The counseling program in the Department of Educational Psychology offers two distinct concentration areas:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- School Counseling
Given UWM’s location in the largest urban area in Wisconsin, the counseling faculty is committed to training multiculturally competent community counselors and school counselors to serve clients in urban environments. Both concentrations share a core preparation in the areas of counseling and educational psychology. As students make progress in their program of studies, their focus will take on a more specialized training with content specific courses and field placements where they will refine their counseling skills in practical settings.
The concentrations train counselors to work with a diverse group of clients in urban settings and to deliver services in an ethical manner, as outlined by professional codes of conduct. They share in common courses comprising an Educational Psychology core of studies, a general Counseling core of studies, and a Concentration core. The Educational Psychology core provides knowledge for understanding research and professional scholarship, techniques of educational and psychological measurement, and typical human growth and development across the lifespan. The Counseling core courses provide training in basic helping processes and relationships, career development, social and diversity issues in counseling, group work, appraisal of client issues, counseling theory, and the role of family systems. The Concentration core provides training in advanced strategies for helping clients change, and opportunities for increasing competency with specific populations through field placement. Pre-Practicum, Practicum I and Practicum II provide 700 hours of supervised clinical training for clinical mental health counseling students and Practicum 1 and Practicum 2 provide 600 hours of supervised experience from school counselors. This involves the refinement of more advanced and sophisticated counseling skills in placements in counseling and school settings.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration prepares students for licensure in WI and the School Counseling concentration prepares students for certification as school counselors in WI. Advisors provide students with a program of study and adjust it in consultation with students so that credits earned toward a master’s degree will meet selected state certification or licensure requirements.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Application
Before applying please see the Educational Psychology Website for department-specific application requirements.
Admission
An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus the departmental requirements below to be considered for admission to the program.
Required Materials for Application
In addition to the minimum requirements for admission stipulated by the UWM Graduate School, the Educational Psychology MS – Concentration in School Counseling program also requires:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
- A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (vs. 2.75 required by the graduate school) on a 4.0 scale. Those whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0 must provide evidence of ability to succeed in graduate study through at least one of the following:
- GPA of at least 3.0 during the last two years of the baccalaureate program (calculated on a minimum of 48 credits).
- A graduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Submission of official score reports from the Graduate Record Examination, the Graduate Management Admission Test or the Miller Analogies Test that indicate competencies in areas related to the proposed graduate program. To be considered official, these scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to UWM and must be received prior to admission.
- Depending on the applicant pool, some applicants may be admitted who do not meet the required GPA.
- Three letters of recommendation:
- Letters that speak to your scholarly capabilities are desirable.
- Letters submitted on letterhead are preferred.
- Letters must be submitted through the application’s electronic recommendation feature by the recommenders themselves. (Recommenders receive an email with a link to upload their letter directly to your application when you submit the request.)
- Letters uploaded or sent by the applicant will not be accepted.
- Reasons statement on the application must be completed: a 1-2 page statement that includes your long-term goals and reasons for seeking a counseling degree.
Note: Although not required, it is strongly recommended that you upload a resume or curriculum vita.
GRE scores are not required, though you are welcome to submit your scores if you wish to do so.
Additional Requirement
After applications are reviewed by the program, those recommended for admission to the master’s in School Counseling Concentration will also need to submit a criminal background check. This is a requirement for all who intend to pursue K-12 licensure through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Instructions for completing the criminal background check will be sent after the initial review is complete. Assuming the background check is completed and passed, the department will forward the admission recommendation to the Graduate School.
Admission - School Counseling Concentration
Admission to the master's concentrations in counseling takes place in the fall. Please refer to the Educational Psychology Website for application deadlines.
If you are interested in applying to one of the master’s concentrations in counseling, please see the Educational Psychology Website for more information. A student handbook containing detailed information on each program is available online; it can be accessed by clicking on the specific program of interest in the left-hand navigation bar. For further questions not addressed on the website, contact the Department of Educational Psychology at edpsydpt@uwm.edu.
Students who seek admission to the Clinical Mental Health or School Counseling concentrations within the counseling area must apply through the Graduate School for admission to the Department of Educational Psychology. Please note that Graduate School deadlines are earlier because they receive, evaluate, and send completed graduate school applications to the Department. Upon admission, the student is assigned an academic advisor. The Counseling Area follows the admissions requirements of the Graduate School and the Department of Educational Psychology.
Credits and Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Psychology Core | ||
| ED PSY 624 | Educational Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| ED PSY 640 | Human Development: Theory and Research | 3 |
| ED PSY 720 | Techniques of Educational and Psychological Measurement | 3 |
| Counseling Core | ||
| COUNS 710 | Counseling: Theory and Issues | 3 |
| COUNS 711 | Foundations in Career Development | 3 |
| COUNS 714 | Essentials of Counseling Practice | 3 |
| COUNS 715 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| COUNS 774 | Trauma Counseling I: Theory and Research | 3 |
| COUNS 800 | Group Counseling Theory | 3 |
| COUNS 904 | Family Systems Theory, Research, and Practice | 3 |
| School Counseling | ||
| COUNS 602 | Introduction to School Counseling | 3 |
| COUNS 764 | Supervised Practicum 1 in School Counseling | 3 |
| COUNS 810 | Counseling in the Schools | 3 |
| COUNS 816 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| COUNS 968 | Supervised Practicum 2 in School Counseling | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 elective credits 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
- 1
EXCEDUC 600, is required for non-teachers in place of the elective.
In addition to the courses listed above, students must complete a comprehensive examination, a master’s paper, or a thesis (no more than three thesis credits to apply towards the degree).
Additional Requirements
Advising
Each student will be assigned two advisors: an academic advisor and a faculty advisor. The academic advisor will assist with academic planning. The faculty advisor will be available for additional support regarding course content and/or field-specific questions and concerns. A student who is not assigned to an advisor at time of admission should immediately contact the Department Chair.
Thesis
Optional. Up to 6 degree credits may be awarded for thesis research. The availability of the thesis option is dependent upon faculty availability and time constraints.
Comprehensive Examination
The student who does not write a thesis must pass a final oral or written comprehensive examination. For School Counseling students, the comprehensive capstone exam is the School Counseling National Praxis Subject Exam. For Clinical Mental Health Counseling students, the comprehensive capstone exam is the CPCE. The student who writes a thesis must pass a final oral examination in defense of that thesis.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.