Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy Option, M.S.

The M.S. degree in Counseling requires 72 units organized according to university requirements (see the Graduate/Post-Baccalaureate Admission and Degree Information chapter in this catalog). Requirements are established to ensure that each degree candidate obtains adequate breadth in subject matter, field experiences, and research.

A baccalaureate degree with a major in psychology or in child or human development plus a statistics course. For applicants with baccalaureates in other majors, the following courses are required and will provide adequate background for a counseling graduate program:

1. An introductory course in descriptive statistics (3 units)
2. A course in abnormal or pathological behavior (3 units)
3. A course in learning (3 units)
4. A course in developmental psychology or human or child development (3 units)
5. A course in personality theory or development (3 units)

Students are required to demonstrate competency in the areas listed below. With the Dean’s approval, students may substitute alternative related courses.

acquiring understanding of, and sensitivity to, individuals from diverse backgrounds and the interpersonal skills to work with them. Included are social class, ethnic, racial, sexual, and lifestyle differences

• EPSY 6775 - Community Mental Health Counseling Units: 4

A minimum of three quarters of fieldwork is required in the application of counseling procedures and assessment techniques in fieldwork settings.

Students must successfully complete either a University Thesis, a Departmental Thesis, a Project, or a Comprehensive Examination, and should select option (1), (2), (3), or (4).

Comprehensive Examination Units: 0

1. Students completing a Project or a Departmental Thesis and registering for EPSY 6899 or EPSY 6909, even if combined with EPSY 6021, are limited to a total of 5 units. EPSY 6021 can be repeated for a total of 6 units; however, only five of these six units may be applied to the M.S. degree for students doing a Project or Departmental Thesis
2. Students completing a University Thesis may enroll in EPSY 6021 for up to 6 units.

Option Requirements listed below.

Elective courses to be determined by advisor/coordinator. Total number of elective units for the masters depend on the degree option.

Additional course work, beyond that required for the masters, may be required for professional licensure and/or credentials.

Public Administration courses may be used as electives by students completing the combined program with Public Administration.

Includes:
Clinical Child/School Psychology Option
Marriage and Family Therapy Option
School Psychology Credential

Faculty: John M. Davis, Greg Jennings (Coordinator), Rolla E. Lewis, Janet Logan, Oanh Tran

The Clinical Child/School Psychology (CCSP) program at CSUEB is committed to a training philosophy that promotes the educational and social-emotional development of children, youth, and families. It is considered essential that each student develop sound professional values along with the acquisition of professional knowledge. An ecological human development perspective and collaborative consultation skills are emphasized, with the understanding that the ability to work collaboratively with families, teachers, and communities is critical to helping children succeed. As a fundamental principle of ethical practice, assessment, consultation, and intervention skills are inextricably linked throughout the curriculum. Program development and evaluation skills are also emphasized in order to ensure that graduates are well prepared to promote effective system-level intervention programs for meeting the needs of children, schools, families, and communities.

Multicultural issues are addressed as an integral and essential component of every course the department offers. It is the mission of the department, College of Education and Allied Studies, and university to prepare leaders for a diverse society. It is also the explicit goal of the Clinical Child/School Psychology program to prepare students to work effectively with children and families across the full spectrum of culture, ethnicity, and individual differences. The program is also developing training experiences that emphasize the development of skills in cultural competency.

The Clinical Child/School Psychology program provides the only course of study in the department leading to the School Psychology credential. This program also offers the academic and minimum fieldwork requirements for the Marriage and Family Therapy license and the Educational Psychology license.

The candidate for a credential must demonstrate an increasing ability to establish constructive interpersonal relationships with persons of differing ages, cultures, and experiential backgrounds (including children who may have endured severe physical or emotional trauma) in a manner that promotes confidence, mental health, social adjustment, and learning. The candidate must demonstrate increasing ability to establish satisfactory working relationships with parents, teachers, school personnel, and other community members involved in a particular case. The candidate must also demonstrate increasing ability to apply professional methods and techniques at proficiency levels significantly higher than those generally required in academic coursework.

To ensure that candidates have opportunity to develop the skills necessary for credential eligibility, specific credential competencies have been integrated into all courses required for a credential. In order to demonstrate at least minimal competencies in the required skills, therefore, the credential candidate must earn a grade of “B” or higher in each of these courses. In the event that a candidate does not achieve the criterion of “B” work in a required course, (s)he must consult immediately with the faculty, to determine a plan that will provide opportunity for remediation. Any candidate who receives a grade of “C” or lower in a required course will be classified automatically as probationary in the credential program; a second grade of “C” or lower will be considered sufficient basis for disqualification from the credential program and the related Master of Counseling degree program. Students are expected to have completed all prerequisites before entering the program. Candidates must take all courses that are required by the program, degree, and credential at California State University, East Bay.

Fieldwork and practical experiences, as evaluated by faculty and field supervisors, must also reflect a candidate’s ability to meet the competencies specified in the program documents. Professional and interpersonal skills are the primary determinants of success in these settings. Any candidate who receives a grade of “NC” (No Credit) in a required fieldwork or internship course will be classified automatically as probationary in both the credential program and the Master of Counseling degree program. A meeting with the Coordinator of the School Psychology program will be required before additional registration in fieldwork or internship courses will be considered valid for credit toward a credential. A second grade of “NC” will be considered sufficient basis for disqualification from the credential program and the Master of Counseling degree program.

The program supports the development of the professional maturity of all candidates. The CCSP faculty evaluates candidates’ professional and interpersonal maturity throughout the program. Only students who have demonstrated a high level of professional and personal integrity consistent with the role of the school psychologist will be recommended for the Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Psychology upon completion of coursework, fieldwork, internship and Praxis exam results.

Candidates who fail to demonstrate professional and personal responsibility (as evidenced by violations of professional, interpersonal trust, or ethical practice) are subject to termination from the CCSP Program.

Candidates are to apply for their credential upon graduation. After graduation a recommendation for the credential will be based on the University currency limitation of 5 years and determined by the currency of the required course work, fieldwork experience, and portfolio.

Marriage and Family Therapy Option
 

Faculty: Randi Cowdery (Coordinator), Terry Soo-Hoo

The faculty supervising this program are committed to training psychotherapists and mental health specialists for a variety of settings, such as private practice, social service agencies, schools, universities, hospitals, businesses, and industry.

Students admitted to this program of study will focus on the M.S. in Counseling with the option in Marriage and Family Therapy. The main focus of this program is on training psychotherapists who eventually plan to obtain a California license to practice marriage and family therapy. The program provides a course of study leading toward completion of the academic requirements and the 150 hours clinical experience required for application for the MFT license.

Graduates have been hired to work with clients in a wide range of agencies and businesses. Some are counselors in junior colleges and college counseling centers. Others are drug and alcohol abuse counselors in hospitals, family therapists-on-site in schools, advocates for the mentally ill, child therapists in therapeutic nursery schools, assessment counselors, information and referral clinicians in employee assistance programs, individual and family therapists for police departments, organizational development specialists, and human resource professionals in business and industry.

Some graduates have pursued doctoral-level work in clinical and counseling psychology or education after completing their master’s degree in this program. Over the years, students have been accepted to programs in many universities, including the University of Missouri, the University of California at Berkeley, Michigan State University, Stanford University, California School of Professional Psychology, the Wright Institute, the University of Florida, the University of Texas, and the University of Wisconsin.

Students are trained for clinical work with individuals who are struggling with normal life problems, as well as individuals with more extensive psychopathology. Coursework covering various theories of individual, child, couple and family therapy prepares students well for advanced post-graduate internship work in clinical specializations of their choice. Students, as part of their clinical skills development, are also trained to lead counseling groups of children or adults.

Students take both evening and day classes. The program, however, cannot be completed entirely through evening classes. Groups of students are admitted annually.

The Marriage and Family Therapy program is designed to encourage growth and development of the students enrolled. Expansion of students’ awareness and perspectives is emphasized. The faculty are licensed as marriage and family therapists or as psychologists. They are involved in clinical practices and are committed to preparing psychotherapists and consultants.

Includes:
Marriage and Family Therapy Option
School Counseling Credential

Faculty: John M. Davis, Greg Jennings, Rolla E. Lewis (Coordinator), Janet Logan, Oanh Tran

Students enrolled in this program complete the M.S. in Counseling with a focus on both School Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). They are prepared to participate in, and to provide leadership for, a highly collaborative, prevention-based model for service delivery in the 21st century. This model involves the weaving together of educational services with community health, mental health, and other social services, as well as a strong focus on family issues and school-based/linked services.

The School Counseling and MFT program is a two-year course of study that leads to the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) School Counseling Credential and meets the academic requirements, as well as the minimum 150 hours of experience required for the MFT license. Students enroll in a full-time course load each quarter (fall, winter, and spring) for two academic years. Courses are offered during the day, in the evening, and on weekends. The trainees participate in fieldwork at least 1 1/2 to 2 days per week (approximately 12-15 hours/week) each year, for a total of 600 hours.

Coursework and fieldwork experiences emphasize the development of the student’s ability to provide comprehensive developmental school counseling programs meeting national and state standards. Students acquire the skills to develop classroom and small group guidance curriculum. They also learn to conduct individual and group therapy, guidance counseling, consultation, and to provide leadership in the creation and evaluation of integrated, comprehensive prevention and intervention programs. In the fieldwork experience, trainees have specific assigned activities and supervised experiences related to the California Credentialing Standards for the PPS School Counseling Credential, and to the MFT licensing qualifications of the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

To be admitted to the program, students must complete five departmental prerequisites with a grade of “B” or higher (see prerequisites listed under “Core Requirements for M.S. in Counseling” earlier in this chapter. In addition, applicants must have taken the GRE or MA and CBEST exams prior to entering the program.

The department is committed to interdisciplinary training and the delivery of prevention, family-centered, school-based/linked mental health services. Students enrolled in this program, therefore, take many of their basic courses with faculty and students who are enrolled in other specialist programs such as marriage and family therapy, school psychology, and special education. The candidate must satisfy all credential competency requirements as defined in the approved credential document³.Specifically, the candidate must achieve a grade of “B” or higher in the required courses. If a grade of “B” or higher is not earned, the candidate must immediately consult with the faculty to determine the academic work necessary to achieve competency level. (The original grade will not be changed, however.) Two grades of “C” or lower in required courses are sufficient basis for disqualification from the program (as stated in the University Catalog). Candidates must also successfully complete 600 hours of fieldwork in schools, pass the Professional School Counselor PRAXIS exam (0421) with a minimum score determined by the department, and pass the CBEST exam in order to be eligible for the PPS School Counseling Credential.

Candidates are to apply for their credential upon graduation. After graduation a recommendation for the credential will be based on the University currency limitation of 5 years and determined by the currency of the required course work, fieldwork experience, and portfolio.