Graduate Program

Counselor Education offers a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited Master of Arts degree in Counseling and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education.

The mission of the Counselor Education program in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico is to provide programs that develop students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the areas of human services, counseling, and counselor education. The programs focus on preparing students to develop a breadth and depth of professional knowledge and skills. This results in preparing effective clinicians, researchers, counselor educators, and leaders in the human services and counseling professions, The faculty embrace a philosophy that clinical work and research exploring the effectiveness of applied counseling is of utmost importance to serving the needs of our stakeholders.

The Master of Arts in Counseling has areas of focus in either Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling. The Master of Arts is only offered as Plan II (no thesis). All students taking courses in the Counselor Education program are expected and required to abide by the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and applicable state and federal laws governing standards of practice for counseling.

Graduate Advisor
Upon admission into the program, students are assigned an initial advisor. They have the option of selecting an advisor of their choice as they progress in their program of studies.

Application Deadlines
M.A. in Counseling	December 15
Ph.D. in Counselor Education	January 15

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts in Counseling (M.A.)
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education (Ph.D.)

Master of Arts in Counseling

The Counselor Education program within the College of Education at the University of New Mexico offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling with areas of focus in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling, which is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The faculty seeks the most highly qualified and diverse applicants to serve the unique needs of New Mexico and the region. The M.A. program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work and is designed for students to develop the requisite competencies for a career as a professional counselor. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling area of focus meets the educational standards for eligibility as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New Mexico. The School Counseling area of focus meets the educational requirements for State Board of Education certification as a school counselor.

Admission

Admission to the M.A. program is based on ratings of several factors including scholarship, academic background (especially in behavioral science), work experience, volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement including multicultural experience. Admission is competitive, with more applicants than it is possible to admit. After the initial screening process, selected applicants are invited to interview with the faculty. Based on the results of both the initial screening and the interview, faculty selects candidates for admission to the program.

Required Core Courses

COUN 510	Professional Orientation and Ethics
COUN 513	Career Counseling
COUN 515	Testing and Assessment in Counseling
COUN 516	Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Counseling
COUN 517	Theories of Counseling and Human Behavior
COUN 518	Group Counseling Internship
COUN 519	Group Counseling Internship
COUN 522	Communication Skills in Counseling
COUN 576	Diagnosis of Mental Disorders
COUN 577	Substance Use and Abuse
COUN 584	Multicultural Issues in the Helping Professions
COUN 590	Practicum in Counseling
COUN 595	Internship (6 credit hours)
EDPY 500 -or- EDPY 505	Survey of Research Methods in Education Conducting Quantitative Educational Research
EDPY 502 -or- EDPY 511	Survey of Statistics in Education Introductory Educational Statistics
EDPY 503 -or- FCS 503	Principles of Human Development Seminar in Human Growth and Development

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Area of Focus

COUN 521	Clinical Mental Health Counseling
COUN 560	Family Counseling
COUN 581	Sexuality in Counseling and Psychotherapy

School Counseling Area of Focus

COUN 541	Counseling Children and Adolescents
COUN 545	School Counseling
COUN 581	Sexuality in Counseling and Psychotherapy

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education

The Counselor Education program within the College of Education at the University of New Mexico offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) in Counselor Education which is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The Ph.D. program is designed to develop the requisite competencies for careers in academic and professional service settings. The course work, counselor supervision activities, research opportunities, teaching experiences, and leadership and advocacy work prepare students for a wide range of careers including faculty positions in counselor education programs and leadership positions in the diverse areas of the counseling profession. Housed at the unique urban campus at the University of New Mexico, the program includes an on-campus clinic serving the needs of the diverse population of Albuquerque and surrounding areas. Funded research opportunities that cultivate an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the diverse needs of the region are an integral part of the program. Doctoral students benefit from a wide range of scholarly, leadership, clinical, teaching, and professional activities that promote self-efficacy and identity formation as a counselor educator and counseling professional.

Consistent with the goals and vision of the College of Education, the Counselor Education program is committed to promoting excellence and diversity in teaching, research and scholarship, clinical practice and supervision, and community service with a focus on the effectiveness of counseling interventions. The faculty work to promote an understanding of human development and psychological health to improve and promote optimal potential for individuals, families, and communities.

Admission

Admission to the program is based on scholarship, academic background, work experience, letters of reference, a writing sample, a statement of intent, culturally diverse experience and scores on the Graduate Record Examination. Final selection of candidates is made after an interview of finalists.

For additional information on the program and application procedures, contact the Counselor Education Program. Admission to the program is for fall semester of each academic year only. Admission into the Counselor Education program in no way guarantees placements (e.g., practica, internship), licensure, and/or employment. Additionally, fingerprinting and background checks may be required.

Degree Requirements

Master's Program (15 credit hours required)

Group Counseling
Theories of Counseling
Multicultural Issues
Ethics
Research Design

		Credit Hours
	Theories	3
COUN 621	Advanced Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
	Supervision	3
COUN 514	Supervision of Counseling Services
	Instructional Theory and Methods in Counselor Education	3
COUN 625	Teaching in Counselor Education
	Multicultural and Diversity Studies	3
	Students select a course in consultation with their advisor that fits their expertise and/or area of interest. Options include:
ANTH 537	Seminar: Southwestern Ethnology
CJ 514	Seminar: Intercultural Communication
LLSS 523	Education and Anthropology
LLSS 587	Education and Gender Equity
MGMT 560	Seminar in Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior
SOC 520	Racial and Ethnic Relations
SPCD 501	The Psychology and Education of Exceptional Persons
SPCD 520	Introduction to Intellectual Disability
SPCD 530	Introduction to Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
	or other courses with program approval
	Assessment Methods and Use of Data (select one of the following):	3
EDPY 515	Survey and Questionnaire Design and Analysis
EDPY 572	Classroom Assessment
EDPY 574	Introduction to Educational and Psychological Measurement
	or other courses with program approval
	Ethical and Legal Issues in Counselor Education and Supervision	3
COUN 615	Leadership, Advocacy and Professional Issues
	Consultation	3
COUN 620	Seminar in Counseling
	Clinical Experiences	15
COUN 630	Advanced Practicum in Counseling (Clinical)
COUN 650	Advanced Group Counseling and Psychotherapy
COUN 696	Internship (Clinical)
COUN 696	Internship (Supervision)
COUN 696	Internship (Teaching)

Supporting Area (24 credit hours required)

The 24 credit hour supporting area consists of 12 credit hours of quantitative and qualitative research (as defined below), and 12 credit hours in another discipline. Supporting area disciplines are typically selected from the following examples: Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, Family and Child Studies, Health Education, Management, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Training and Learning Technologies, and Sociology. Students should note that some programs are very specific about the course work required for a supporting area in that discipline.

The following courses are required toward the 12 credit hours of quantitative and qualitative research:

EDPY 603	Applied Statistical Design and Analysis
EDPY 604	Multiple Regression Techniques as Applied to Education
LLSS 502	Introduction to Qualitative Research
	either an additional quantitative or qualitative research course
	Quantitative Options including:
EDPY 504	Statistical Software Applications for Educational Research
EDPY 607	Structural Equation Modeling
EDPY 651	Advanced Seminar in Quantitative Educational Research
	or other courses with program approval
	Qualitative Options including:
LEAD/LLSS 605	Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
LLSS 623	Ethnographic Research
	or other courses with program approval

	Dissertation Seminar (1 credit hour)
	options including:
EDPY 650	Dissertation Seminar
LLSS 650	Dissertation Seminar
	or other courses with program approval
	Dissertation (18 credit hours)
COUN 699	Dissertation
	Other program electives to reach 97 credit hours
COUN 516	Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Counseling
COUN 541	Counseling Children and Adolescents
COUN 560	Family Counseling
COUN 576	Diagnosis of Mental Disorders
COUN 577	Substance Use and Abuse
COUN 581	Sexuality in Counseling and Psychotherapy
	or other courses with program approval

At times, other relevant courses become available or students have unique educational needs or interests. All substitutions of courses must be approved by the Counseling Program faculty before a substitute course can be used to fulfill a requirement. A course potentially may be used to fulfill requirements in more than one area, but the student’s program of studies still must meet the Counseling Program doctoral degree requirement of 97 credit hours.

Keys and Symbols Reference