Online Master's Degree Recommended Course Work

Our online master鈥檚 offers the same rigorous course work as our CACREP-accredited on-campus program鈥攂ut with the added flexibility to take classes wherever you are. Our goal is to prepare you for licensure exams and for a career as a thoughtful and impactful counselor, so in three courses, you鈥檒l meet virtually each week with your instructor to focus on developing these critical skill sets.

Core Courses (3 credit hours each)

COUN 6000
Introduction to Counseling

COUN 6000 Course description

Introduction to the philosophical bases, history and development of counseling as a profession. Includes an emphasis on ethical and legal issues, as well as a focus on counselor roles and functions in various settings and current issues in professional practice. Addresses active listening and provides training in entry-level counseling skills through a laboratory experience.

COUN 6003
Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

COUN 6003 Course description

Introduces the roles and perspectives of clinical mental health counselors. Focuses on the professional knowledge base, skills and practices that are essential for counseling in a wide variety of clinical mental health settings. Introduces mental health delivery models and concepts, prevention strategies, interventions with target populations, crisis intervention, disaster responses and interventions for clients with mental disorders and their families.

COUN 6012
Professional Ethics and Legal Issues in CMHC

COUN 6012 Course description

Covers the ethical foundations and standards of the counseling profession. Focuses on how to apply ethical standards and legal and professional guidelines to situations faced by counselors in clinical mental health counseling settings. Discusses issues relevant to training, credentialing and professional issues in the field of counseling.

COUN 6020
Life-Span Human Development

COUN 6020 Course description

An examination of the interaction among biological, psychological, social and cultural factors that influence human development over the life-span. Reviews theoretical frameworks describing optimal human development, as well as the developmental etiology of problematic behaviors. Discusses educational and counseling implications of these issues.

COUN 6030
Theories of Counseling

COUN 6030 Course description

Reviews and critically analyzes the major theoretical systems of counseling, as well as current research about counseling and therapy. Focuses on applying theoretical approaches and techniques to client conceptualization and counseling practice.

COUN 6040
Multicultural Counseling

COUN 6040 Course description

Covers current theory, research and practice approaches within the field of multicultural counseling. Explores the topic of cultural diversity across multiple aspects of identity, with a focus on implications for professional practice, including advocacy work.

COUN 6050
Research Methods in Counseling

COUN 6050 Course description

Reviews theories underlying various research methodologies and the research process. Methods for needs assessment and program evaluation are considered. Includes development of a research proposal including the identification of a research problem and preparation of a research plan.

COUN 6060
Psychopathology and Diagnosis

COUN 6060 Course description

Covers concepts of psychopathology and introduces methods of assessment and diagnosis for children, adolescents and adults with major mental disorders and personality disorders. Multiple perspectives of clients' emotional and psychological distress, disturbances and behaviors are considered. Focuses on the development of students' knowledge and skills to use the DSM diagnostic system while including acknowledgement of client strengths and resilience and the social and cultural context.

COUN 6070
Assessment in Counseling

COUN 6070 Course description

Introduction to the basic concepts and methods for the psychological assessment of individuals in school, work and mental health settings. Testing and assessment is presented within an ethical, social and cultural context. Students' knowledge and skills to select, use and interpret selected standardized tests, checklists and rating forms are developed. Measures for assessing intelligence, achievement, personality, vocational interests and mental health issues are covered as is the use of clinical interviews to identify client issues.

COUN 6080
Career Development and Counseling

COUN 6080 Course description

Reviews theoretical approaches of career counseling and programming, as well as psychological, social and cultural factors that influence life-long career/vocational development. Components of career development programs and services are considered, as well as sources and uses of occupational and educational information.

COUN 6120
Group Counseling

COUN 6120 Course description

Purposes, functions, types, and principles of group counseling. Dynamics of group interaction. Leadership of groups. Understanding of and ability to engage in and evaluate small group processes and relationships. Students experience group processes and the therapeutic value of groups by participating as members of an in-class group or facilitating a group off-campus.

COUN 6130
Family Counseling

COUN 6130 Course description

Introduction to theoretical approaches and methods of family counseling. Overview of the history and current issues in family counseling.

COUN 6150
Addictions Counseling

COUN 6150 Course description

Introduction to theory and research about the prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders. Emphasizes research-supported strategies and counseling skills designed to meet individual client needs.

COUN 6170
Trauma Counseling

COUN 6170 Course description

Examines the theories and research regarding trauma, trauma response and trauma counseling. Reviews the psychological and physiological effects of various types of trauma. Focuses on case conceptualization skills and a trauma informed perspective and approach to counseling.

COUN 6180
Advanced Diagnosis and Treatment in Counseling

COUN 6180 Course description

Explores advanced counseling diagnosis, treatment planning and intervention skills based on evidence-based practice. Students learn how to implement a structured diagnostic interview, engage in differential diagnosis and develop treatment planning. An emphasis is placed on the application of cognitive-behavioral interventions for disorders identified in DSM-5, as well as student demonstrations of treatment interventions.

 

Elective Courses (3 credit hours each)

If their state requires 900 clinical hours for licensure, students can choose to complete a third internship course as an elective. Those pursuing our child and adolescent counseling specialization are required to take COUN 6160 as one of their electives.

COUN 6160
Counseling with Children & Adolescents

COUN 6160 Course description

Developmental stages and tasks of children and adolescents; theories and techniques of developmental and remedial counseling with children and adolescents; warning signs, possible causes and prevention and intervention strategies of behavior problems. Focuses on the assessment and integration of strength-based counseling approaches in counseling children and adolescents and addresses collaboration and consultation with families, schools and communities.

COUN 6090
Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disabilities

COUN 6090 Course description

Medical and psychiatric care and rehabilitation; physical restoration; etiology, prognosis and therapy of common disabling conditions. Theory of psychosocial, cultural and contextual aspects of disability and the effect on disability management and quality of life. Psychiatric rehabilitation interventions address community assertive treatment, independent living and the club house model.

COUN 6986
Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

COUN 6986 Course description

Supervised counseling experiences in assessment, diagnosis, intervention, prevention and consultation. Students engage in the internship activities at approved sites in the greater Milwaukee area and meet on campus weekly for a didactic seminar and group supervision. Three credits of internship require a minimum of 300 clock hours of practicum activities. Students are placed in settings that provide clinical training that is aligned with the general clinical mental counseling program or that is focused on their identified specialization (i.e., addictions counseling, child-adolescent counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling). Addresses clinical mental health counseling practice and professional issues relevant to each specialization track.

 

Practicum and Clinical Courses (9 credits in total)

COUN 6965
Counseling Practicum

COUN 6965 Course description

Supervised counseling practicum experience that requires a minimum of 100 clock hours (including 40 direct hours) and leads to the development of counseling skills. Students engage in their practicum activities at approved sites in the greater Milwaukee area and meet on campus weekly for a didactic seminar that furthers counseling skills and provides group supervision. Students are placed in settings that provide clinical training that is aligned with the general clinical mental counseling program or that is focused on their identified specialization (i.e., addictions counseling, child-adolescent counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling). Addresses clinical mental health counseling practice and professional issues relevant to each specialization.

COUN 6986
Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

COUN 6986 Course description

Supervised counseling experiences in assessment, diagnosis, intervention, prevention and consultation. Students engage in the internship activities at approved sites in the greater Milwaukee area and meet on campus weekly for a didactic seminar and group supervision. Three credits of internship require a minimum of 300 clock hours of practicum activities. Students are placed in settings that provide clinical training that is aligned with the general clinical mental counseling program or that is focused on their identified specialization (i.e., addictions counseling, child-adolescent counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling). Addresses clinical mental health counseling practice and professional issues relevant to each specialization track.