Counselor Education—Master of Arts
Program description
Western Michigan University's program options leading to a Master of Arts in Counselor Education are designed to prepare individuals for entry-level positions in college counseling; clinical mental health counseling; marriage, couple and family counseling; school counseling; and rehabilitation counseling and teaching in a variety of educational and counseling settings. Offered by WMU's Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, the program options are:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
This option prepares individuals to function as professional counselors in a variety of clinical mental health settings and offers training in advanced appraisal. The program meets the educational requirements for the limited license professional counselor (LLPC) in Michigan. This option is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). - Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
This option prepares individuals to work with the contemporary issues facing couples and families with an emphasis on a family systems approach to conceptualization and treatment. This option meets the educational requirements for the limited license as a professional counselor in Michigan and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Working with an advisor, the option can also meet the educational requirements for the limited license marriage and family therapist (LLMFT) in Michigan. - School Counseling
This option prepares individuals for counseling positions within public and private educational settings with an emphasis on the pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school levels. The program meets the educational requirements for the school counselor license (K-12) and the limited license as a professional counselor (LLPC) in Michigan. This option is also accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). - Rehabilitation Counseling (not accepting applications at this time)
The rehabilitation counseling option is a 53-credit-hour program designed to prepare generalist rehabilitation counselors for employment in vocation rehabilitation settings serving persons with disabilities. The rehabilitation counseling program incorporates coursework in small ‘n’ research design and analysis, services for persons with disabilities, computer technology in rehabilitation, job development and placement, psychosocial aspects of disability, medical and functional aspects of disability, and foundations of rehabilitation counseling. The program includes a 600-hour supervised rehabilitation counseling internship in a vocational rehabilitation employment setting. This option leads to licensure as a professional counselor and meets the educational requirements for certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor, and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The rehabilitation counseling program is also offered in conjunction with the Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Teaching as a dual Master of Arts degree program in rehabilitation counseling specializing in blindness and low vision.