Counseling and Student Personnel

Graduate Programs

Description

Counseling and Student Personnel prepares culturally responsive and equity-minded professional practitioners at the graduate level who will serve in a variety of helping settings including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, community mental health agencies, treatment centers, correctional facilities, and hospital settings. The department integrates and emphasizes social justice, advocacy, and racial equity in coursework.

Majors

 Program Locations Major / Total Credits
College Student Affairs MS MS - Master of Science
  • Mankato
 36 / 36
Counseling and Student Personnel MS Mental Health Counseling MS - Master of Science
  • Mankato
 60 / 60
Counseling and Student Personnel MS Professional School Counseling K 12 MS - Master of Science
  • Mankato
 60 / 60
Counselor Education and Supervision EDD EDD - Doctor of Education
  • Mankato
 108 / 108

Policies & Faculty

Policies

COUNSELING AND STUDENT PERSONNEL MS
COLLEGE STUDENT AFFAIRS MS

Applications are accepted through January 15.

Complete the Online Graduate Application

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Students with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above will be most competitive for admission to the program.
  2. Three letters of recommendation focusing on your academic potential and your promise to become an effective counselor/helping professional. One of the recommendations must be from an instructor or academic advisor. 
  3. Personal statement submitted by answering prompt questions. 

Application Instructions

  1. Upload a current resume to the Supporting Information section.
  2. Request recommendations from references in the Program Materials section.
  3. Complete the personal statement form by answering the questions prompted in the Program Materials section.
  4. Upload unofficial transcripts from all previous college coursework to the Academic History section.
  5. Complete and submit the application.

COUNSELOR EDUCATION AND SUPERVISION Ed.D.

We are not currently accepting applications to this program. 

Contact Information

107 Armstrong Hall

Main Office (507) 389-2423
https://ed.mnsu.edu/csp/

Faculty

Administrative Assistant
  • Amy Moore
Chair
  • Tracy Peed, Ph.D.
Faculty

500 Level

Credits: 3

Strategies for establishing a group. A review of concepts related to group membership, group member roles, and group techniques, therapeutic factors, and leadership roles. An experiential component is included in this course.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Provides the developing helping professional with an introduction to basic helping skills: attending, listening, responding to content and affect, probing, and providing feedback. The course is experiential in nature and includes small group interaction, videotaping, and role playing simulations.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Understanding the impact of chemical dependency on the family. Family counseling skills and relapse prevention strategies will also be included.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Prerequisites: none

600 Level

Credits: 3

Philosophies and strategies of professional counseling. Overview of counseling literature, field of counseling, and development of the professional counselor.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Students will explore the functional areas represented by the student affairs profession and will examine current issues and problems facing student affairs and higher education. Philosophical and historical underpinnings of the student affairs profession will also be examined.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices in the administration and finance of student affairs programs in higher education through a social justice framework. Models of planning and management, techniques related to budgeting and staffing, and current issues and trends in student affairs administration and finance are also explored.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Provides prospective college and university administrators with a theoretical and working knowledge of the finance of higher education including national, state, and university processes, challenges, and techniques; budget management practices and techniques of student affairs administrators in higher education; and policy and political issues of student affairs and higher education budgets in the United States.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Focus on helping skills model, professional issues, and skill acquisition of basic listening responses.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

A combination of classroom lecture and interaction with community professionals involved in crisis intervention. Designed to give students practical experience in distinguishing between crisis intervention, theory, and practice.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is specific to the counseling profession, focusing on both the cultural and sociopolitical forces influencing people in a multicultural society, as well as the microskills necessary for engaging in cross-cultural counselor-client interactions.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Provides an overview of theory, research, and practice regarding counseling with children and adolescents. Developmentally and culturally appropriate counseling strategies are stressed. Relevant current topics are examined.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Theories of human development and the family cycle are presented as the basis for multi-contextual assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment skills when working with contemporary families.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

An overview of professional issues for mental health counselors providing individual, couples, and family counseling, including certification/licensure, professional development, ethical guidelines, multicultural issues, and recent developments in theory, research, and practice.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Major theories of play therapy and play therapy techniques are reviewed and applied to a range of mental health, learning, and developmental needs of children. Readings, lectures, class demonstrations, and role-play experiences are included.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides an overview of mental disorders and disabilities impacting children and adolescents, with particular attention devoted to early identification and intervention in a school setting.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Students through classroom and online experiences will learn the theoretical bases and therapeutic strategies for individual, group, and family interventions for play therapy theories including Ecosystematic, Developmental, Filial, Gestalt, Experiential, and Family Play Therapy.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Overview of theories of career development, career guidance, career choice, and decision-making. Career counseling interviews and assessment techniques are also emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Roles and functions of the professional school counselor in a school setting. Survey of comprehensive school counseling programs.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Nature and use of measurement tools in counseling with particular emphasis on representative standardized tests, norms, and basic research procedures.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Basic appraisal principles and applications of projective and objective personality assessment tools in counseling practice.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of today's college students through various theoretical perspectives including social identity development (i.e., racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual, disability, and social class) as well as psychological, intellectual, and moral development. Special focus will be paid to recognizing the unique characteristics and issues faced by today's college students and applying theory to practice.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course focuses on the professional school counselors' role within and use of data-driven practices to make informed, culturally responsive decisions while working in multi-tiered, multi-domain systems of support (MTSS) leading to evidence-based intervention and program accountability.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices of assessment and program evaluation in higher education and student affairs, particularly regarding the process of assessing student learning and development. Models of organizational development and change, as well as the impact of campus environments on diverse student populations, will also be central to this course.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

A review and analysis of major counseling theories coupled with empirical support and specific counseling theory techniques and theoretical case analysis.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Emphasis on knowledge and skill acquisition of advanced listening responses, helping interventions, and counseling strategies.

Prerequisites: CSP 645

Credits: 3

Overview of family theories and family functioning. Focus on techniques and skills to address issues of contemporary families.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Overview of major theories of marriage counseling; skill and strategies for effective marital counseling and case analysis.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Fundamentals of treatment plan development in counseling, with particular focus on the integration of personality assessment, intake interviewing and diagnostic classification data.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides an introduction to the developmental, socio-cultural, and psychological issues unique to women and explores the ways in which such issues affect women's mental health. The course includes an introduction to the basic helping skills necessary to effectively respond to women's developmental and mental health needs.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course will provide students with an awareness of best practices and current issues in the assessment of intellectual functioning. Students will receive training in the administration, interpretation, and responsible use of selected intellectual assessment measures.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

The course provides an overview of identity building and professional skills related to advocacy, leadership, and school counselor supervision. The course will assess styles, provide models for consideration, and explore how to align these practices with positive student outcomes.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Major theories of group development are presented along with analysis of group notes, group techniques, and groups for special populations. An experiential component is included for experience in group processes.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Developmental needs and characteristics of children and adolescents. School guidance programs and interventions that respond to these needs.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course will prepare students to effectively understand and utilize the results of research and will provide an understanding of the processes involved in the conceptualization, design, implementation, and reporting of research, including program evaluation research.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Skills and knowledge base of critical components of workshop design.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Individual study focusing upon a curricular or instructional topic under the direction of graduate faculty.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative practicum experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: CSP 618 Introduction to Mental Health Counseling. CSP 645 Counseling Procedures and Skills I, CSP 665 Counseling Theories, CSP 666, Counseling Procedures and Skills II, CSP 673 Group Counseling

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative practicum experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative internship experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative internship experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative practicum experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative practicum experiences. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative experiences. Admission by prior application. Pre-requisities: permission from instructor.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Supervised practicum experiences. Admission by prior application. Pre-requisite: permission from instructor.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Supervised integrative experience. Admission by application only.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised integrative internship experience. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

Supervised practical integrative experiencse. Admission by prior application.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

The course provides an introduction to the use and applications of hardware and software in the fields of counseling and student affairs. The course is based on the technology standards that are identified by the Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors (ACES) and the literature on the application of technology to the fields of counseling and student affairs.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

A didactic and experiential course that meets guidelines for approved supervisor status for counselors and family therapists, with topics that include the history and philosophy of supervision, social and cultural contexts, supervision models and dynamics, approaches for individual and group supervision, technology in supervision, and legal and ethical guidelines in supervision.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

The purpose of the course is to allow students the opportunity to explore the fundamental principles of addictions counseling as they relate to working with adolescents. These fundamentals will include theories, assessment, and biological aspects of addiction.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3-6

For students desiring to consult experimental applied research in their graduate specialization's career.

Prerequisites: none

700 Level

Credits: 3

Provides a broad understanding of contemporary issues affecting college students, student affairs practice, and higher education. Prepares students to analyze current information about higher education and to understand the historical, contemporary, and future relevance of current issues in student affairs practice.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course involves the advanced study of a variety of perspectives on organizational behavior as well as classical and contemporary theories of organization as they relate to the field of higher education.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course involves the advanced study of the issues, policies, and practices related to the financial management of higher education institutions in the United States.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides school counseling professional with an understanding of: the dynamics of the school legal system; common legal and ethical dilemmas facing school counselors and strategies for facilitating and maintaining ethical and legal decision making processes within the schools.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides student affairs professionals with an understanding of: the dynamics of the legal system; common legal areas in post-secondary education; legal terminology; the analysis and processing of decision making related to laws which guide institutional operations in colleges and universities.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to encourage counselors to critically examine in greater depth issues and the research in the field of multicultural counseling. The course will examine more depth the cultural context of issues in a pluralistic society as they relate to culture, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, religious and spiritual values, and socioeconomic status.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to provide students with more in-depth examination of the field of career development and career counseling. Major theories, assessments and techniques in field will be discussed. Students will also conduct an in-depth examination of the current trends, issues and resources in the area of career development.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides students with an understanding of current and emerging professional issues impacting the school counseling profession. Students will develop an appreciation for the historical roots of contemporary issues and the variety of issues impacting school counselors.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to provide advanced graduate students with a comprehensive overview of theoretical perspectives of U.S. college student development. Various social identities including the intersection of multiple identities will be a focus of this course. Additional aspects highlighted include psychosocial and cognitive development as they relate to learning outcomes. Finally, this course will focus on applying theory to practice and recognizing directions for future policy and research.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Advanced Counseling Theories and Techniques is designed to allow doctoral candidates the opportunity to further explore and expand their self-as-instrument theoretical base. Candidates will pursue in-depth analysis of specific theoretical orientations in developing their own best fit approach to working with clientele.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

An advanced review and application of major counseling theories in clinical practice, clinical supervision, and counselor education, with emphasis on social/contextual factors, challenges faced by contemporary families, self-of-therapist, and legal/ethical guidelines.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Didactic and skills based course that covers multimodal assessment and diagnosis of psychological disorders. Emphasis on using assessment results to plan evidence-based interventions and monitor treatment outcomes.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Counseling and Addictions is designed to provide doctoral candidates the opportunity to learn about the mechanics of biochemical and cognitive addictions and their impact on wellness. Addiction is framed as an impediment to the client's achievement of potential, not as pathology.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course focuses on advanced group counseling skills including theory and practice of supervision groups, models and practices of teaching group counseling courses, and research related to counseling groups.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

School Consultation with Individuals and Systems is designed to provide doctoral candidates with the tools necessary to make effective analyses and recommendations within various models of consultation. Specific emphasis is placed on candidates' making accurate consultations within the context of institutional and individuals systems models.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-4

The purpose of this course is to assist students in developing the skills to conduct program evaluations and original research in the fields of counseling and student affairs. Students will use this course to begin work on their dissertation proposals.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the statistical techniques used in fields of counseling and student affairs. The course will emphasize a conceptual understanding of statistical methods and practice analyzing data with a statistics package.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-6

This course will assist doctoral students to work more in-depth on an area of interest in Counselor Education and Supervision. The instructor and student will develop a learning contract identifying the readings, class assignments, and related materials for the course.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course provides an overview of quantitative research methods in counseling and student affairs. Topics include sampling, measurement and instrumentation, design, and analysis. The course provides a conceptual understanding of quantitative research methods and experience with computer-assisted data analysis.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is designed to provide doctoral candidates with experiential opportunities to expand their direct service, teaching, and supervision skills. The focus of the course is on candidates' utilization of existing knowledge and skills in their respective counseling practice area.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

This course is intended to introduce doctoral level students to the variety of methodologies within qualitative research, the proper way to determine the methodology that is most appropriate for the research, and the ways in which to collect and interpret data.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Advanced Counseling Internship is designed to provide doctoral candidates with additional practice and supervision skills based on successful completion of Advanced Practicum (CSP 779). The focus of the course remains on enhancing candidates' utilization of existing knowledge and skills in their respective counseling practice area.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

A didactic and experiential course for doctoral program students to meet guidelines for approved supervisor status for counselors and family therapists. Topics include historical foundations, supervision models and dynamics, social and cultural contexts, individual and group supervision, technology in supervision, and legal/ethical guidelines. Course includes a mentoring experience in supervision and the writing of a philosophy of supervision paper.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-6

This doctoral seminar provides an opportunity for investigation into relevant topics for students in the area of Counselor Education and Supervision. It is designed as a seminar in order to allow for maximum student engagement and discussion.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 1-6

The successful completion of an approved dissertation that contributes to the field of Counselor Education and Supervision. Must be repeated for a minimum of 12 semester hours (we require 12 credits for dissertation). Students may register for dissertation credits over several semesters. As per the requirement of the Graduate College, students must register for at least one credit during the semester they intend to graduate.

Prerequisites: Doctoral candidacy. Successful completion of core counseling courses, core research courses, successful completion of comprehensive exam and approval of doctoral advisor.