Psychology & Counseling: Graduate Counseling FAQ

This depends on previous coursework completed and its relationship to the degree requirements for a student's chosen program track. Occasionally, students have previous coursework in fields such as research methods in the behavioral sciences or human development. Such courses would generally transfer, if they are at the graduate level, have been completed within seven years of receiving an application and the student has earned a "B" or better. Rarely, other graduate credits may fulfill elective requirements for the Mental Health counseling track, or some of the specialist course requirements in School Counseling program. Further details about the transfer of credits can be obtained in consultation with the student's academic advisor.

Employment is expected to grow faster than average through 2018 for all counseling occupations. Projected job growth varies by specialty, but job opportunities should be favorable because job openings are expected to exceed the number of graduates from counseling programs, especially in rural areas.

For more detailed information, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website for counseling and employment prospects.

We presently have two online classes which are typically available available during summer sessions: Career Development I (Coun. 505), and Issues in Multicultural Counseling (Coun. 532/Psy.704).

There are a limited number of assistantships available to students on a competitive basis each year. Interested students should contact Dr. Ed Crawley (crawley@marywood.edu), or Dr. Lemoncelli (lemoncelli@marywood.edu) for information about how to apply for these assistantships and amounts of tuition waivers and stipends.

Our admission requirements and an online application are available on the Graduate Admissions website.

For full-time students, (nine credits per semester) it takes two and a half to three years to complete a degree in school counseling. Mental health counseling takes approximately three years. There is a six-credit per semester, part-time track that takes approximately four years for school and mental health programs. All of this depends on course availability and on how long a student takes to complete internship hours.

There is no master's thesis requirement for any of our three program tracks in counseling. Comprehensive exams are to be taken after completion of core course work. Marywood counseling programs use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) for the objective portion of the comprehensive examination. A case study analysis is used for the written portion.

In accordance with our CACREP accreditation, practicum (Applied Practices II, Coun. 545/523) requires 100 hours and internship requires 600 hours for school counseling students. Mental health internships require 900 hours. Work at a field placement for both experiences are required to be consistent with the goals of the student's program track (i.e., school counselors placed in schools, & mental health students placed in mental health settings). Occasionally, school counseling students are able to complete 600 hours of internship in one semester. The 900 hours for mental health requires at least two semesters.

It is not required to have a degree in psychology, though some undergraduate work course work or experience in the field of counseling or education may be helpful.

Federal Student Loans are available to qualified students. There are also some scholarships available. Awards are generally based on need and merit. Those who are interested and wish to apply are encouraged to visit the website for Graduate Financial Aid.

It offers prospective students, employers, and the general public a substantial measure of quality assurance for the education and training offered by an accredited counseling program. It also allows students to sit for the National Counseling Exam (NCE) during their final semester, which leads to National Counselor Certification (NCC). Most states that have licensure laws, including Pennsylvania, accept NCC certification as part of their licensure requirements. Both of Marywood's school programs and Mental Health program are accredited by CACREP. To learn more about what this means for prospective students, we encourage you to visit the CACREP web site.