Counseling and Human Development

Admission to our program is competitive, and the department values diversity in its student population. Prospective students are selected for the program based on their ability to complete academic requirements of the program, personal qualifications necessary for success in the counseling profession, and appropriateness of
professional goals.

The admissions committee of the department will evaluate academic qualifications and potential for success in the program based on an admissions application portfolio. Admissions decisions are made based on an overall evaluation of all stated criteria. Failure to meet a minimum criterion in one area will not necessarily be cause for rejection of admission.

Admissions Portfolio

• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher;
• Official transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work;
• A maximum of 9 credit hours may be transferred into the counselor education program with the exclusion of the following clinical courses: COED 611, COED 641, COED 643 and COED 690-COED 694;
• Three personal reference letters submitted to the Graduate College (Note: Faculty references are encouraged for graduate applications, as faculty members can speak to an applicant’s academic abilities, readiness for graduate-level study, and potential for success in a graduate program); and an
• Admissions essay, limited to three pages, including experiences, interests and other factors central to your decision to apply to the program, how you respect and value cultural differences, and short- and long-term goals and career aspirations related to the program.
• GRE/GMAT: Not required

*Please ensure that all required application materials listed above are submitted by the deadlines indicated below to allow for a complete review of your application. Applications with missing materials, including transcripts, cannot be reviewed until all required items have been received.

Application Deadlines
Applicant admissions portfolios are evaluated throughout the year, but matriculation as a student into the counselor education program is restricted to fall terms only. Priority admission deadline is January 15 for fall admissions. The space-available admission deadline is March 1 for fall admissions. Special consideration for late admissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis until April 15 for fall admissions.

Application Review
An interview may be requested. Admission is competitive.

Professional Endorsements and Licensure
Courses in the department are often used for educational endorsements and for state licensure by professional regulatory boards such as the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Counseling and other licensing agencies. Students with master’s degrees seeking endorsements in School Counseling, needing specialized courses or seeking to enroll in supervised clinical practica or internships in community counseling leading to licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor, must complete the following advanced level course sequence prior to enrolling in any of the department’s clinical internships.

Sequence of Required Courses

COED 641 (Practicum: Individual Counseling Techniques) and COED 642 (Practicum: Group Counseling Techniques).
COED 641 and COED 642 must be completed in the department prior to enrolling in any counseling internship offered in the department.
Other courses offered by the department can be taken for the purpose of professional endorsement certification or licensure with approval of the chair.
Specialized Endorsements and Licensure Features
School Counseling (K-12)

Graduates of the school counseling program are eligible to obtain licensure by the state at the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) level. Licensure as a Virginia school counselor requires the candidate have a master’s degree from a state approved program in counseling.

Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)
We provide academic course work that meets degree requirements established by the Virginia Board of Counseling for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Licensure for Professional Counselor in Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Health Professions Board of Counseling is the state agency that determines licensure for professional counselors in Virginia. The state of Virginia requires that the applicant for licensure shall have completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study in the following core areas, with a minimum of 3 semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in each of the areas identified as follows:

• Professional identity, function and ethics;
• Theories of counseling and psychotherapy;
• Counseling and psychotherapy techniques;
• Human growth and development;
• Group counseling and psychotherapy, theories and techniques;
• Career counseling and development theories and techniques;
• Appraisal, evaluation and diagnostic procedures;
• Abnormal behavior and psychopathology;
• Multicultural counseling, theories and techniques;
• Research;
• Diagnosis and treatment of addictive disorders;
• Marriage and family systems theory; and
• Supervised internship of 600 hours to include 240 hours of face-to-face client contact.

Our department has identified courses which may be taken to satisfy the core areas listed above. Students wishing to pursue licensure in Virginia should consult with their advisor in planning their program of study.