Counseling & School Psychology Program Information and Admission Requirements

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The department offers two levels of degrees:

The school psychology program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as of January 1, 1994 and the International School Psychology Association (ISPA) as of May 12, 2011.

The school psychology and school counseling programs are accredited by Nebraska State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The clinical mental health counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) as of April 1, 2000 and CACREP's international affiliate, the International Registry of Counselor Education Programs (IRCEP) as of February 11, 2011. This program also meets the academic requirements for the Mental Health Practitioner License (LMHP) regulated by the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Advising

All students are assigned an academic advisor within the department upon admission.

Admission to Pursue a Degree

Those planning to be full-time students in the School Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, or Student Affairs programs should obtain full admission to their chosen program of study the semester prior to their enrollment by completing the following steps:

  1. Complete the UNK Department of Graduate Studies online application. All materials listed below are uploaded with the online application:
    1. $45 non-refundable application fee
    2. Academic history-official transcripts of all previous academic work
    3. Vita with requested information
    4. "Motivation to become a counselor" essay
    5. Responses to three diversity vignettes
    6. Three Electronic References (Forms are automatically sent to recommenders when application is submitted.)
  2. When all materials have been received, the Office of Graduate Studies and Research will conduct an initial evaluation. Applicants meeting admission requirements for graduate study will be forwarded to the Department for consideration and recommendation.
  3. Apply to the CSP Department and submit the requested materials including:
    1. CSP Department Application Form
    2. $10 non-refundable application fee to cover cost of Department processing
  4. Participate in the Department admission interview/intake process available each semester. When the application is complete, the CSP Department secretary will send the applicant an Intake Date Verification Form to schedule the department interview/intake process.
  5. Department recommendations for admissions are submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
  6. Admission decisions are mailed from the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies (i.e. an unconditional/full status, conditional/provisional status, or denial).
Application for Candidacy

Application for admission to candidacy must be made prior to completion of the twenty-fourth (24th) hour (M.S.) or thirty-fourth (34th) hour (Ed.S.) of graduate study. The department will recommend candidacy based on the evaluation of:

  1. Satisfactory completion of admission to graduate school study, to the department, and the department approval of Program of Study.
  2. Satisfactory academic performance.
  3. Professional development of the student and fitness for the profession.
  4. Adherence to Ethical Standards.
Comprehensive Examinations

All students seeking degrees and/or endorsements are required to complete comprehensive examinations. The examinations may be written, oral or both. Additionally, in order to successfully complete a degree program, students must meet the expectations outlined in department academic progress and ethical conduct policies (see respective Program Handbook for more detailed information).

29 Mar 2012

gradcat@unk.edu