The College Counseling Program is designed for students who are interested in working as professional counselors in institutions of higher education. Candidates selected for this program are expected to make a major commitment to graduate training and to enroll in coursework on a regular basis. The program includes a 600 clock-hour supervised counseling internship experience. The College Counseling Program emphasizes preventative, remediation, and developmental counseling skills. Students preparing to specialize as college counselors will demonstrate the knowledge skills necessary to promote the academic, career, personal, and social development of individuals in higher education settings.
The College Counseling Program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accreditor for graduate-level counseling programs that is nationally recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), demonstrating the highest level of national standards for counselor preparation in the United States. Students who successfully complete this 60-credit hour specialization will earn a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Resource Development specializing in College Counseling.
The following statement is intended to identify the specific endorsement for students entering College Counseling: Upon successful completion of the core requirements, and those of the College Counseling specialization and with the successful completion of the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) exam, graduates are endorsed as having constructed appropriate entry level knowledge and as having met appropriate skill acquisition to be recognized as professional college counselors. Students in the College Counseling specialization are also responsible for having taken supporting area courses which supplement or enhance their chosen specialty.
The College Counseling course of study is designed to meet the requirements of the South Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners. Once graduates complete an approved supervised clinical experience and pass the appropriate examinations, they are eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) initially, and eventually a Licensed Professional Counselor – Mental Health (LPC-MH).
The Academic Advising certificate is offered as a stand-alone credential for those who already hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or may be offered in combination with the Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.Ed.) - Administration of Student Affairs Specialization or Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.S.) - College Counseling Specialization.
Program Objectives
Each program objective aligns with one of the eight core CACREP standards and with one College Counseling & Student Affairs specialty track standard.
Students will:
- Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary for competent ethical practice.
- Demonstrate skills, knowledge, and awareness to counsel within a diverse society.
- Describe and explain the process of change as expressed by individual and family counseling theories across the lifespan.
- Identify and describe theories and models of career development, counseling, and decision-making
- Demonstrate essential interviewing, counseling, and conceptualizing skills
- Identify and apply approaches used for various types of group work.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of standardized testing and other assessment techniques.
- Discern evidence-based counseling practices
College Counseling & Student Affairs
- Create an artifact with input from collegiate level professionals to promote the holistic success of individuals in higher education settings
Career Opportunities
- College Counselor
- Assistant Director or Director of College Counseling Center
- College Student Affairs Professional
For more information about this program, please contact Dr. Katelyn Romsa.
Availability
- Brookings Campus
- Rapid City Campus