Counseling Graduate Major (MCoun, PhD)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Ecampus (MCoun hybrid, PhD hybrid)
- OSU-Cascades (MCoun)
Options available:
The mission of the Oregon State University graduate program in counseling is to prepare counseling professionals who promote the social, psychological and physical well-being of individuals, families, communities, and organizations. We believe that such professional leaders stand for social, economic, and political justice and therefore must be prepared to be proactive educators, change agents, and advocates in the face of injustice. Counseling professionals are sensitive to life span developmental issues, demonstrate multicultural awareness, and recognize a global perspective as integral to the preparation of counselors and counselor educators.
Two graduate degrees are offered in counseling: the Master of Counseling (MCoun) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Master of Counseling has two transcript-visible graduate options, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. The Counseling PhD degree has a graduate option in Counselor Education.
OSU’s counselor education degree programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The School Counseling graduate option is approved by the Oregon’s Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).
Graduates of the clinical mental health counseling option or the school counseling option are eligible to apply for licensure in Oregon. If graduates are seeking a license outside of Oregon, they may also be eligible to apply for licensure in their state of residence. To access the licensing organization of your intended state(s) of practice, refer to the Licensure webpage. Additional requirements for state licensure include supervised post-graduate counseling experience and passage of a national clinical mental health counseling examination (i.e., NCE/NCMHCE).
Major Code: 2970
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
MCoun
- Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
- Establishes strong professional identity and practices ethically and professionally.
- Recognizes human diversities and social inequities on the microlevel and provides socially just and culturally-informed services.
- Develops theory-based understanding of human growth and development and promotes resilience and wellness across the lifespan.
- Develops culturally relevant and technologically current career counseling skills and interventions.
- Demonstrates theory- and evidence-based and culturally relevant counseling skills and practices.
- Demonstrates theory-based and culturally relevant group counseling skills and practices.
- Applies best practices in assessment and testing to evaluate client/student issues and to inform intervention.
- Demonstrates knowledge of ethical and culturally sustaining research and program evaluation practices.
PhD
- Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
- Integrates theories and research relevant to counseling.
- Integrates theory- and research-based knowledge and skills in the practice to supervision.
- Design, implement, and evaluate instructional and curriculum delivery relevant to counselor education.
- Designs research that is appropriate to quantitative and qualitative research questions.
- Design advocacy initiatives that advance the counseling profession and strengthen professional identity.
- Integrate multicultural competencies and social change theory to design and implement advocacy action plans.
Master of Counseling (MCoun)
Students seeking a MCoun degree are required to complete 90 total credits. There are 68 credits of core courses and an additional 22 credits in either the Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate option or the School Counseling graduate option.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| COUN 511 | COUNSELING PRE-PRACTICUM | 4 |
| COUN 512 | PRACTICUM IN COUNSELING (repeatable) | 8 |
| COUN 529 | DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| COUN 534 | SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| COUN 535 | ADDICTION THEORIES, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT | 4 |
| COUN 542 | COUNSELING IDENTITY, PRACTICE, AND ETHICS | 4 |
| COUN 553 | THEORIES AND TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING I | 4 |
| COUN 554 | THEORIES AND TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELING II | 4 |
| COUN 561 | INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| COUN 565 | ASSESSMENT AND APPRAISAL IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| COUN 566 | LIFESTYLE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| COUN 572 | GROUP WORK FOR PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS | 4 |
| COUN 573 | INTRODUCTION TO FAMILY COUNSELING | 4 |
| COUN 576 | DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: APPLIED PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY | 4 |
| COUN 574 | CRISIS, SUICIDE, GRIEF, AND THREAT INTERVENTIONS FOR COUNSELORS | 4 |
| COUN 583 | SOCIAL JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, AND ADVOCACY IN THE COUNSELING PROFESSION | 4 |
| Required Option | 22 | |
| Total Credits | 90 | |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
A minimum of 150 credits is required beyond the baccalaureate degree. Completion of the Counselor Education option is a requirement of the COUN PhD.
Major Code: 2970