Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) - California University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The University has been accredited for more than 40 years and was founded in 1852.

The Master of Science degree prepares students to work as professional counselors in a variety of behavioral health and social service settings. Courses offered by the department have been approved by both the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Pennsylvania Department of Education for certification and continuing education credits (Act 48).

The program fulfills the degree requirements necessary to become a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), as well as being able to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE). Students also have the option to take an additional 6 credits before or after graduation to total 60 credits, also required to become Licensed Professional Counselors in Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Licensure Act 136 of 1998). Students will need two or more additional years of supervised work experience after graduation to complete the requirements for LPC.

Prospective students are advised to read the CED Student Handbook, which describes the philosophy, admissions and departmental procedures in detail. This may be downloaded at http://www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/education/counselor-education/index.htm.

Traditional with occasional online coursework

• Minimum overall undergraduate 3.00 GPA (see handbook for exceptions)
  
• Applications may be considered with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.60, a score of 403+ on Miller Analogies Test (MAT) and admissions interview
  
• Graduate School Application plus $25 nonrefundable application fee
• Three professional letters of recommendation (see handbook)
• One-page resume of work and education
• Psychobiography
• Official transcripts from all graduate and undergraduate work
• An admissions interview may be required

Important Information to Consider

Community and Agency Counseling
The Community and Agency Counseling program at California University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). That accreditation runs through March 2014. Due to impending changes in the accreditation process, Community and Agency Counseling students should plan to graduate by this date. See your adviser for more information.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling:
In order to better serve our students, our department is preparing to transition from Community Counseling to the new CACREP designation for counselors working in community settings named, Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC).

The CMHC program is currently accredited by CACREP as a Community Counseling program through March 2014. The CED department intends to seek full CACREP accreditation for this program as a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, when it comes up for reaccreditation per CACREP guidelines.

Summary
Students who graduate in either the Community and Agency or the CMHC program prior to our obtaining CACREP reaccreditation in 2014 will be considered to have graduated from our CACREP accredited Community Counseling program. See your advisor for more information.

State and National

• National Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Students can begin to fulfill exam and credit requirements toward becoming Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) in Pennsylvania

Practicum and field education are taken near the end of the student’s program. Practicum requires two days per week on-site for a minimum of 150 hours. Students will be supervised by professionals in their areas of interest. Internship experiences require a minimum of 600 hours under the supervision of counselors in the students’ areas of interest. This will be arranged in consultation with the internship coordinator.

Co-requisites: Either one course in psychology (graduate or undergraduate) or approved CED substitution. Must have a minimum C (2.00) undergraduate grade, or 3.00 graduate grade, and may be taken concurrently with other CED requirements.

Practicum/clinical field experience: Practicum and clinical field experience are taken near the end of the student’s program. Practicum requires a minimum of 150 hours on-site. The student will be supervised by a professional in his/her area of interest. The clinical field experience requires a minimum of 600 hours under the supervision of a professional in the student’s area of interest. This will be arranged in consultation with the field site coordinator.

John Patrick, D.Ed.
724-938-4123
patrick@calu.edu

http://www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/education/counselor-education/index.htm

School of Graduate Studies and Research
California University of Pennsylvania
Eberly 202B
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419
724-938-4187
http://www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/graduate-school/index.htm

Jacqueline A. Walsh, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, Professor; Department Chair; 724-938-4123; walsh@calu.edu
Grafton Eliason, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, Professor; 724-938-4464; eliason@calu.edu
Gloria Cataldo Brusoski, Ph.D., NCC, Professor, Licensed Psychologist; 724-938-4123; brusoski@calu.edu
Elizabeth Gruber, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, Professor/Field Site Coordinator;724-938-1567; gruber@calu.edu
John Patrick, D.Ed., CRC, NCC, LPC, Professor; 724-938-4452; patrick@calu.edu
Jeff Samide, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, Associate Professor; 724-938-4123; samide@calu.edu
Taunya Tinsley, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, Associate Professor;724-938-5698; tinsley@calu.edu