Are you interested in counseling colleges? The South University Master of Arts Professional Counseling degree program is intended to meet the local and regional need for qualified professional counselors.
The emphasis of the program is on community, agency, and clinical mental health counseling. The counseling degree program is designed to enable program graduates to achieve all initial eligibility criteria to become certified as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and get licensed in their state*.
The time it takes to finish a Professional Counseling degree program varies in accord with the licensing requirements of the state in which the program is offered. As a result, the program may not meet the licensing requirements of all states. The student should contact the licensing board in the state in which they anticipate seeking licensure to determine the appropriate program.
By way of illustration, the tracks offered at the Columbia campus are 77 and 91 credit hours. Both tracks meet current state requirements for counseling colleges in South Carolina. The program is 90 hours at the Montgomery campus, which meets the current state requirements for counseling programs in Alabama. The program is 91 hours at the Novi, Richmond, and Virginia Beach campuses, which meets the current requirements for counseling colleges in Michigan and Virginia. The tracks offered at the Savannah campus are 72 and 91 hours. Both tracks meet current state requirements for counseling programs in Georgia. The state of Florida offers licensure only for counselors in mental health and marriage and family counseling. Therefore, the tracks offered at the West Palm Beach campus are 92 and 103 credit hours in length. Both tracks meet current state requirements for counseling programs in Florida.
The delivery structure of the program provides the opportunity for students who wish to balance the rigors of work and home while pursuing their master’s degree. Classes will meet each Saturday and weeknights as needed. Students will have the opportunity to complete two to three classes each quarter. Classes will be taken one at a time and each class will be 10 weeks in length.
Students who enroll in the program will be taught via two primary modes of instruction. The majority of the program will involve didactic and experiential classroom instruction. The second mode of instruction will focus on supervised field experiences.
Students will be placed in actual community counseling settings and will practice counseling under the auspices of an onsite supervisor. Students in field placements will also receive weekly individual and group supervision from qualified faculty supervisors.
The objectives of the South University Professional Counseling program are to recruit qualified students from all areas and provide fair and equitable admissions criteria; make available a variety of instructional models and resources to provide the student with the most effective learning arrangements and to provide appropriate learning opportunities for counseling students that will prepare them to perform their expected competencies in an ethical, legal, safe, and effective manner upon graduation; prepare counseling students to communicate effectively; instill the importance and value of continued education and involvement in appropriate professional and community affairs after graduation; and encourage the counseling students to recognize their own strengths and limitations.
*South University does not guarantee third-party certification/licensure. Outside agencies control the requirements for taking and passing certification/licensing exams and are subject to change without notice to South University.