Program Overview:
Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program: Community (60 Credits)
The Mental Health Counseling (Community) program is intended to prepare licensed professional counselors to address the clinical needs of children, adolescents and adults in a variety of mental health and community settings. Competencies in working with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities are developed through a combination of course work in theory, application, and internship experiences. Coursework introduces students to current theory and research in counseling across the life span, as well as a variety of psychological disorders.
Students develop competence in mental health counseling approaches through course work in mental health counseling interventions (with a focus on advocacy and social justice), assessment and appraisal, case management and consultation, family violence, social and cultural foundations, counseling methods, and internships in a mental health or community agency setting. The internships in mental health counseling provide students with opportunities to develop additional skills related to effective community mental health counseling practice. Interns are supervised by a licensed mental health professional at their internship sites and a faculty liaison. Electives may be taken in child, adolescent or adult development, school or college counseling, special education, or any special topics courses in counseling.
Program Contacts:
To email the chairperson of Counseling,
Dr. Claudia Lingertat-Putnam, Counseling
Program Webpage,
Mental Health Counseling: Community M.S.E.D.
Program Requirements:
Requirements for Master’s Degree Candidacy
- Students are eligible for candidacy after completing four graduate courses (12 credit hours from core degree requirements, not prerequisites) at The College of Saint Rose with at least a “B” in each course. These courses cannot be repeated, and they must include CSL 500, Counseling Theory and Practice and CSL 530 Issues in Lifespan Development in Counseling.
- In addition to the academic requirement for candidacy, the professional performance of each student will be considered in a Counseling/College Student Services faculty review utilizing the Professional Qualities Assessment (PQA). The Counseling/College Student Services faculty will recommend each student on his/her interpersonal skills, potential to do graduate-level work, and potential to become a competent college student services professional.
- Students will be notified in writing as to the status of their candidacy. Students who are denied candidacy are required to meet with the program Chairperson and faculty to discuss the reason(s) for dismissal from the program.
Evaluation of Master’s Degree Candidates
The evaluation of master’s degree candidates is as follows:
- Students must successfully pass the comprehensive examination (CSL 999) after completing the core counseling coursework or write a thesis (CSL 599). Students who elect to write a thesis in lieu of the comprehensive examination should make this decision prior to the completion of the first 18 hours of study. The thesis option is dependent upon the acceptance of a thesis advisor from among the department faculty;
- Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better in all course work; and
- Students must demonstrate competent and ethical clinical work by successfully passing two 300-hour internships during their final semester in the program.
Required Core Courses (30 credits)
| CSL 500 | Counseling Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CSL 505 | Research in Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 528 | Clinical Counsel Skills | 3 |
| CSL 529 | Measurements, Statistics and Appraisal | 3 |
| CSL 530 | Issues in Life-Span Development in Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 540 | Social & Cultural Foundations in Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 553 | Group Counseling & Dynamics | 3 |
| CSL 554 | Career Development | 3 |
| CSL 589 | Masters Seminar & Ethics in Counseling 1 | 3 |
| CSL 590 | Master's Seminar 2: Advanced Topics in Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 999 | Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| | or | |
| CSL 599 | Thesis | 1-6 |
| CSL 584 | Comprehensive Examination Workshop | 0 |
| EDU 602 | Violence Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 603 | Child Abuse Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 606 | HIV/Aids and Communicable Diseases Workshop | 0 |
| EPY 637 | Substance Abuse Workshop | 0 |
Required Concentration Courses in Mental Health Counseling: Community Program 24 Credits
| CSL 534 | Interventions with Children and Adolescents in Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 538 | Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 575 | Introduction to Family Counseling | 3 |
| CSL 578 | Case Management Consultation and Organizational Change | 3 |
| CSL 585 | Community Mental Health Counseling and Psychopathology | 3 |
| CSL 588 | Seminar in Family Violence | 3 |
| CSL 593 | Mental Health Counseling Internship I | 3 |
| CSL 594 | Mental Health Counseling Internship II | 3 |
CSL 538: (Prerequisite: CSL 500)
CSL 585: (Prerequisite: CSL 500)
CSL 593: (Prerequisite: CSL 585; Co-requisite: CSL 589)
CSL 594: (Co-requisite: CSL 590)
For mental health counseling internships, background checks consistent with the policy in the Counseling & CSSA Program Handbook are required prior to all mental health, college, or community counseling internships.
Electives (6 credits)
Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program have six credit hours of electives. Electives may include courses in counseling, developmental and educational psychology, special education or special topics courses in counseling that fit into the program of study. Elective courses are selected with advisor’s approval.
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Required Courses:
| CSL 593 | Mental Health Counseling Internship I | 3 |
| CSL 594 | Mental Health Counseling Internship II | 3 |
CSL 593: (Prerequisite: CSL 585; Co-requisite: CSL 589)
CSL 594: (Co-requisite: CSL 590)
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The specialized accrediting agencies noted below are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
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Submission of a completed application and a Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
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Evidence of the possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
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Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation.
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A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
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Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission of resumes, writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students may wish to visit our website for online application options and downloadable forms.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
Additional Requirements for Admission to the Counseling Master’s Degree Programs (M.S. in Education)
Requirements for Admission to the Counseling Master’s Degree Programs (M.S. in Education)
- Completion of application for graduate study;
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- At least two letters of recommendation, one which addresses the applicant’s character and potential to be a counselor, and one which addresses the applicant’s scholarship and is written by a professional qualified to make that assessment;
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree, which included nine hours of psychology course work beyond Introduction to Psychology, which may include or be similar to child or adolescent development, theories of personality, or educational psychology for School Counseling students; abnormal psychology, theories of personality, child, adolescent or adult development for Mental Health Counseling (Community) students; and adolescent and adult development, theories of personality or abnormal psychology for Mental Health Counseling (College) students. These courses must have been taken within five years prior to admission to the degree program in Counseling. If applicants have not taken the course(s), they must do so during their first 18 graduate credit hours. These prerequisite courses may be taken at the undergraduate level. They may also be taken at the graduate level, but may not be counted as electives within the program or as part of the required 48 or 60 credit hours and they cannot be taken pass/fail.
- An essay discussing the applicant’s objectives and motivation for pursuing a graduate degree in Counseling, an understanding of his/her preferred program and a discussion of how this degree will meet the applicant’s professional development plans;
- A resume demonstrating work and volunteer experience in the field; and
- Attendance at an Admissions Workshop. During each semester, Admissions Workshops are held on campus. A Workshop must be attended for admission into the program. The Workshops provide program information and also allow for individual and group interviews.
Students are admitted to the Master’s Degree programs in the fall or spring semesters.
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