Advanced Studies in Counseling
Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate
focused on Marital, Couples, and Family Therapy

A 12-credit post-master’s certificate offered by the Department of Counseling

Designed to meet the professional development needs of School & Mental Health Counselors

Background

• The Professional Counselor Licensure Bill requires counselors in the field to have 60 graduate credits. Most Counselor Education/Counseling graduate programs require only 48 credits
  
• School Counselors in the public schools in Pennsylvania must fulfill the ACT 48 professional development requirements, which can be satisfied with the completion of 6 graduate credits every five years
  
• Licensed Professional Counselors and National Certified Counselors must complete professional development requirements every 5 years

• Developed by the faculty in the Department of Counseling to meet the ongoing continuing education needs of Community, Mental Health, and College and School Counselors
• Courses in the program were designed to be flexible in order to accommodate the demanding schedules as well as geographic locations of counselors and mental health practitioners
• The program is initially scheduled to be offered at Shippensburg University. Future consideration will be given to offering the program in the Harrisburg area
• To earn a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Counseling, students must have a Master’s in Counseling or an allied Mental Health field and complete the following four courses with at least a 3.00 GPA
• The successful completion of each course will be denoted on the student’s official Shippensburg University graduate transcript

UPDATED:Course Descriptions and Schedule of Courses

• CNS528 Assessment from a Family Systems Perspective (3 credits)
  Day/Dates: September 18 - November 6, 2008 (Thursdays, 6:00-9:30PM)
  Location: Dixon University Center
  Instructor: Bill McHenry, PhD, NCC, LPC
• CNS526 Brief Therapy for Marital, Family and Couples Counseling  (3 credits)
  Day/Dates: February 12 –April 2 , 2009 (Thursdays, 6:00-9:30PM)
  Location: Dixon University Center
  Instructor: TBD
• CNS527 Models and Techniques in Couples, Marital and Family Therapy (3 credits)
  Day/Dates: June 11 –July 30 , 2009 (Thursdays, 6:00-9:30PM)
  Location: Dixon University Center
  Instructor: March Douglass, PhD
• CNS529 Systemic Counseling with Individuals, Couples and Families (3 credits)
  Day/Dates: TBD (Thursdays, 6:00-9:30PM)
  Location: Dixon University Center
  Instructor: TBD
  

Admission Requirements

• Applicants must have earned a Master‘s in Counseling or an allied Mental Health field
  
• Applicants are required to complete an application and have official graduate college transcripts documenting the earned Master’s in Counseling or allied Mental Health field
  
• Students may register for any of the proposed courses without earning the Certificate so long as the minimum educational requirements are met for each course

Registration

Registration for each course will be available online six weeks before the start of the course.

• Community, Mental Health, School and College Counselors who meet the minimum educational requirements register online for the course(s) of their choosing
  
• Each course is limited to 25 students
  
• Please note that applications must be submitted no later than the completion of 6 credits of the above coursework in order to be eligible for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Counseling
  
• Students may register for any of the proposed courses without earning the Certificate so long as the minimum admissions requirements are met

Cancellation Policy

Shippensburg University reserves the right to cancel any courses due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances.