CSU - Counseling Graduate Course Descriptions

All courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise specified. Sample syllabi for core courses are provided under the course name.

Prerequisite: Completion of program prerequisites or concurrent enrollment and admission into the counseling master’s degree program.

Introduction to the roles and functions of the school counselor within a developmental and other school counseling programs. Examines all aspects of professional functioning including history, organizational structure, ethics, standards, and credentialing. Credit not given for both PSYC 406 and 400.

Prerequisite: Completion of program prerequisites or concurrent enrollment and admission into the counseling master’s degree program.

Principles of counseling in a counseling mental health agency setting. History and philosophy of psychological counseling, role and training of the counselor, modes of intervention, consultation theory, and ethics of counseling.

Prerequisite: Admission to Counseling Graduate Program or permission of the department.

Addresses the roles, functions, settings, and management of clinical mental health counseling. Introduces relevant models and theories, ethical and legal issues, professional organizations, preparation standards and credentialing, and management of mental health services.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5600/ or 5610 or concurrent enrollment. Admission into the master’s degree program.

This course is designed to build expertise in counseling individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds including but not limited to individuals of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and American heritage. It includes a study of change, ethnicity, changing roles of women and sexism, urban and rural societies, changing population patterns, cultural mores, and differing life patterns.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5600 or 5610 or concurrent enrollment. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Theories and principles of vocational choice, relationship between career choice and life style, sources of occupational and educational information, computerized guidance services, financial aid, college admissions, approaches to career decision making processes and career development exploration techniques.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5600 or 5610 or concurrent enrollment. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Practical and experiential laboratory designed to build basic counseling and interviewing skills, including counselor self-awareness. Focus on development of understanding of the counseling process through readings, lectures, analogue exercises, and video demonstrations.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5600 or 5610 or concurrent enrollment. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Major theories, principles, ethical concerns, and techniques of counseling. Introduction to Afro-centric and other models and exploration of techniques for children, adolescents, and special populations.

Examines development and counseling across the life span and addresses issues that impact counseling and development such as ethnicity, economics, disabilities, and abuse/neglect. Introduces concepts of family development and basic learning theory.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5640, 573, or 5730. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Techniques and methods for appraising personality characteristics.

Group methods for identifying, understanding, and solving common problems. Explores counseling and therapy in a group setting.

Prerequisites: PSYC 5600 or 5610 or concurrent enrollment; PSYC 4190 or equivalent basic statistics course. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Selection, administration, interpretation, and evaluative use of intelligence, aptitude, personality, interest, and achievement test. Use and/or construction of questionnaires, sociograms, anecdotal records, and other appraisal devices. Practice of differential diagnosis and clinical interviewing. Additional course fee.

Prerequisites: PSYC 5600 or 5610 and PSYC 5660. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Seminar on issues (e.g.) gangs, violence, abuse, drugs, poverty, etc.) facing youth and families in urban inner-city environments. Exposes students to theories of adolescent development, how development, how development is comprised in such youth, and using research to guide effective treatment strategies for this population. Introduces family system theory and application with youth and families.

Organization and management of the developmental model of counseling, programs within the school setting. Exposes student to the counseling curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, consultation theory, needs assessment, and program and system support. Applications to urban setting and special populations.

Supervised training in advanced techniques of group facilitation and group counseling in school and counseling mental health agencies.

Seminar course focusing on issues encountered by school and counseling mental health counselors. Issues include, but are not limited to, substance abuse, sexuality, single parent and blended families, bilingual children, and clients with physical or mental disabilities.

Prerequisite: PSYC 2080 or 4190, or equivalent basic statistics course. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Study of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative computer programs for data management and testing; application of program evaluation principles; legal and ethical considerations in research and programs.

An introduction to general systems theory and survey of the major systems of family therapy, emphasizing theory and treatment strategies.

Prerequisite: PSYC 5600 or 5610; 410 or 5660, 5650, 5640, and accepted as candidate for clinical courses. Completion of all pre-candidacy courses in the program and written application submitted by appropriate deadline.

Clinical laboratory experience with actual clients and live and videotaped supervision in techniques of counseling/Psychotherapy.

Prerequisite: Completion of PSYC 4310, accepted as a candidate for clinical courses and written application during semester prior to enrollment. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Supervised field placement in counseling/psychotherapy. Minimum of 100 hours of supervised experience required in field placement.

The assessment, etiology, description, understanding, and treatment of addictions. Addresses prevention, education, dual diagnosis, risk assessment, crisis intervention, and issues related to diagnosis and treatment in multicultural populations. Evidence-based individual and group interventions will be studied.

Prerequisite: Master’s degree in counseling(equivalent) and/or consent of the department. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Supervised advanced clinical/skill techniques and applications of substance abuse therapy. Forty clock hours in field.

Prerequisite: Master’s degree and/or consent of the department. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Supervised advanced field experience in selected substance abuse centers. Six to eight clock hours per week.

Basic concepts of special educational law, assessment, classification, and the development of Individual Educational Plans through multidisciplinary staffing involving parents, students, and school professionals. Emphasis on the practice of effective case management which maximizes learning through appropriate special education procedures, counseling, school programs, and communication with parents of exceptional children.

A seminar in the critical analysis of educational theories, instructional techniques and implementation in learning experiences, including measurement, evaluation and applications in the educational setting.

The assessment, etiology, description, understanding, and treatment of psychological disorders. Included in the study are schizophrenia, affective and anxiety disorders, substance abuse/dependency, personality disorders, disorders of childhood and adolescence as well as other disorders in the DSM-IV and issues related to diagnosis and treatment in multicultural populations.

Seminar focusing on a specific topic in counseling. The exact topic will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated with a different topic. (Maximum of six hours.)

Prerequisite: Completion of all required graduate courses and consent of the department. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Supervised research and thesis in guidance and counseling as approved by the department. (May be taken in two semesters, with three hours per semester for up to six hours.)

Overview of theories and techniques in child/adolescent counseling in experiential and didactic format. Utilizes play media to facilitate expression, self-understanding, personal growth and development. Includes observation and supervised experiences. Additional course fee.

Prerequisite: Admission to the master’s degree program and consent of the department.

Independent and/or group studies, relating to student’s special interests or programs. Hours are to be arranged.

Prerequisite: Completion of all required 5000-level courses, passing the Illinois Type 73 Certification Examination in School Counseling, and written application submitted by appropriate deadline. Admission to the master’s degree program OR the Type 73 Endorsement in School Counseling Certificate Program.

Supervised field placement in a school setting (K-12). May be taken for three credit hours indicating 600 hours of experience or six credit hours indicating 600 hours of experience. May be taken twice for three credit hours or once for six credit hours to fulfill the required six credit hours of internship.

Prerequisite: Completion of all required 5000-level courses and written application submitted by appropriate deadline. Admission to the master’s degree program.

Supervised field placement in a counseling mental health setting. May be taken for three credit hours requiring 300 hours of experience or six credit hours requiring 600 hours of experience. May be taken twice for three credit hours or once for six credit hours to fulfill the required six credit hours of internship.