Community Counseling (MA)
The MA in Counseling Psychology prepares students to help communities living with disparities in health and well-being, especially the under-served. Loyola's program is the place for you to commit to shifting this inequitable landscape.
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology requires 48 semester hours of graduate study focused in two major areas: counseling core and a specialty area. The program includes 450 clock hours of practicum/internship experience for six semester hours of course credit. Students must also take and pass a comprehensive examination during their final semester of study.
For more information about the following items, please refer to the Counseling Student Handbook 2023-2024.
Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Core | ||
| CPSY 420 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CPSY 421 | Professional Issues Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 423 | Theory Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CPSY 424 | Career Development & Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 425 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 426 | Group Counseling: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CPSY 433 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 454 | Human Development: Cognitive, Aff & Phys Bases | 3 |
| RMTD 400 | Introduction to Research Methodology | 3 |
| Community Counseling Research and Practice | ||
| RMTD 482 | Introduction to Linear Models | 3 |
| or RMTD 421 | Educational Research II: Building a Body of Evidence Quantitative Method | |
| CPSY 427 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 499 | Independent Research 1 | 3 |
| CPSY 440 | Practicum 2 | 3 |
| CPSY 441 | Internship | 3 |
| Select one research elective | 3 | |
| Survey Research | ||
| Educational Evaluation | ||
| Educational Research I: Building a Body of Evidence With Qualitative Method | ||
| Educational Research II: Building a Body of Evidence Quantitative Method | ||
| Psychological Measurement | ||
| Multivariate Statistics | ||
| Hierarchical Linear Models | ||
| Factor Analysis | ||
| Meta-Analysis | ||
| Methods of Program Evaluation | ||
| Select one general elective | 3 | |
| Prevention, Advocacy, and Outreach: Community-Based | ||
| Family Therapy II | ||
| Marital/Couples Therapy | ||
| Adolescent Development and Counseling | ||
| Personality and Intellectual Assessment | ||
| Seminar in Supervision & Consultation | ||
| Advanced School Counseling & Consultation | ||
| Introduction to Educational Statistics | ||
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Please note that PC and LCPC eligibility in Illinois requires CPSY 437 Addiction Counseling, CPSY 444 Family Therapy I, CPSY 528 Clinical Appraisal and Treatment Planning, and 700 hours of practicum/internship training.
- 1
Students are required to participate on a faculty member's research team for one semester. CPSY 499 Independent Research should be taken at that time and the student should register for his or her faculty mentor's section of CPSY 499 Independent Research. Voluntary (i.e., not for course credit) participation in research for more than one semester is recommended.
- 2
Practicum/Internship requires 450 hours of supervised experience in a setting relevant to community counseling practice.
- 3
General Elective can be another course selected from Research Elective list, or 3 semester hours from this list.
Comprehensive Assessment
A comprehensive proctored examination is required. Please see the School of Education Academic Calendar for comprehensive exam dates.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| CPSY 420 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CPSY 454 | Human Development: Cognitive, Aff & Phys Bases | 3 |
| RMTD 400 | Introduction to Research Methodology | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPSY 421 | Professional Issues Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 423 | Theory Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CPSY 427 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| Research Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Summer | ||
| CPSY 425 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 426 | Group Counseling: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPSY 424 | Career Development & Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 433 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 440 | Practicum | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPSY 441 | Internship | 3 |
| CPSY 499 | Independent Research | 3 |
| RMTD 482 | Introduction to Linear Models | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
- You will engage in independent scholarship on questions important to counseling psychology, and develop and evaluate interventions to promote positive human development.
- You'll be equipped to pursue doctoral study and will graduate with competencies in research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, and clinical interventions.