Counseling
Office: 1380 Lawrence Street 701
Telephone: 303-315-6300
Website: https://education.ucdenver.edu/academics/graduate/counseling
Overview
The Master of Arts degree in Counseling program prepares professionals for community/mental health agencies, private practice, and public schools. Students accepted into the Counseling program follow one of two concentration areas. The clinical mental health counseling track follows state licensure requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); the school counseling track follows the requirements for both the LPC and Colorado Department of Education licensure requirements Licensed School Counselor.
Both the clinical mental health and school counselor tracks consist of 63 semester hours. Core courses that are common to all licensure areas of study are followed by courses specific to concentration area. Both specializations require a practicum (150 clock hours) and an internship (600 clock hours). The master’s degree is a three to three and a half-year program with course work for two to two and a half years followed by a 12-16 months of practicum and internship.
The clinical mental health and school counseling tracks are nationally accredited by CACREP, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
Admission Requirements
Successful applicants to the Counseling program will have obtained a minimum 2.75 undergraduate GPA. Also, applicants will submit a current resume, a letter of intent, three letters of recommendation, and additional required materials. Applicants meeting these minimum standards may be invited to a half-day group interview that involves program orientation, small group interviews, a writing assignment, and a group exercise.
A prerequisite course in basic statistics (undergraduate or graduate level) is required prior to enrollment in the program or may be completed during the first semester in the program.
Application materials are available at https://education.ucdenver.edu/academic-services/admissions. All materials must be submitted online by the appropriate deadline: September 15 for spring semester and January 15 for fall semester.
Faculty
Information about faculty in the Counseling program is available online at https://education.ucdenver.edu/about-us/faculty-directory/-in-category/categories/sehd/program-areas/counseling.
Counseling (COUN) Courses
Students will become familiar with human sexuality across the life span. Ecological and family systems theories will provide an understanding of human sexuality from a systemic perspective. Implications for working with individuals, families, and couples will be examined. Prereq: COUN 5010. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Focuses on counseling theories: Psychodynamic, Adlerian, Person-Centered, Existential, Behavioral, including DBT, Cognitive Behavioral, Gestalt, & Reality Therapy. Also includes an overview of the history of the counseling profession and the role and function of counselors in various settings. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This course examines theories of college student development including student learning and growth during the postsecondary years. This course will provide an introduction to psychosocial, cognitive, moral, and social identity development theories used to explain college student development. Cross-listed with HDFR 4050. Repeatable. Max Hours: 6 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 6.
This course will introduce students to the laws that impact college students and institutions of higher education. Graduate students will obtain knowledge of and the necessary skills to apply a code of ethics to their practice in student affairs. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Students practice basic counseling skills, develop therapeutic intervention strategies, and improve the effectiveness of their communication by practicing listening and responding. Videotaped role-plays are utilized. Prereq: COUN 5010 and 5810 and COUN-MA or CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 and COUN 5810 and COUN-MA OR CAFT_MA majors withing the School of Education and Human Development.
Learn group theory and dynamics. Practice facilitating a group. Learn about screening, group membership and styles, roles and behavior, termination of groups. Extensive practice in laboratory setting. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100 and 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, and COUN 5810 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This elective course is an introduction and study of the field of bereavement in counseling. Studies focus on relating to client's experience with grief, loss and/or trauma through lectures, speakers, videos, readings, experiential in-class simulations, self-discovery and introspection. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
This course examines theories of college student development including student learning and growth during the postsecondary years. This course will provide an introduction to psychosocial, cognitive, moral, and social identity development theories used to explain college student development. Cross-listed with HDFR 4130. Repeatable. Max Hours: 6 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 6.
Introduces systemic and family theories and intervention strategies. Emphasis on historical development of systems theory. Prereqs: COUN 5010 and COUN 5810 or COUN-MA CFT or CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereqs: COUN 5010 and COUN 5810 or COUN-MA CFT or CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
This didatic and experiental course presents an overview of techniques and theories in family therapy. It will help students continue to develop a theoretical framework for engaging in theory driven therapeutic interventions via practice family therapy role plays Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5150, or COUN-MA-CFT and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, and COUN 5150 or CAFT_MA or COUN-MA-CFT majors.
This course is didactic and experiential dealing with therapeutic techniques applied to the improvement of intimate/couple relationships. Emphasis is placed on empirically based assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of couples’ problems. Special topics include: cohabiting couples, gay and lesbian couples, remarried couples, cross-cultural couples, ethical and moral dimensions of couple counseling, unique couple issues, and the effectiveness of couple therapy. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, and COUN 5150 or COUN MA-CFT and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Cross-listed with CMFT 5180. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, and COUN 5150 or CAFT_MA or COUN-MA-CFT majors.
Includes treatment strategies for clinicians in addressing varieties of addictive behaviors including substance, abuse, eating disorders, gambling and sexual addiction. Cultural dimensions of addictions are also considered. Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development
An in-depth examination of ethical and legal issues in the field. Topics include working with individuals and family systems, licensure, professional associations, record keeping and statutory requirements. Prereq: COUN 5010 and 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 and COUN 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
Development of competencies in career development counseling. Theories of work systems, psychological dynamics, information systems, and decision making models are covered. Interacting with work or family systems and other subsystems is emphasized. Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development
The course is specifically designed to provide training for school counselors and related professionals to develop and implement a comprehensive counseling and guidance program, which incorporates the ASCA National Model.Prereq: COUN 5110, 5400, and 5815, LDFS 6200, RSEM 5110 and 5120. Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5110, 5400, and 5815, LDFS 6200, RSEM 5110 and 5120. Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
An examination of society, media, and public and educational policy and their impact on higher education access and persistence for marginalized groups. Students are called to consider how student affairs professionals might promote social justice for marginalized student groups. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Offers introduction to competent multicultural and social justice counseling. Students develop the awareness, knowledge, skills and action competences necessary for culturally responsive interventions with diverse communities. The course explores issues of ethnicity, culture, age, disability, and sexual orientation and learn about multicultural and social justice interventions for addressing these issues in counseling. Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restricted to Graduate level students in the School of Education and Human Development
This course emphasizes the unique and varied role of the school counselor and school counseling programs in diverse public schools. The course focus will be on learning the various skills necessary to meet the needs of school age students and others in the school community. In addition, the course will cover The ASCA model of comprehensive developmental school counseling activities, and focus on practical resources for counseling students in diverse school settings. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Students learn the role and function of the counselor in community agency settings. Intervention strategies, consultation, administration of community mental health agencies. Prereq: COUN 5010 and 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 and COUN 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
This course is designed to teach students how to start and manage a successful private practice in counseling. Emphasis is placed on understanding and navigating the business side of professional counseling. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Specific topics vary from semester to semester. Intervention strategies with children, issues in abuse, violence, incest, legal issues, adult counseling, grief, death and dying, private practice. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Repeatable. Max Hours: 6 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 6.
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Investigates constructions of gender and sexuality in the systemic context of individuals, relationships, families, and culture. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking and clinical skills that engage diverse clients in a respectful, ethical, and effective manner in therapy. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Individually directed research activity on special topics not covered by course offerings. Degree students only, with advance approval by major, professor and department chair. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Repeatable. Max Hours: 9 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Supervised counseling practice in the counseling lab and appropriate settings (150 clock hours). Emphasis on individual and group counseling techniques and therapeutic intervention strategies. Prereq: all counseling course work must be completed. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 6 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade with IP
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This class will provide school track students with 3 credits of fieldwork at a developmental level of their choice. The course will require students to work with a school counselor activities that the counselor is assigned under supervision. Students will develop skills in needs assessment, developing classroom guidance activities and running the activities; they will sit in on IEP conferences, help conduct college fairs, administer career assessment inventories and standardized assessments, learn to place students in appropriate classes, and provide responsive counseling services on an as needed basis. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5110, COUN 5400, COUN 5425, COUN 5810, COUN 5815, COUN 6230. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade with IP
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5110, COUN 5400, COUN 5425, COUN 5810, COUN 5815, COUN 6230. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
Supervised internship of 600 clock hours. Intern performs activities of a regularly employed professional in an approved community site. Prereq: COUN 5910. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Students must register for 3 or 6 credit hours. Repeatable. Max hours: 12 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade with IP
Repeatable. Max Credits: 12.
Prereq: COUN 5910 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
The internship is the final academic experience in the acquisition of the Master’s degree in counseling. This course builds on the theoretical and skill-building courses and is intended to give students practical experience in higher education and student affairs. Emphasis on personal and professional development as higher education and student affairs professionals. Students must register for 3 or 6 credit hours. Prereq: COUN 5050 and COUN 5500. Repeatable. Max Hours: 6 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 6.
Provides an overview of human sexuality over the life cycle, addressing social, psychological, and physiological aspects of human sexuality. Etiology of human sexuality diagnoses and treatment of problems related to human sexuality are addressed. Note: This course is a component in the couple and family program and required for MFT licensure. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, COUN 5110, COUN 5150. Prereq or Coreq: COUN 5160. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Cross-listed with CMFT 6000. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, COUN 5110, COUN 5150 Prereq or Coreq: COUN 5160 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
A didactic and experiential course involving the following content areas: theories of spiritual development, a survey of religious traditions, assessment, ethical issues, self-of-the-therapist issues, and treatment interventions and strategies in working with clients' values. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This is a didactic and experiential course dealing with therapeutic techniques applied to the improvement of child functioning, and parent-child relationships. Emphasis is placed on play therapy, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of childhood and adolescent disorders, parent education, crisis intervention. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, COUN 5150 and LDFS 6200. Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Cross-listed with CMFT 6140. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100, 5150 and LDFS 6200 Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This course is designed to help students conceptualize couple distress from an attachment perspective and gain foundational knowledge in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). The organization of the course includes observation of therapy sessions, presentations of theory and clinical techniques, skills training exercises, and discussion of specific cases, clinical material and issues. Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, COUN 5150, COUN 5160. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
This is a didactic and experiential course focusing on family assessment instruments and their use in family therapy. Emphasis is placed on the role of assessment in family therapy, the relationship of assessment to treatment planning and evaluation, gaining familiarity with a variety of assessment instruments, and learning to apply assessment skills to real-world clients. Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100, 5150, 5160, 6250 and RSEM 5110 or COUN MA CFT or CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100, 5150, 5160, 6250 and RSEM 5110 or COUN MA CFT or CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This is a family studies course that is both didactic and experiential. It is designed to assist you to become more informed about contemporary family issues that affect you, your clients, and society. The course major components include: theories of "normal" family processes and life cycle development, family composition, and social issues that impact families and family therapy. Prereq: COUN 5010. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Cross-listed with COUN 7170. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This course will prepare students to become more trauma informed and understanding of cooccurring disorders within the realm of substance use and mental health treatment in their future careers of certified addictions counselors and other mental health positions in community and private sectors. The course will also demonstrate inclusivity in TIC. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
This course offers the tools to provide developmental counseling services in the schools, including prevention through classroom counseling activities linked with the curriculum, and responsive services. Prereq: COUN 5110, 5400, 5810, LDFS 6200, RSEM 5110 and 5120. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5110, 5400, 5815, LDFS 6200, RSEM 5110 and 5120 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Focuses on the development of consultation skills and implementation of strategies. Students are exposed to major theories of the consultation process. In addition, this course provides the opportunity to practice consultation and implementation strategies within a system: an agency, business setting, or educational setting. Prereq: COUN 5010 or permission of instructor. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This course addresses individual diagnosis from a variety of perspectives: Biological, developmental, medical, neurological, psychosocial, cultural and interpersonal. It will provide students with a broad theoretical base for understanding psychopathology, from not only an individual, descriptive, symptom-based perspective as presented in the DSM-5, but also from a contextual systemic perspective including developmental hallmarks, familial patterns and socio-cultural contributors. Prereq: COUN 5010 and 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010 and 5810. REstriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development.
Participants will learn to use dialogic instructional strategies to create student-teacher partnerships that respect student voice and affirm the lived experiences of students. Participants will learn strategies to engage students and themselves in critical inquiry about identity, privilege, and social justice. Cross listed with COUN 7310. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
This course will introduce students to participatory research methods, including Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), PAR, youth participatory evaluation, and design based research. Graduate students will study current examples of this work, design, and conduct a study in their professional context. Cross listed with COUN 7320. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Professional analysis of major trends in counseling and psychotherapy. Specific emphasis topics identified. Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5330. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5330 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Offers essential preparation for competent multicultural and social justice counseling practice with culturally diverse clients, and families. Students learn about effective multicultural counseling and advocacy skills. The course explores the impact of ethnicity, culture, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc., on individual behavior, interpersonal relationships, and learn about multicultural and social justice interventions and techniques for addressing these issues in counseling. Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5810. Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, COUN 5100, and COUN 5810 Restriction: Restricted to COUN majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 4 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Repeatable. Max Hours: 12 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 12.
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 4 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade with IP
Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
Additional Information: Report as Full Time.
Learn and practice advanced techniques for addressing adult and adolescent clinical problems. Examine efficacy research on specific counseling techniques as associated with particular approaches in counseling. Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5820. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100 and 5820 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development
This is a family studies course that is both didactic and experiential. It is designed to assist you to become more informed about contemporary family issues that affect you, your clients, and society. The course major components include: theories of "normal" family processes and life cycle development, family composition, and social issues that impact families and family therapy. Cross-listed with COUN 6170. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Participants will learn to use dialogic instructional strategies to create student-teacher partnerships that respect student voice and affirm the lived experiences of students. Participants will learn strategies to engage students and themselves in critical inquiry about identity, privilege, and social justice. Cross listed with COUN 6310. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
This course will introduce students to participatory research methods, including Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), PAR, youth participatory evaluation, and design based research. Graduate students will study current examples of this work, design, and conduct a study in their professional context. Cross listed COUN 6320. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: GRD
Examines training principles, processes, and practices in clinical supervision. Emphasis on individual and family therapy supervision. Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100, 5910 and 5930. Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development. Repeatable. Max Hours: 12 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 12.
Prereq: COUN 5010, 5100, 5910 and 5930 Restriction: Restricted to COUN and CAFT majors within the School of Education and Human Development