Overview
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Jamestown Master of Science in Clinical Counseling program is to educate our students through the integration of scientific research and clinical practice, infuse diversity throughout all areas of the program, and train competent, multiculturally sensitive, and ethically sound entry-level professionals in the field of counseling.
Program Philosophy
The University of Jamestown of Science in Clinical Counseling program is built upon the values of service and diversity. The program aims to graduate a diverse student body who can provide a variety of high-quality services to clients of all backgrounds, various levels of impairments, in multiple settings throughout their communities. Although the university is built upon the Christian faith, we welcome students from all backgrounds and religions. Students do not sign a faith agreement or adhere to any religious requirements while enrolled at the University of Jamestown.
Accreditation and Licensure
As of July 2023, the University of Jamestown Master’s in Clinical Counseling program curriculum has been reviewed by the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners and is deemed to meet educational requirements for licensure in the state of North Dakota at the level of licensed associate professional counselor (LAPC).
The requirements for the LAPC designation include three main components:
- Completion of program curriculum: This program’s 60-credit-hour curriculum meets the criteria set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
- Practical experience and training: This program includes both practicum (100 hrs) and internship experiences (600 hrs) totaling the required number of hours (700).
- This program includes preparation for taking the National Counselor Examination (NCE).
The MCC program covers the above requirements, and students will need more training beyond the MCC program in order to meet requirements for the second (LPC) and third (LPCC) levels of licensure in the state. Please see the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners web site for more information on the levels of licensure and their requirements.
The MCC program currently meets educational requirements for clinical licensure in other states, including but not limited to South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska. It is undetermined if UJ’s MCC program meets requirements in any other U.S. states. Please email the program director, Dr. Melissa Schultz (Melissa.Schultz@uj.edu) if you have questions about licensure in another state.
Licensure Eligibility
Students will not be immediately licensed upon graduation. Upon graduating, students will need to go through a professional licensure process which can take several months depending on the state. The licensure process is dictated by state law and controlled by a state board. Earning a master’s degree in counseling is just one component of the professional licensure process; there is often a clinical training component (i.e., internship, practicum) as well as a national examination, which also varies by state. Students usually cannot begin the licensure process until their master’s in counseling degree has been conferred. North Dakota is an exception to this; the ND State Board of Counselor Examiners allows students to begin the process of licensure in the last semester of their program. Students will be expected to navigate most of the licensure process by themselves; the MCC program will support the student through this process by ensuring students know where to find resources for their state. Licensure preparation assignments are also included in the field experience coursework, including purchasing a test study guide and registering with the testing agency. Students may need to plan for a period of time between the conferring of their degree and being granted professional licensure. During this period of time, students will not hold student status and may not be able to be reimbursed by insurance companies because they also do not hold professional licensure. This is usually an issue when a student works in a private practice setting but could happen in other settings as well. Although it is not a program requirement, whenever possible, students are encouraged to complete the licensing examination during the program.
Clinical Training Information
The Practicum and Internship field experiences are considered among the most essential elements in the Master of Science in Clinical Counseling program. Students can gain valuable experience while being under the supervision of an experienced counselor. The appropriateness of the field experience site and the site supervisor should be determined between the graduate student and the advisor based upon the individual needs of the graduate student and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards. Field experience will include a minimum of 700 clinical training hours: 100 during Practicum and 600 during Internship with 40% of those hours being direct (face-to-face hours with a client).
Required Clinical Training Elements
Clinical training must include supervised experience providing direct services to diverse individuals with a variety of presenting problems, diagnoses, and issues. The purpose of clinical training is to develop the requisite knowledge and skills for graduates to be able to demonstrate the skills, competencies, and knowledge outlined above. The program will work with the student to create a training plan and document this at the individual level, appropriate to the student’s current skills and ability, and ensure that the student has attained the requisite level of competency. The Clinical Counseling program will strive to place students in settings that are committed to training, that provide experiences that are consistent with health service psychology and the program’s aims, and that enable students to attain and demonstrate appropriate competencies. Supervision must be provided by appropriately trained and credentialed individuals. As part of a program’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the quality of their graduates, each clinical training evaluation must be based in part on direct observation of the clinical training experience of students (either live or electronically) and their developing skills as a clinician. Please see the Field Experience Manual for more clinical training information.
Faculty per Student Ratio
Current (2023-24) full-time faculty per student ratio is 1:10.
Facilities and Resources
The University of Jamestown has three campuses: the main campus on Jamestown, the online graduate studies and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs are located on the Fargo campus, and University of Jamestown Accelerated (UJA) is located in Phoenix, AZ. The Clinical Counseling program is primarily distance education and is based in Fargo, ND with a physical location (4143 26th Ave. So. Ste. 100, Fargo, ND 58104) for faculty and staff offices. This Fargo location does not, at this time, have physical resources for students available.
The program is mainly distance learning and utilizes Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Students are required to have a working computer with a working camera as well as access to a word processor to complete assignments.
Admission and Costs
Application Information
There are two avenues to be admitted into University of Jamestown Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Program:
1. Direct Entry:
Any current or future online or on campus undergraduate student (high school senior through college senior) at the University of Jamestown can apply for direct entry into the Clinical Counseling Program at any point during their time at UJ without applying through PSYCAS (see below). The Clinical Counseling program will hold a position for the applicant, pending successful completion of the program requirements. This option is only for current or future University of Jamestown students. All other applicants are welcome to apply through PSYCAS.
2. PSYCAS.org:
Applicants who are not current students at UJ are invited to apply through the Centralized Application Service for Graduate Psychology (PSYCAS)
Application Instructions for Direct Entry
- Complete online application
- A screening will occur if the student is at or below a junior status; a formal Zoom or in person interview will take place in the academic year before the students wants to begin the program
- The student’s advisor/instructors will be contacted for feedback/reference purposes
- No personal essay or application fee required
Application Instructions for PSYCAS
- Complete the PSYCAS application
- Request that official transcripts from all U.S. institutions attended by sent to PSYCAS
- Request that official evaluations of transcripts from all foreign institutions be sent to PSYCAS as follows:
- Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES EVALUATION or
- Use the “Download Evaluation Request Form” in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES.
- Scan and upload a personal statement in the Documents section of PSYCAS
- Request 2 letters of recommendation be sent through the PSYCAS recommender portal
- Submit an APA style writing sample
- Successful applicants will be contacted for a formal Zoom interview
Admission Requirements
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, or a related field, from a regionally accredited university
- 18 psychology credits preferred, but if the student has less than 18, they should list the courses that they think are the most relevant to the fields of psychology and/or counseling.
- Successful applicants will be contacted for a Zoom interview
Program Costs
Fall
| Tuition |
$8,040 12 credits |
| Fees |
$30 |
| Room and Board |
$6,000 |
| Books and Supplies |
$800 |
| Transportation* |
$1,000 |
| Miscellaneous* |
$1,000 |
| Subtotal: |
$16,870 |
Spring
| Tuition |
$8,040 12 credits |
| Fees |
$30 |
| Room and Board |
$6,000 |
| Books and Supplies |
$800 |
| Transportation* |
$1,000 |
| Miscellaneous* |
$1,000 |
| Subtotal: |
$16,870 |
Summer
| Tuition |
$4,020 6 credits |
| Fees |
$30 |
| Room and Board |
$6,000 |
| Books and Supplies |
$400 |
| Transportation* |
$500 |
| Miscellaneous* |
$500 |
| Subtotal: |
$11,450 |
This table represents one year of this two year program.
Cost: $670/credit
*estimated costs based on student surveys.
Transfer Credit Policy
The University of Jamestown Clinical Counseling Program can accept up to 30 program credits. The program requires students to successfully complete at least half of the training (or the equivalent thereof) earned in the program from which the master’s degree is granted. See the University Handbook for more information.
Requirements
The expected time to completion is 24 months.
Graduation Requirements
Successful graduates of the program complete all 60 required credits of coursework with the minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA; meet or exceed the minimum levels of achievement through the program in discipline-specific knowledge, profession-wide competencies, and program specific-requirements; and successfully complete their thesis and 700 hr clinical training requirements (600 hrs internship and 100 hrs practicum).
Required Courses
Note 1: COUN 510 and COUN 520: 1 week in person.
Note 2. Three credits required for COUN 581. Typically two credits are taken during a 16-week semester, and one credit is taken during the following 16-week semester.
Total Credit Hours: 60
Importance of Professional Disposition
Being an effective counselor requires more than can be learned in a classroom setting. In addition to meeting academic standards, students are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical, responsible, and professional manner. They must be knowledgeable about the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics as well as the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. These codes serve as guidelines for students and professionals in the field of counseling and shall always be adhered to.
As counselor educators, the faculty members expect prospective students and counselors to be emotionally stable and well-adjusted (personally and professionally) to both maintain effective interpersonal relationships and to be able to give and receive constructive feedback. Further, students are expected to behave in a manner that demonstrates fitness for a role in the counseling profession. Finally, we expect students to be committed to continued personal growth and professional development and to demonstrate that commitment through self-reflection and responsiveness to supervision in all activities related to their degree program. For the reasons cited above, the faculty will regularly monitor not only students’ academic progress but also those personal characteristics which will affect their performance as a student and future counselor. The purpose of this professional performance monitoring process is to ensure that all graduates of the MCC program meet minimum standards in the field of counseling. Students are monitored during each course by the course instructor. At the end of the fall and spring semesters, feedback will be elicited from all faculty members regarding Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Profession-Wide Competencies. Concerns about a student’s personal characteristics or professional performance may be addressed at any time during the student’s tenure in the counseling program.
Outcomes
Education and training outcomes include eight areas of discipline-specific knowledge and nine areas of profession-wide competencies as outlined below:
Discipline-Specific Knowledge
Coursework and/or clinical training in the program will cover:
- Affective Aspects of Behavior
- Biological Aspects of Behavior
- Cognitive Aspects of Behavior
- Developmental Aspects of Behavior
- Social Aspects of Behavior
- Research Consumption
- Research & Practice
- Psychometrics
Profession-Wide Competencies
1. Integration of Psychological Science and Practice
- This area of competence requires knowledge of scientific methods, procedures, and practices. Trainees are expected to:
- demonstrate the ability to understand and critically evaluate research and other scholarly works (e.g., peer-reviewed review articles)
- utilize research methods to support quality improvement of individual treatment outcomes
- demonstrate knowledge that issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion should be considered when critically evaluating psychological research.
2. Ethical and Legal Standards
- Trainees are expected to demonstrate competency in each of the following areas:
- be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
- the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
- relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels
- relevant professional standards and guidelines
- recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas
- conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.
3. Individual and Cultural Diversity
- Trainees are expected to demonstrate:
- ongoing engagement through critical self-reflection of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves
- knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities, including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service
- the ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual, historical, and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability to apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose identities, group membership, demographic characteristics, and/or worldviews are different from their own.
- The requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.
- knowledge of factors that may impact equity and inclusion such as oppression, privilege, institutional prejudice, and intersectionality
- knowledge of the role of social justice, including racial justice, in increasing equitable access to behavioral health care
- the ability to function as an advocate to address social inequities and injustices impacting one’s patient population.
4. Professional Values and Attitudes
- Trainees are expected to:
- behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, commitment to integration of science and practice, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others
- engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness
- actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
5. Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- The CoA views communication and interpersonal skills as foundational to education, training, and practice in health service psychology. These skills are essential for any service delivery/activity/interaction and are evident across the program’s expected competencies. Trainees are expected to:
- develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services
- produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are respectful, accessible, informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts
- demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well
- communicate in culturally responsive ways that respect the diversity of perspectives and communication styles of others (e.g., marginalized, privileged, individualist, collectivistic, generational)
6. Assessment
- Trainees are expected to:
- demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems across different contexts and settings (e.g., schools), functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology
- demonstrate understanding of human behavior within its relevant context (e.g., family, educational/school, social, societal, historical, and cultural)
- demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process
- critically evaluate, select, and apply assessment methods consistent with the aims of the program that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient
- understand assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective
- communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.
7. Intervention
- Trainees are expected to demonstrate the ability to:
- establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services in settings and context appropriate to meet program aims
- develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals
- implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, cultural efficacy and appropriateness, and contextual variables
- evaluate intervention outcomes, and adapt as needed, as part of ongoing progress monitoring
- use information relevant to equity, diversity, and inclusion to educate stakeholders about the determinants of health, about effective strategies for promoting health and well-being outcomes, and about ways to access health care and other psychological services.
8. Supervision
- Trainees are expected to:
- demonstrate knowledge of supervision roles
- demonstrate an understanding of relevant supervision requirements for one's level and form of practice.
9. Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills
- Trainees are expected to:
- demonstrate the ability to work as part of integrative teams with members from diverse backgrounds, such as other types of mental health professionals, client family members, or others from different backgrounds
- demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professionals