American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC.

Neukrug, E. (2003). World of the Counselor. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Neukrug, E. (2003). World of the Counselor Workbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Sperry, L., Carlson, J., and Kjos, D. (2002). Becoming an Effective Therapist. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. [Chs. 1-3 of this text, which is also used in PSYC 534, PSYC 514 and GUCO 510, will be covered in this class.]

The objectives of this course are for students to gain an information base and demonstrate competence in:

1. The historical antecedents and current definitions of the counseling profession.
2. The standards of counseling as a regulated profession including awareness of professional issues, ethics, and credentialing.
3. The theories and basic counseling and interpersonal skills of communication associated with the counseling relationship.
4. An understanding and appreciation of various populations with whom counselors work and a multicultural and diversity focus in counseling skills and advocacy.
5. Familiarity with appropriate assessment procedures, community resources and intervention strategies and skills, and awareness of the specialty areas of counseling and their various settings.
6. An awareness of future trends, particularly the expanded role of technology, and emerging concepts and theories in counseling.
7. Enhanced self-awareness of personal strengths, interests, and abilities.

Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:

   A    90 - 100%
   B    80 – 89%
   C    70 – 79%
   F    69% and Below

Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade "F" is used to designate academic failure. "FN" is used to designate failure for non-completion.  Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs.

Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.

In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:

Participate in classroom discussions            10%

Write graduate level papers or case studies     30%

Orally/visually present prepared material       20%
Complete one or more written examinations       40%

Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the onsite classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an eight-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most fourteen-week graduate distance education courses require at least ten hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.

Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.

Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of coursework from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. APA style is mandatory for all graduate counseling course work.  Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level work.

Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In an onsite course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In an online class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.

Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary for successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used in this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.