Certificate of Graduate Studies in School Counseling

An intensive examination of the counseling strategies used with school-aged children.  Assessment strategies and diagnosis will be examined.  Recognition of the rights of special student populations will be given attention.  Problems, concerns and dynamics underlying the behavior of children and adolescents and their treatment in counseling will be examined.  Prerequisites:  COUN 526 and COUN 540.

Provides an understanding of comprehensive K-12 counseling programs to include planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating. Learn how to provide preventive and remedial services that meet and enhance developmental needs and the educational program of the school, and how to be flexible in reacting to differing consumer demands and proactive in providing counseling, consulting, coordinating and guidance services within a school counseling program.

Needs assessment, data collection/analysis, design, implementation, management, and evaluation of a school counseling program are the purpose of this course. The basis is the integration of the assessment information, the American School Counselor Association’s National Model and the National Standards for School Counseling. Prerequisite: COUN 516.

In-depth analysis of marital and family relationships. Explore topics such as systems theory, family life development, communication processes and conflict resolution from a scriptural and interaction systems perspective. Examine and evaluate various family structures. Prerequisite: COUN 526.

Didactic and experiential course to expand personal and professional relationship competencies in working with people in our contemporary, pluralistic society. Religion is explored as an aspect of diversity.

Culminating experience to apply the knowledge and experience gained during the school counselor program under close supervision by a trained school counselor in an assigned school setting.  Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.

In this exploding age of information, it is the objective of the library faculty to prepare graduates to be on the cutting edge of information technology. Information literacy is the ability to effectively access information for problem solving and decision-making; thus, the knowledge and abilities you glean from this course will open doors to lifelong learning. It is imperative for graduate study research. Since the information learned in this course is a vital foundation for all other coursework, its completion is required within the first semester of study. The course takes approximately ten hours to complete.