Master's in Counselor Education

Master of Education in Counseling (M.Ed.)

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 wellness 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.

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 and physiological health hospitals, residential treatment programs, employee assistance programs, social service agencies, and pastoral settings.

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Degree Requirements

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 clinical mental health counseling, and field experiences. M.Ed. students must pass a final comprehensive examination. Field experiences include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour (minimum) internship in which students practice the skills they have developed under the supervision of faculty and doctoral students. Students may complete the degree program on a part-time basis. Courses are offered in the late afternoons and evenings.

Resources

Degree Requirements | Counseling Assessment | Practicum & Internship

Concentrations

Within the master’s programs, students may emphasize, through specialized coursework and internship, in two areas: clinical mental health counseling or school counseling.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The clinical mental health 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.

School Counseling
The school counseling concentration prepares graduates to serve as counselors in public, charter, parochial, and private schools (pre-K through 12th grade).

Students emphasizing school counseling in the master’s degree program complete the requirements to add counseling to their current Louisiana teaching certificates (if they possess this certification) 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