Transfer Credit
Degree candidates for the M.A. in Clinical Counseling may satisfy a maximum of 18 graduate credit hours with approved courses transferred from another institution. However, for a student transferring from another Wayland degree program to the M.A. in Clinical Counseling, a maximum of 12 hours will be allowed in transfer. The exception to this is for students transferring hours from the M.A. in School Counseling. Since the programs share coursework, any CNSL hours from the School Counseling program may be applied to the M.A. in Clinical Counseling. However, the student must have 24 credit hours that are unique to the M.A. in Clinical Counseling and that did not apply to the M.A. in School Counseling. To transfer credit from other institutions, a student must submit an official transcript of the courses to be considered and may be required to submit a catalog description of the course from the institution where the course was taken. The appropriate academic dean must approve transfer credit.
Advisories
Evaluations of students: Successful completion of the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling program is based on the demonstration of effectiveness in academic, professional, and personal areas as they relate to the counseling profession. The faculty has both a professional responsibility and a moral obligation to evaluate all students throughout the training program for professional competence in academic course work; for weaknesses in required practical skills; for behaviors which are unethical, illegal, or unprofessional; and/or for dispositions deemed inappropriate for a professional counselor. The evaluative process provides students with information related to their progress to enable them to take advantage of strengths and to remediate weaknesses in their academic, professional, and personal development. The evaluative process provides faculty with information about student progress and suitability or unsuitability as counselors which will facilitate decisions in the best interests of students and the profession they are preparing to enter.
School counseling: Wayland is authorized to certify school counselors ONLY in Texas. Students must hold a valid classroom teaching certification before applying to Wayland’s school counselor education program. Once admitted to Wayland’s school counselor education program, students must enroll in CNSL 5110 during their first session of enrollment in order to apply and be admitted to Wayland’s Education Preparation Program (EPP) for School Counselor Certification. The Application for Admission to the EPP, and all supporting documentation, should be filed with the education coordinator at the student’s respective campus prior to the second session of enrollment. A fee of $55 will be charged to all students admitted to the education program to cover fees charged by the Texas Education Agency. Students in the school counseling program must: be certified to teach in the State of Texas; have taught full-time for a minimum of two years; complete CNSL 5110 and all subsequent trainings and requirements during their first session of enrollment; and, pass the school counseling practice exam before they will be eligible to take CNSL 5363 - Practicum in School Counseling . Once students have completed all of their degree requirements, and the requirements outlined by Wayland’s Don A. Williams School of Education, they will be recommended to the state for certification.
Practicum requirements for school counseling students (TX only): The Texas State Board for Educator Certification requires a practicum (CNSL 5363 ) in a school setting with mandatory evaluation visits by the university’s school counselor supervisor. Students seeking school counseling certification will take CNSL 5363 - Practicum in School Counseling in order to fulfill the requisite practicum hours and should also take CNSL 5321 - Introduction to School Counseling as part of their degree. Texas students seeking LPC licensure and School Counseling Certification simultaneously will replace CNSL 5361 - Internship in Counseling with one CNSL 5363 - Practicum in School Counseling course and should refer to the TX-LPC/SC degree plan for a complete list of required coursework. Site supervisors for practicums in school counseling must be certified school counselors.
Practicum/internship requirements in all states for all counseling students: Prior to registering for a practicum, students MUST have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours in the counseling program, have credit for ethics (CNSL 5307 ), have purchased their malpractice insurance, and have a signed site agreement with the agency in which they will undertake the practicum. Successful completion of CNSL 5360 - Practicum in Counseling is required before a student may register for the internship (CNSL 5361 ), and successful completion of the internship is required before a student can register for the advanced internship (CNSL 5362 ). All site supervisors for the practicum and internships for community counseling should be one or more of the following: licensed professional counselors, Masters level clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, rehabilitation counselors, or psychologists with several years of clinical and counseling experience. Wayland’s counseling degree requires a minimum of 300 clock hours of supervised practice distributed over the practicum and internship courses. Arizona students will need a minimum of 700 clock hours of supervised field experience, with a minimum of 320 direct hours. Arizona students should complete 100 hours (40 direct) in CNSL 5360 , 135 hours (60 direct) in CNSL 5361 , and 165 hours (80 direct) in CNSL 5362 and then repeat CNSL 5361 and CNSL 5362 to acquire the hours required for their state license. Hawaii students will need a minimum of 300 direct hours within the supervised field experience.
Licensure or certification by the state: Upon completion of the M.A. in Clinical Counseling, ALL students seeking a license or school counselor certification must pass the state-required test. No university can license or certify a counselor. That is in all cases a prerogative of the individual state, which might or might not have a reciprocal agreement with any other state. Every state requires additional hours of supervised counseling in addition to an ethics test and whatever exam the state uses as its licensing tool.
All questions concerning licensure and certification requirements should be addressed to the counseling program coordinator on each campus that offers this degree and/or the official “State by State Counselor Guide” at http://www.counselor-license.com/.
