of a comprehensive school counseling program as an integral component of the total education system. Basic principles and processes for building school-family-community partnerships are also explored through the investigation of community agencies, organizations and resources.
EDSO 502 Applied Counseling & Consultation Models in Educational Settings 3 Credits
This course provides a critical exploration of the role of professional counselor as an advocate, leader, and change agent in educational settings. Students investigate evidence-based prevention, intervention strategies, and evaluations to promote academic success and to eliminate the achievement gap, including individual and group counseling and consultation strategies, and evidence-based preventions, interventions and evaluations. In addition, the course will address community social services and school-based programs (including special education and disability laws and accommodations) available to students with special needs, individuals and groups experiencing learning disabilities and other temporary or chronic maladjustments. Reviews of principles and methods utilized by social agencies, schools and higher education settings are included.
EDUC 500 Introduction To Research 3 Credits
This course will provide students with the tools to evaluate the claims and uses of research related to teaching, counseling, and psychology. Students will learn how to find and critique the literature, and will be able to conduct some of their own basic evaluative research to assess the efficacy of their practice and programs. At the conclusion of the course, students will have developed an understanding of rigorous research and evaluation design, and will have skills in data analysis and interpretation.