Department of Counseling and Development

The Department of Counseling and Development continues to evaluate program and course content in an effort to continue to be in the forefront of the profession and to provide the best and most competitive program available. Consequently, material contained in this section of this Bulletin may no longer be reflective of the requirements of the specialization in which the student is interested. Each student is required to check with the Department's academic counselor at the time of admission to obtain current program requirements for his or her program of study.

The Department of Counseling and Development prepares professional counselors and other personnel workers for a variety of positions including:

• School counselor
• College student development specialist
• Employment counselor
• Career counselor
• Public or private mental health agency counselor
• Supervisor or director of guidance and counseling
• Supervisor or director in allied personnel fields.

Liability Insurance
All students in the Department of Counseling and Development are required to obtain liability insurance at the onset of their program of study. While lawsuits against students-counselors are rare, any service offered by a professional counselor or a graduate student in training to become a professional counselor is open to a lawsuit.

Liability insurance is available from the American Counseling Association (ACA) (1-800-545-2223), the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) (1-800-306-4722), other professional associations and private insurance companies. If taken with the professional associations, the actual insurance premium is very inexpensive, but one must generally join the association in order to qualify for the insurance. The American Mental Health Counselor's Associations' endorsed insurance provider CPH (1-800-875-1911) does not allow graduate students to obtain insurance without joining. ACA offers reduced membership fees to graduate students and provides special reduced rates for insurance.

A copy of the liability insurance agreement must be presented to the academic counselor at the initial and subsequent registration for courses each semester.

Admission Procedures
To be considered for admission to the master's program the candidate must:

1. have a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent)
2. have a general undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 or have already successfully completed another master's degree. Applicants with less than a 3.0 and do not hold another master's degree must submit scores from a completed GRE exam demonstrating a score of at least 4.5 on the Analytical Writing section. (Please note that applicants who have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher are not required to submit GRE scores.)
3. submit one official transcript from his/her bachelor's degree granting institution
4. submit two written recommendations from personal and/or professional references
5. appear before a faculty member or panel, either individually or as a participant in a group situation, for assessment of interpersonal skills

Deadlines for receipt of complete applications for Department of Counseling and Development programs of study are as follows:

• April 30 for Summer Admission
• August 20 for Fall Admission
• January 10 for Spring Admission

National Certification in Professional Counseling
The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) conducts a national examination for general and specialty certifications for qualified candidates in the field of professional counseling. Graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Examinations (NCE) providing they meet NBCC requirements. Requirements are subject to change. For current information on specialty certifications, applicants should contact the NBCC at (336) 547-0607.

Chi Sigma Iota
Chi Sigma Iota is the international honor society of counseling professionals and professionals-in-training dedicated to excellence in scholarship, research, and clinical practice. (The Chapter at the C.W. Post Campus is called Lambda Iota Upsilon. The Chapter at the Brentwood Campus is called Lambda Iota Beta.) The purpose of chi Sigma Iota is to promote and recognize exemplary attainment in counselor education and the practice of counseling.

Degree Program
The Department of Counseling and Development offers master's degree programs with a specialties in School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling at the Brentwood Campus.