Mission Statement

The Counseling Graduate Program of Chicago State University is located on the south side of Chicago, primarily serving residents who both live and work within the Chicago urban area. The students within the program are diverse and representative of the largely minority population within this region. The mission of the program is to produce highly qualified graduates equipped to serve the complex counseling demands in urban settings with a specific emphasis on addressing the needs of urban youth and their families. This mission is generated from a belief that counselors equipped to deal with the more difficult problems within large cities with also be effective in other, less challenging settings.  To accomplish its mission, the program is committed to:

• Recruiting, retaining and graduating culturally and economically diverse students.
• Employing a dedicated, caring and culturally diverse faculty whose teaching is informed by research and clinical expertise.
• Providing a curriculum that is infused with theory and applications related to diverse urban populations.
• Providing students with a strong preparation in counseling interventions and models of prevention directed towards meeting the complex counseling needs within urban and other settings.
• Providing opportunities for practical counseling experiences within urban schools and communities.
• Teaching students how to access resources, advocate for their clients and their profession, and serve as community activist when needed.
• Working in partnership with local institutions and agencies in the region to assist in the development of socially and economically viable and sustainable communities.

Successful Program Matriculation

Completion of at least fifty-one (School track) or sixty (Clinical Mental Health) credit hours at the graduate level with grades averaging B or better to meet general degree requirements.

• Completion of all required and elective courses, accumulating at least fifty-one (51) credit hours for the School Track or sixty (60) credit hours for the Clinical Mental Health Track at the graduate level with an average grade of B or better.
• Students must successfully complete Comprehensive Examinations,  which are comprised of objective and essay questions.
• Students must successfully complete a Practicum (Field Experience) of 100 clock hours and an Internship of 600 for School Counseling students and 900 for Clinical Mental Health students
• Acceptance into candidacy before completing clinical courses.
• Completion of all clinical courses (COUN 5790, 5950, 5990/5991), with a grade of B or better
• Students in the School Counseling Program must show proof of passing the Illinois Content Area Test for School Counselors prior to enrollment in the School Internship class (COUN 5990) and must have already passed the Test of Academic Proficiency prior to admission.
• Completion of all degree requirements within six years.