Counseling Master's Degree Program (M.Ed.)

The Counseling Graduate Program offers the master’s degree in counseling. Within their master’s programs, students may emphasize, through the specialized coursework and internship, the following areas in counseling: community counseling or school counseling. In 1988, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) awarded accreditation to all degree programs, and the program continues to maintain CACREP accreditation.

The master’s degree program prepares professional counselors for a unique profession which emphasizes prevention of emotional and mental disorders, early intervention when problems are identified, and empowerment of clients. Professional counselors have adopted a developmental model of helping people which acknowledges that mental health exists on a continuum and the counselor’s role is to assist the client in moving as far as possible toward positive mental health. Professional counselors view human emotional and mental problems as normal to existence and developmental in nature.

The program leading to the M.Ed. degree consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours. Programs of study include a core of courses essential to all counselors, emphasis area courses in school counseling or community counseling, and field experiences. M.Ed. students must pass a final comprehensive examination. Field experiences include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship in which students practice the skills they have developed under the supervision of faculty and doctoral students. The required internship hours may be earned at the rate of 5 to 40 hours per week. Students may complete the degree program on a part-time basis. Courses are offered in the late afternoons and evenings.

Students emphasizing school counseling in the master’s degree program complete the requirements to add counseling to their current Louisiana teaching certificates or to qualify for initial certification as a school counselor. All master’s degree students complete the requirements to become National Certified Counselors. Upon graduation, master’s degree students are ready to begin their two years of post-master’s degree supervised experience required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana.

The Counseling Graduate Program is administered by the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundations (ELCF) and is located in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of New Orleans. The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the University of New Orleans is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Graduates of the master’s degree program are usually employed as professional counselors in a variety of settings including community mental health agencies, substance abuse treatment programs, schools, colleges, universities, rehabilitation agencies, mental health hospitals, residential treatment programs, employee assistance programs, social service agencies, and pastoral settings.

Catalog Description of the Program

Requirements for the Master of Education (M.Ed.) Degree

Two concentrations are available in the master’s degree programs in Counselor Education: Community Counseling, and School Counseling. The Community Counseling concentration prepares graduates to serve as counselors in a variety of community mental health settings including counseling agencies, business and industry, employee assistance programs, substance abuse treatment programs, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, court systems, and other settings in which counseling or other mental health services are offered. The School Counseling concentration prepares graduates to serve as counselors in public, parochial, and private schools (pre-K through 12th grade). 

Admissions

Prospective master’s degree students must meet the admission requirements established by the Graduate School. In addition, applicants must present scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) that were earned in the last five years. GRE scores are not required for applicants who hold a graduate degree. Master’s degree applicants are considered based on criteria developed and published by the faculty. To be considered for admission to the program without probation, an applicant must have an undergraduate grade-point average of at least 2.50. Presentation of the minimum undergraduate grade-point average does not guarantee admission. Admission decisions are based on all criteria considered in relationship to the need of the program and number of students who can be reasonably accommodated. Applicants who present undergraduate grade-point averages that are lower than those listed above may be considered for admission on probation.

Program of Study

Students in Counselor Education complete the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree program in Counselor Education.

The minimum total semester credits required for the M.Ed. program is 60. Master’s degree programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counselor Education and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Programs include 36 counseling core credits, six counseling emphasis area credits, six counseling elective credits, three credits in research, and nine credits in field work.

Retention Standards

Students admitted to the master’s degree program in Counselor Education must complete each of the following courses with a grade of B or better before they may enroll in the next course for which that course is a prerequisite: Counselor Education 6430, 6440, and 6896. Master’s degree students will be dismissed for any of the following academic reasons: they accumulate six or more hours of grades lower than B in graduate coursework required in their programs of study; their cumulative UNO graduate grade-point average for two consecutive semesters (fall and spring or spring and fall) is below 3.0; or they fail the comprehensive examination twice.

Transfer of Credit

A student, with approval from the major professor and the department, may transfer six semester credits of graduate credit in which grades of B or better were earned that were taken in residence at another university outside the LSU System or as many as 12 semester credits of graduate credit taken within the LSU System. These transfer hours may be included in the program of study. Transfer credits, as well as all credits earned toward the degree, must have been taken within the eight years prior to graduation. Credit for individual courses taken more than eight years before the completion of the degree, may be validated by the student’s major professor upon demonstration that the student has current knowledge covered in the course.

Comprehensive Examination

Master’s degree students must pass a comprehensive examination, which must be taken near the end of the student’s degree program. The examination covers all of the core areas of the student’s field of study.