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Description
Offering Master of Science (M.S.) and 6th Year Certificate of Advanced Study Degrees
We have a long tradition of preparing our graduates for outstanding careers in professional counseling and seek students interested in personal as well as professional growth.
The Counseling Program promotes academic excellence, personal responsibility, and commitment to community service. Our curriculum is offered in an international, culturally diverse, supportive learning environment which prepares counselors for leadership in our increasingly interconnected world.
The Human Services Concentration is designed to prepare students for positions of leadership in human service agencies ranging from governmental agencies, to adolescent care facilities to facilities for the elderly or mentally disabled. Students learn principles of service delivery, assessment of client needs (both practical and emotional), structure of settings where services are provided, principles of staff management, and assessment of available community resources.
Masters level human services professionals provide support and create support structures for individuals in need. Human services professionals working for private foundations and government agencies enhance and protect the well-being of those individuals who may not be able to help themselves. In this manner, human services professionals contribute to a more just and humane society.
The Human Services Concentration includes coursework in human development, counseling and administration. This concentration is a non-licensure program requiring 43 credit hours and may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.
Career Paths
The Master of Science in Counseling offers three concentrations:
- College Student Personnel -prepares students for careers in higher education
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares students for careers in community counseling, substance abuse treatment, crisis counseling centers and mental health
- Human Services prepares students for careers in social service agencies
Students in each concentration share a core counseling curriculum with the remaining coursework selected based upon their chosen concentration. All counseling students complete a supervised field and internship experience in their area of concentration, college student personnel, Clinical Mental Health counseling/mental health, or human services.
Coursework for Adult Learners and Professionals
The Master of Science in Counseling degree program runs coursework evenings (beginning at 4pm) and weekends to meet the needs of working adults. With the help of a personal academic advisor, each student completes the program at his or her own pace. Core courses build counseling knowledge and counseling skills in the following areas:
- Human growth and development
- The helping relationship
- Lifestyle and career development
- Research and evaluation
- Social and cultural foundations
- Professional orientation, ethics and behavior
Counselor Development
There are three dimensions to your development as a counselor:
- Your personal growth and development (you as a person who counsels)
- Your intellectual growth and development (your professional knowledge)
- Your counseling skill set
Our curriculum is designed to address all three dimensions, inspiring personal growth, building professional knowledge and honing counseling skills. These aspects of counselor development are important to all counseling students irrespective of their specific career path.
6th Year Program
The 6th Year Program is designed for students who have achieved a masters degree applicable to counseling or related field and need to supplement their coursework in clinical mental health skills and appraisal procedures. This advanced 30 credit program offers core courses in substance abuse counseling, psychopharmacology, evidence based therapies, and counseling special populations. In addition an internship/practicum in clinical mental health is required.
Detailed Course Facts
Application deadline August 1 for the Fall Semester;December 15 for the Spring Semester Tuition fee- USD 16415 Year (National)
- USD 16415 Year (International)
Duration full-time 72 months Languages Take an IELTS test
- English
Course Content
The Division of Counseling offers a Master of Science degree in Counseling with concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Human Services, and College Student Personnel. In addition to the masters degree, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is offered for those who wish to take specialized courses beyond the masters and/or complete licensure requirements. Students who apply to one program and wish to transfer to another must apply to change programs.
Upon entry into a program, students plan an individualized plan of studies with their advisor in which graduate transfer credit of no more than six credits may be included. While students can take courses at their own pace, all of the counseling degree programs require a minimum of two years to complete. There is a set sequence of courses for each concentration and some courses have prerequisites. Courses are offered once a year, typically in the evening or on weekends. In addition, there is a seven year time limit for completion of all degree requirements.
Typically students take two or three courses each term. Many students have full or part-time employment. Although it is possible to take all course work in the late afternoon, evening, or on weekends, some additional time during the day may be required to meet course expectations. This is especially true for internship placement.
Professional Licensure
Students interested in licensure should consult the state in which they wish to practice for specific requirements. The State of Connecticut requires 60 credit masters degree. Specific areas of coursework are also required. In addition, candidates for licensure must complete supervised clinical experiences and obtain a qualifying score on a standardized examination. Students who wish to pursue licensure should select the Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration.
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study
For individuals who hold a masters degree in Counseling or a closely related field but lack one or more of the requirements for licensure as a professional counselor, we offer a specialized program of study leading to a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The requirements of this program are individualized to the needs and goals of each student and consist of 30 credits.
Practicum
The practicum is designed to allow students to develop their counseling skills in a closely supervised setting. The course instructor, students advisor, and site supervisor determine appropriate practicum activities. Activities could include observing/shadowing, attending staff meetings, tutoring, advising, interviewing professional staff members, studying materials and procedure manuals, and other support functions.
Internship
Following the practicum and pre-requisite courses, students will pursue an internship. The goal of the internship is to further develop and refine the skills established during practicum. You are eligible for the internship component of your program after completing the required coursework and approval from faculty. The internship is the heart of the masters degree training program in Counseling at the University of Bridgeport (UB). It provides a venue within which students receive the guidance necessary for development as an entry-level counselor. Program faculties provide didactic and experiential training, which serves as the foundation for the development of skills necessary for independent work in clinical settings. The internship operationalizes this training and, in the person of the clinical supervisor, personifies the profession with which the intern ideally identifies. Therefore, careful consideration should be given to the type of internship site that you choose and you should discuss this closely with your advisor. Successful internship training can only occur when program faculty and site supervisors form a close collaborative relationship with the mission of providing quality training and the development of the intern as a whole person. Internships are not guaranteed and approval to attend internship is dependent upon students performance both interpersonally and academically. Internships must be completed over two semesters, typically over the course of a full academic year, starting in the fall and ending in the spring.
Internship/Practicum
The internship is the heart of the masters degree program in Counseling at UB. It provides a venue within which students receive the guidance necessary for development as an entry-level counselor. Program faculties provide didactic and experiential training, serving as the foundation for the development of skills necessary for independent work in clinical settings.
Internships are not guaranteed and approval to attend internship is dependent upon academic performance. Internships must be completed over two semesters, typically over the course of a full academic year, starting in the fall and ending in the spring. Supervised field and internship experience is critical to counselor development and job placement. With the help of an internship advisor, two semesters of supervised internship or practicum are completed at an approved site determined by the students respective concentration. This intense experience adds perspective to each students individual learning experience.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Two 300-hour semester internships, for a total of 600 hours
College Student Personnel
- Two 250-hour semester internships, for a total of 500 hours
- A reduction in hours may be granted for those students who hold an approved graduate assistantship or an approved full-time position in student affairs
Human Services
- Two 250-hour semester internships, for a total of 500 hours
Counseling, 6th Year
- If required, two 300-hour semester internships, for a total of 600 hours
Program Objectives
The objectives of the human services concentration foster the individual growth and professional development of students and prepare students for careers that contribute to social and economic development. Graduates of this program will:
- Have knowledge of the structures and functions of Connecticuts human service agencies
- Have experience working in a local human service agency, either public or private
- Understand the sociological and psychological principles of human need
- Be able to provide leadership and coordinate services that will support individual and community needs
- Demonstrate the skills of business management necessary to effectively administer a human service agency
Personal characteristics students cultivate in our program include:
- Determination and confidence
- Leadership skills
- Sound decision making skills
- Strong organizational and managerial skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Communication and motivational skills
- Familiarity with information technology
Requirements
Bachelors degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited university or recognized international institution
Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher
Nine credits in undergraduate psychology coursework with a grade of B or higher; three of the nine credits may be in an area closely related to psychology
It is recommended that clinical mental health counseling applicants have three undergraduate credits in either abnormal psychology or psychopathology
Work Experience
No work experience is required.
Accreditation
The University is accredited by the State of Connecticut Board of Higher Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Professional association guidelines and standards are followed within the program, an d the Clinical Mental Health Concentration closely follows the guidelines provided by the Connecticut Department of Public Health for the licensing of professional counseling.
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