Master's Practicum and Internship
All Master’s students are required to complete a Counseling Practicum (EDCE 6920) and Counseling Internship (EDCE 6915).
The practicum experience is designed to give the student limited experience in a specialized area of counseling, which is supervised by both a designated on-site supervisor and the student’s faculty supervisor or a doctoral student supervisor working under the supervision of the faculty member. The practicum requires the student to obtain a total of 100 hours of experience with a minimum of 40 direct client contact hours during one semester, approximating 10 hours of counseling practicum experience per week.
The internship is arranged to provide students with counseling experience, but also with experience in all aspects of professional functioning, such as referral, assessment, staff presentations, and use of community resources. A designated on-site supervisor and the faculty instructor or a doctoral student supervisor working under the supervision of the faculty member supervises the student. The internship requires students to obtain a total of 600 hours of experience with a minimum of 240 direct client contact hours, across two semesters, approximating 20 hours of counseling internship experience per week.
Preparing for Practicum and Internship
Students preparing to complete a Counseling Practicum or Counseling Internship must complete an application form:
The form is reviewed and signed by the student, the student’s site supervisor, and the student’s advisor and submitted to the Practicum and Internship Coordinator. This form is due by the end of the 6th week of the semester preceding the semester in which the student plans to enroll in EDCE 6920/6915. Please note that neglecting to complete this application may result in the postponement of the practicum or internship. If the internship site is different than the practicum site, an additional application must be completed and submitted.
It is expected that students will discuss their potential placement sites with their advisors, submit the application form then arrange directly with the agencies for their practicum and internship. If difficulties are encountered with placement sites or in finding a placement site, the student should contact the Practicum and Internship Coordinator.
Counseling Practicum Prerequisites/Co-requisites
The following courses must be completed before beginning the Counseling Practicum:
- EDCE 6200: Foundations of Counseling
- EDCE 6555: Counseling Techniques
- EDCE 6310: Appraisal I
The following courses must be taken before OR concurrently with Counseling Practicum:
- EDCE 6620: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning in Counseling
- EDCE 6500: Group Counseling I
- EDCE 6860: Multicultural Counseling