Counseling

The Lindenwood University Master of Arts in Counseling Program is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission ([e-mail]).

The courses leading to a MA in Counseling are designed to prepare master’s level counseling practitioners. The program provide students with a broad base of psychological knowledge and theory integrated with extensive training and practice in the use of counseling skills. Graduates are qualified to work in a variety of mental health settings with individuals, groups, and families.

The program is intensive and comprehensive, requiring a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework and applied experience. Admission to the counseling program is selective, yet flexible. The Master of Arts in Counseling requires completion of the university's admission process, a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, in addition to all subsequent coursework. Candidates who do not meet the 3.0 GPA, but exceed a 2.75 GPA, may be considered for further evaluation by the counseling department through a program interview. 

The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014) requires that institutions providing counselor education screen students for professional, personal, and academic fit within the profession of counseling. Completion and graduation from the MA in Counseling program requires successful completion of all graduate courses with appropriate academic success; development of appropriate interpersonal and counseling skills evidencing competency as a counselor; and being deemed fit for the counseling profession by program faculty as determined by students' development of counseling knowledge, skills, and counselor formation, interpersonal relations with others in the program, and openness to supervision and feedback.

Acceptance into the MA in Counseling program is required in order for potential counseling candidates to enroll in the preliminary course IPC 51100 Foundations of Professional Counseling (3). This Foundations class will be considered a screening class. Foundations instructors will evaluate all students using the Comprehensive Counselor Candidate Assessment (CCCA) introduced at the beginning of the Foundations class (see Program Handbooks at www.lindenwood.edu/counseling). Any student identified by Foundations instructors as lacking clinical or academic potential to develop a career as a professional counselor will be referred to the Counseling Review Board to determine whether or not the candidate will continue in the program or receive remedial actions (e.g., personal counseling or an action plan developed by the candidate and his or her advisor). This review board will include the head of the department, a full-time faculty member, an adjunct faculty member, and an alumnus of the program. The review board will make recommendations to remediate the student. Efforts at remediation will be reviewed again the following semester. If sufficient progress has been made, the student will continue in the program. If the student demonstrates the same or additional deficits, as described above, the student may be removed from the program.

Students admitted to the MA in Counseling degree program must attain a 3.0 GPA for the first 12 hours of graduate course work with no grade less than a B nor a report from any instructor for deficits according to the CCCA. Failure to maintain such standards will result in the candidate being referred to the Counseling Review Board to determine if the student will continue in the program. It is the objective of the counseling program to, as early as possible, identify students who demonstrate difficulty achieving the standards for competent practice and to initiate appropriate intervention to assist them. Thus, the faculty of the counseling program reserves the right to review students at any stage of their coursework. A student earning any grade less than a B in IPC 51100, IPC 52400, IPC 55100, or IPC 62000 (professional internship) will be allowed to repeat the course one time and must earn a grade of B or better to continue in the program. Any instructor may submit a CCCA form to the Counseling Review Board to ensure appropriate clinical skills at any time during the program. The Counseling Review Board process, however initiated, may result in the termination of the student’s degree program or other required or recommended remedies to address deficiencies judged by the Counseling Review Board as related to the skills that are essential to the development of competent and ethical practices as a professional counselor.

After a candidate has successfully completed the first 12 hours of coursework, completion of the Counseling program is contingent on meeting the following criteria:

1. Maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0 in counseling coursework.
2. Completing the required number of courses, based on the current curriculum.
3. Satisfactory resolution of any Disposition documentation provided by candidate's instructors.
4. Receiving satisfactory evaluations from site supervisors during internship experiences.
5. Passing the Comprehensive Examination [Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) for professional counseling candidates. 
6. Students must obtain a minimum of 700 hours supervised internship experience for Illinois practitioners or 600 hours for Missouri practitioners. 

All students are periodically reviewed to assess their academic progress. Only those students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue. Students must obtain a minimum of 600 hours of supervised internship experience for Missouri practitioners and 700 hours are required for Illinois practitioners. Internship placements may be arranged with a variety of mental health agencies that provide counseling services to clients. Internship students receive individual supervision from licensed and qualified professionals at their field sites and will also participate in a group supervision course conducted by a faculty member of the Counseling Department. The Professional Counseling Handbook specifies the details for the internship experience.

Exit requirements vary by program and state requirements. Brief descriptions of the exit requirements are provided in the following sections. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the Professional Counseling Handbook.

Background Check

Some states will not provide a counseling license to those with a failed background check. If an applicant or student has questions regarding such, he or she should check with the state professional counseling licensure board, preferably prior to applying to the MA in Counseling program. A conviction, guilty plea, or nolo contendere plea involving a crime involving drugs, moral turpitude, or other criminal charges may prohibit licensure or employment as a professional counselor.

Also, note that some professional internship sites require completion of a background check prior to commitment to the field experience. All background checks are at the expense of the student. See the Assistant Dean (Lindenwood-St. Charles) or Department Chair (Lindenwood University-Belleville) for more information.

Citizenship/authorized alien/immigrant status is now a prerequisite for a professional license by an agency of a State or local government under Title 8 US Code Section 1621.

Early Access

Master of Arts in Counseling Early Access

With the approval appropriate campus division chair, students maintaining an undergraduate cumulative and major GPA of 3.0 may take up to nine semester hours at the graduate level during their senior year. These hours will count towards the MA Counseling degree but not toward the bachelor’s degree. Students in the early access program must maintain a 3.0 or higher in all IPC courses. A student must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of undergraduate classes each semester that he or she is taking IPC credits under this option.

Application for MA Counseling Early Access is electronic and can be found at this website:

http://www.lindenwood.edu/belleville/academics/academic-divisions/division-of-education-and-social-sciences/counseling/early-access-program/

Early Access Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there an overload fee? As long as you do not exceed a combined enrollment of more than 18 hours in the semester there is not an overload fee. If you receive approval and enroll in more than 18 hours you will be charged the standard undergraduate overload fee as stated in the fees section of this catalog.

2. How does this affect financial aid? It will not affect your financial aid. You are required to be enrolled in a minimum of 12 undergraduate hours.

3. What forms and signatures do you need? You will need to complete an application to the Early Access to the MA Counseling Program. This form can be obtained from the counseling department or online as listed above. You will need to submit this form to department of counseling. Your academic records will be reviewed by the department chair of counseling, and if you meet the requirements, your paperwork will be sent to the Belleville dean of academics for approval. You will be notified of your status and your counseling advisor’s name via email after the process has been completed. You will then need to meet with your advisor to complete an enrollment form and create a plan for completion of the MA counseling after your undergraduate degree has been conferred.

4. Why would I want to do this? If you enter the Lindenwood MA in counseling program after graduation, both the total cost of the program and the time to complete the degree will be reduced, especially if you take MA counseling courses in the summer term.

5. What is the maximum number of courses I can take prior to receiving my bachelor degree? Students are permitted to enroll in no more than six credit hours of IPC course work per semester and to complete no more than nine credit hours graduate work prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree.

6. Who can apply to the early access program? Any Lindenwood student in an eligible bachelor’s degree program who has completed a minimum of eighty-four undergraduate hours with a minimum cumulative and major GPA of 3.00 is eligible to apply.

7. What bachelor’s degrees work for this program?  Students who intend to focus on graduate studies in counseling may complete a bachelor’s degree in any area.  

8. How much does this cost? Six hours per semester and no more than a total of nine credit hours total will be included in your undergraduate full-time tuition. Book expenses and lab fees for any IPC courses will be at your expense.

9. Is there a minimum GPA to remain in the program? Yes. You must maintain a minimum undergraduate cumulative and in major GPA of 3.00 and a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00.

10. Am I automatically accepted to the Graduate School once I have completed my undergraduate program?

No. This allows you the opportunity to enroll in the Early Access MA Counseling Program. You will need to complete the process of applying to the Lindenwood Graduate Program.

11. Which IPC courses can I take for the MA in Counseling Early Access?

You may only enroll in IPC 51100 Foundations of Professional Counseling, IPC 51200 Ethics & Professional Issues in Counseling, and IPC 52100 Human Growth & Development.

12. How much longer will it take me to finish my MA in counseling after my undergraduate degree is conferred?

This depends on the number of hours you take each semester. When you are admitted into the graduate program for Division of Education and Social Sciences, you will create a customized plan for completion with an advisor.

Eligible Undergraduate Degrees

In general, completed bachelor’s degrees are acceptable regardless of the area of emphasis.