Welcome to Prospective Master's Students

Dear Prospective Student:

Thank you for your interest in the Counseling Psychology Master's Program at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Making the decision to continue your academic training is a difficult one. Having a clear picture of your career goals 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 graduate programs you are considering. For information on the counseling profession in general we encourage you to investigate the American Psychological Association and AAmerican Counseling Association. Additionally, for information about master’s programs in psychology and counseling psychology, we encourage you to become familiar with the Council of Applied Master’s Programs in Psychology and the Master’s in Psychology Accreditation Council. Further, you may seek information on licensure and certification by contacting the National Board for Certified Counselors and your state licensing agency.

 The Master’s program in Counseling Psychology involves the pursuit of a master’s of science degree in Psychology (Counseling).  The program is a 60-credit hour, 2-year, full time program that prepares students for work as mental health counselors in their communities and/or continued doctoral study. We recently revised our program to prepare students for licensure while additionally providing training in the foundation of psychology. As such, the revised program is modeled after the Council of Applied Master’s Program in Psychology educational requirements and we are currently in pursuit of CAMPP accreditation. Financial assistance is available to most Master’s students in the form of graduate assistantships in offices across campus. These positions pay a modest stipend and come with a tuition waiver that offers students the chance to become fully involved in the training program.

Graduates of our program typically become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), providing individual, group, and family counseling to children through adults in all areas of mental health from community agencies to hospital settings. Further, graduates will develop the research skills necessary to implement evidence-based practices, assess the outcomes of their interventions, and evaluate programs. Many graduates are able to develop lucrative private practices after becoming licensed or enter program leadership positions. The National Counseling Exam (NCE) is offered annually to our graduate students, and we are pleased to report that our students consistently score above the national average. Our students also have access to quality research training and mentoring which can prepare them for further graduate study. About one-quarter of our Master’s students apply and 100% of these are accepted into doctoral programs each year.

Please take the time to explore our website and to learn more about our program. We have much to be proud of and hope our excitement for the training process comes across to you. Best of luck in your educational pursuits!

Sincerely,

Emily Bullock Yowell, Ph.D.
Director of Training, Counseling Psychology MS Program
Emily.YowellFREEMississippi