Graduate | Couns |

Additional BSU Requirements

The following other requirements must be satisfied.

GPA

Students must successfully complete all BSU course work with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy is a major step in fulfilling the requirements for the master’s degree. The program director will review students’ records to determine eligibility for advancement to candidacy. To advance to candidacy students must:

Being fully admitted.
Complete the first 15 credits of courses with BSU with a GPA of at least 3.25. Should the required average not be attained, advancement to candidacy will be denied. Students who fail to advance to candidacy may submit a written petition to the program director for permission to repeat one course.
Have taken at least one on-site course.
Be recommended by two faculty members and the program director who can attest to:
1. Demonstrated ability to complete the program
2. Sensitivity to interpersonal relationships
3. Adherence to the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association.
(Note: Violation of confidentiality is cause for dismissal from the counseling program. Interviews conducted by the faculty may be required.)
Remove all marks of incomplete (I).
Satisfy all prerequisite foundation courses.

Students must be advanced to candidacy before taking the comprehensive examination or enrolling in a seminar or practicum.

Clinical Instruction (Practicum and Internship)

All students are required to complete a sequence of supervised clinical field work experiences, beginning with COUN 836 (MEd degree) or PSYC 836 (MA degree). To be eligible for enrollment in this sequence, students must:

Be advanced to candidacy
Have completed the following courses
MEd degree:
PSYC 502, PSYC 734, PSYC 780, COUN 610, COUN 731, and COUN 840

Note: For a practicum in a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school add the following: COUN 608, COUN 762, PSYC 710.

MA degree:
PSYC 502, PSYC 734, PSYC 780, COUN 610, COUN 731, and COUN 732
Have a GPA of 3.0 or better
Be recommended for practicum by a graduate counseling faculty member who can attest to the student’s:
1. Demonstrated ability to complete the program
2. Sensitivity to interpersonal relationships
3. Adherence to the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association.
  (Note: Violation of confidentiality is cause for dismissal from the counseling program.)
Submit a practicum application
Attend the practicum orientation session four months prior to enrolling in either COUN 836 or PSYC 836
Obtain liability insurance

Students applying for practicum must do so prior to the mandatory practicum orientation session. Information on obtaining professional liability insurance will be given at this orientation.

Students will be assisted in obtaining placement in approved practicum settings. While enrolled in COUN 836 or PSYC 836, students receive direct individual and group supervision and instruction from program faculty while engaged in supervised practicum experiences at field sites.

Following completion of 100 clock hours of supervised practicum experiences, student counseling performance is evaluated by faculty to determine the appropriateness of extending the development and range of supervised counseling experiences for the duration of the two sessions Students are required to complete a minimum of 300 total clock hours of supervised practicum experiences on‑site and in the classroom.

Upon successful completion of PSYC 836 or COUN 836, MA students must enroll in PSYC 858 and MEd students must enroll in COUN 837 during the next two sessions and complete a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised internship experiences..

Research/Professional Paper

When students have successfully completed EDUC 706 and have passed the comprehensive examination, they will be permitted to enroll in COUN 861 Seminar in School Counseling (MEd degree) or PSYC 861 Seminar in Counseling Psychology (MA degree) (Professional Paper).

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Time Limit for Completion

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within a seven-year period, as established by the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland. The scheduled time may be computed by noting the date of admission to the Graduate School or by noting the date when credits allowed in transfer were taken, whichever is earlier. The seven-year period is computed on calendar time. An extension will be granted automatically if a required course is not offered during the last term of a student’s seven-year period. For other exceptions, students must petition to the program director.

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Comprehensive Examination

Students must successfully complete a written graduate comprehensive examination and are encouraged to take the examination as soon as they are eligible. To qualify for the examination, students must have:

Completed at least 24 graduate credits of coursework, including COUN 608, COUN 610, COUN 633, PSYC 502, PSYC 714, PSYC 734, and PSYC 780.
Advanced to candidacy.
A minimum GPA of 3.0.
Removed all outstanding marks of Incomplete (I).

Students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination twice. Students who fail twice may appeal in writing to the program director for permission to take the comprehensive examination a third and final time. This appeal must be made within 30 days of the notification of the second failure.

Examination dates and deadlines:

The Comprehensive Examination Application can be obtained online from MyUMUC under MyAcademics. When the application to take the examination is approved, students are subscribed to the comprehensive examination electronic conference.

The comprehensive examination is normally scheduled at locations in Europe where graduate classes are offered. If a student is not able to take it at one of these scheduled locations, the student is responsible for making proctor arrangements, following Graduate Programs guidelines.