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Counseling and Educational Leadership
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Counseling
and Educational Leadership is to provide graduate education programs which
foster such professional behavior in counselors, human resource personnel,
and school administrators. Students, both adolescent and adult,
need assistance in developing skills in critical thinking,
decision-making, and human relations. Qualified and trained
professionals in counseling, human development, and educational
administration must possess a variety of skills, competencies, and
insights in order to help students, clients, and colleagues function
successfully, and establish positive collaborative relationships.
Specifically, the focus of the Department is
as follows:
Counseling opportunities are available for professionals to develop
skills and competencies in a variety of settings and areas:
Individual/group community counseling, substance abuse counseling, school counseling, human resources/organizational development, and student services in higher education.
Human Resources Training and Development. Academic experiences for trainers and training managers are offered in management education, supervision, program development, organizational analysis, individual and group leadership, and systems analysis.
Educational Leadership. Included in this area are opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in leadership, administration, instructional supervision, school finance, decision-making, and law at various organizational levels.
The specific core to be followed is determined by the student's choice of program within the degree. Students holding a previous masters degree, may have a course in research methods waived, thus permitting the substitution of another course in the core. After successful completion of the core, the student and their advisor develop an individualized program designed to meet the specific needs and career interests of the graduate student. Completion of a supervised field experience melding classroom learning with practical insights is required in all programs. The number of courses required in the core may vary with program changes.
In addition to its graduate programs, the department offers an undergraduate minor in human services. It consists of eighteen hours in the areas of group dynamics and counseling. The department also has four courses approved for the undergraduate General Education Requirement (GEN ED).
The department's academic programs in counseling, human development, and educational leadership are committed to preparing professionals who:
- Apply critical thinking approaches and skills to their respective disciplines and exhibit both theoretical and practical application of these approaches and skills in their professional fields.
- Use critical thinking to make sound, responsible judgments and decisions in working with clients, students, and other professionals in their respective fields.
- Act with sound ethical principles when carrying out the role of the professional in each of the three areas, keeping in mind the key responsibility this professional has toward student and client.
- Function as a responsible professional in his or her specialty field, seeking to promote the best interest of the client and student to whom these professional fields serve.
- Display an understanding of the political and social environment and the professional and personal roles each citizen must play in order to ensure that society remains a free and open democracy.
- Commit to a professional life that will enhance.
- Self-renewal and encourage others in the profession to seek careers devoted to the advancement of the principles and standards of their respective fields of interest.
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Master of Arts in Counseling
In the Master of Arts in Counseling program, courses and fieldwork
experiences are designed to assist graduate students seeking positions
in agencies, schools, corporations, and nonprofit organizations in:
- Demonstrating the meaning and significance of fundamental guidance/counseling concepts, principles and theories.
- Interacting effectively with others (colleagues, parents, clients, students, and administrators).
- Analyzing individual behavior within group structures.
- Interpreting research and measurement results in light of social and psychological factors.
- Interviewing and counseling on a one-to-one basis.
- Relating theories and principles of group dynamics, group practices, and facilitative skills to professional practice.
- Assessing professional abilities and limitations, professionally and personally.
- Professional writing (e.g. research proposals/reports, case studies).
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Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision
Graduate students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision seeking to
be principals, supervisors, business administrators, and school superintendents will participate
in courses and field experiences:
- To help develop and/or support a personal philosophy of education and social consciousness consistent with related theories of learning and human development.
- To develop characteristics required for effective leadership
- To analyze educational organizations and plan programs and strategies for increasing organizational effectiveness.
- To develop techniques to facilitate interpersonal and group problem-solving and decision-making.
- To develop skills in managing change and conflict in educational endeavors.
- To interpret research findings and design and implement research techniques for their organizational needs.
Masters of Arts in Administration and
Supervision (Educator/Trainer)
For its graduate students seeking positions in training and development in business,
industry, and government, the Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision for the
Educator/Trainer provides experiences designed:
- To help develop a personal philosophy of organizational training consistent with
related theories of adult learning and human development.
- To develop effective leadership skills in education/training programs.
- To analyze organizations and plan programs and strategies or increasing organizational effectiveness.
- To develop techniques for interpersonal and group problem-solving and decision-making.
- To develop skills in managing change and conflicts.
- To interpret research findings and design and implement research techniques for their organizational needs.
Undergraduate Human Service Minor
Undergraduates enrolled in any program may seek to complete a Human
Service minor in order to supplement their majors and general
professional development. The objectives of the minor program seek to
enable the student to:
- Increase communication skills to be used in their area of specialization.
- Improve comprehension of theoretical foundations of both group and one-to-one interaction.
- Facilitate the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and self-confidence necessary to become more
effective leaders and helping professionals.
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