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).

Counseling and School Psychology Mission Statement

The Department of Counseling and School Psychology (CSP) promotes a field-based scientist/practitioner model in order to prepare culturally competent and compassionate professionals at the graduate level to provide service and leadership in school psychology, clinical mental health counseling, school counseling and student affairs. The focus of the scientist/practitioner model within the CSP department is to create practitioners who understand, critically evaluate and effectively use the research base within their profession in order to make decisions and guide practice. CSP is an interdisciplinary department committed to work towards equity and social justice within the College and University, our professions, and throughout the broader society.

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 for becoming a counselor, school psychologist or student affairs professional" 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. Applicants must participate in the CSP Department admission interview/intake process which occurs each semester. When the application is complete, the CSP Department secretary will send the applicant a confirmation of this meeting via electronic mail to the preferred email address indicated on the application. Applicants to the Student Affairs program do not participate in the interview/intake process.
  4. Department recommendations for admissions are submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
  5. 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

To be eligible for candidacy (i.e. approval to continue coursework and "stand" as a candidate for the degree), the student must have fulfilled the following requirements:

  1. If you were conditionally admitted, this condition must have been met.
  2. Application for Candidacy must be made prior to completion of half of the required hours on the student's program of study.
  3. A grade of B or higher in CSP 855 Techniques of Counseling with a B or higher.
  4. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
  5. Demonstrate professional fitness and competencies.
  6. Adhere to ethical standards.

Failure to meet any of these conditions can result in denial of the Application for Candidacy.

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).

7 Jul 2015

gradcat@unk.edu