Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling

Amy Milsom, Chair

The Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling is responsible for organizing and providing instructional programs in counseling and other human development functions for public schools, colleges/universities, and various agencies.

The department offers courses of instruction leading to a Master of Arts degree with the following options:

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is designed to prepare counselors and other “helping” professionals to work in a wide variety of human service agencies (including mental health centers, social service agencies, business and industry employee assistance programs, etc.) Degree concentrations include: Addictions Counseling; Marriage and Family Counseling; Expressive Arts Therapy; Clinical Mental Health Counseling, General; and Body Centered Therapy.
The Professional School Counseling program (K-12) is designed to meet North Carolina licensure requirements and to prepare counselors for elementary, middle, and secondary schools.
The College Student Development program is designed to prepare student development specialists to work in a variety of areas (residence life, career development, student activities, leadership, academic advising, etc.) within colleges and universities. Degree concentrations include: College Outdoor Program Administration, and Student Affairs Practice.
The Marriage and Family Therapy program is designed to prepare counselors to work specifically with families in a wide variety of work settings. The program meets the educational requirements for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and North Carolina licensure.

The master’s degree programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Professional School Counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body. Graduates are immediately eligible to take the examination of the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc., to become National Certified Counselors. The program in College Student Development (Student Affairs Practice concentration) is designed to meet the curriculum guidelines of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). The Professional School Counseling program is also accredited/approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The Marriage and Family Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 1133 Fifteenth Street, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005-2710, (202) 452-0109.

All courses are taught from a multicultural perspective which emphasizes the differing experiences, cultures, histories, and perspectives of people from a variety of ethnic, gender, racial, and social class backgrounds.

The department also provides group methods, human relations, and other human development courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels for the Reich College of Education and the University. These courses are valuable for majors in other departments. A course in life and career planning and courses in leadership development are offered for undergraduate students. The department offers a variety of summer institutes to enhance the learning of both graduate students and practitioners seeking continuing education opportunities in human service fields.

A student proposing to major in any of the degree programs or to seek licensure through the department must be fully admitted as degree seeking. Students must also complete a departmental questionnaire as part of the application process. See the Graduate Bulletin for the requirements of each degree program.

Programs

Minor

Leadership Studies Minor

Courses

Human Development and Psychological Counseling