mage of University name and logo
image of template
image of dome
image of black bar
image of left sidebar



Welcome to the Counseling Psychology Master's Program at the University of Southern Mississippi!

horizontal bar

 

  

The Counseling Psychology Master’s Program is a 60-hour, 2-year graduate program providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become licensed professional counselors and to pursue doctoral education in psychology, if desired. Utilizing a scientist-practitioner training model, our goal is to train counselors who are informed consumers of research.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program is to provide the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to become a competent professional counselor through academic and experiential learning. We also aim to provide training in the psychological foundation required of become proficient consumers of psychological science. As such, we train students to utilize the science of psychology to inform sound diagnostic and evidence-based interventions consistent with the philosophical underpinnings of Counseling Psychology in serving their clients, community, and the profession.

We are committed to:

  • Comprehensive training that prepares students for practice as licensed professional counselors
  • Training scientist-practitioners who will use science to inform practice and practice to inform science
  • Lifelong learning and professional growth
  • Collaborative partnerships among students, faculty, academic and private institutions to inform research and practice
  • Preparing counselors for advanced doctoral study in psychology
  • Provide cutting edge instruction on the science of applied professional psychology

Program Objectives

Modeled after the Master’s in Psychology Accreditation Council (MPAC) and the Council of Applied Master’s Programs in Psychology (CAMPP) Model, the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program seeks to train counselors who:

  1. Have a solid foundation in the biological, social, and psychological bases of behavior and behavioral problems
  2. Appreciate individual differences and unique bases of behavior
  3. Possess skills necessary to be consumers of science in counseling psychology
  4. Are sensitive to the unique ways in which diversity impacts their own development as well as the ways in which it impacts the worldviews of those around them
  5. Act as advocates for social change
  6. Contribute to the development of the profession through active membership in local, state, and national organizations
  7. Integrate the foundation of psychology with the foundation of counseling psychology including prevention, strengths focused, and career development throughout the lifespan
  8. Develop knowledge of professional ethics and standards based on local regulations and professional ethics
  9. Utilize sound individual and vocational assessment, diagnostic, and intervention techniques informed by research and maintaining appreciation for client strengths and developmental issues
  10. Employ theory-driven, evidenced-based approaches to conceptualization and intervention with individuals, groups
  11. Evaluate the outcomes of interventions and programs
  12. Value the integration of science and practice in counseling psychology and as such become critical consumers of the empirical literature


Multiculturalism and Diversity

The Program has a strong commitment to multiculturalism and to appreciation of diversity. This commitment is operationalized in several ways:
  1. There is a continuing effort to recruit and retain a diverse group of students and faculty.
  2. New students will find a cohort of ethnic minority students in the program (in addition to other types of diversity such as sexual orientation and disability) who provide a supportive network for new students.
  3. Concepts of cultural and individual diversity are integrated in all core courses and are given continuing attention throughout the practicum sequence. A course on cultural and individual diversity is required in the professional core to ensure that all students develop an awareness of multicultural concepts.
  4. Students are exposed to a diverse group of clients in practica, beginning with their first semester of clinic work.
  5. Students are encouraged to develop research topics in the area of cultural and individual diversity.

Counseling as a Career

  

Making the decision to continue your academic training is a difficult one. Having a clear picture about what your career goals are and what specific programs have to offer allows you to make a good decision about the fit between your personal and professional goals and those of the program you are seeking admission to. For information on the counseling profession in general we strongly encourage you to investigate the ACA and/or APA for specific information about coursework and credentialing. Further, you may seek information on licensure and certification by contacting the National Board for Certified Counselors and your state licensing agency.

Information about the field of counseling, including average salary statistics, can also be obtained through the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor.

The Program aligns itself with the both the APA and ACA. It is important to your development as a professional counselor that you become familiar with the beliefs and values of the state and national counseling psychology organizations. Students are strongly encouraged to become student affiliate members of the following organizations:

American Psychological Association
750 First St NE Washington DC 20002-4242
(800) 374-2721

Mississippi Psychological Association
PO Box 16826 Jackson, MS 39236
601-372-7755


 

Last modified: May 8, 2008 12:14 PM / Questions or comments? /
The University of Southern Mississippi URL: http://www.usm.edu/counselingpsy/ms/home.htm / AA/EOE/ADAI