M.S. in Counselor Education

Specialization in Student Development in Higher Education

Curriculum

The program requires 42 hours of study in counseling, student development and higher education including 9 credits of field experience. The practicum (CNSL 503) occurs early in the student's program and involves 100 hours of work at a local college or university during one semester as well as individual supervision and a regular seminar. The internship (CNSL 592) occurs at the end of the program and involves a minimum of 300 hours over the course of two semesters and a weekly seminar. The program combines a counseling and a student development orientation. It is designed to integrate counseling, personal and cultural development and program development skills into a professional approach to student affairs in higher education.

Program Philosophy

With learning at the heart of our professional work environment, our fundamental responsibility is to empower students to attain the highest standards of academic achievement, public service and personal development. We value quality, intellectual integrity, openness to debate, participation by all members of the community in governance and respect for the dignity, rights and aspirations of each member of the community. Preparing students for enlightened and productive participation in a global society in our obligation. The mission for the master's degree program in student development flows from this philosophical perspective. Graduates are prepared to function effectively as student development educators in rapidly changing institutions of higher education. Students are trained to understand and to meet the developmental needs of college students taking into account world views and expectations which are influenced by age, faith or religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability status and other life-shaping perspectives.

Program Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Students in this program will:

Learn the basic skills of individual counseling
Learn the processes and skills of group facilitation
Learn about the interactions between emotional and intellectual development among college students
Learn about the interaction between individual identity development and cultural context
Learn how to work effectively with students across a wide range of ages, cultural, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds
Demonstrate proficiency in assessment of student needs and design of educational programs that support student intellectual, and social development
Learn about the role which student development education plays in a student's college experience
Develop a personal code of ethics that includes an awareness of Western and non-Western ethical perspectives
Develop competence as consumers of research and program evaluators
Develop a personal sense of mission regarding their work with college students