LPC & UWA MSCE Counseling/Psychology

Has anyone completed the University of West Alabama’s MSCE in Counseling/Psychology, and used that to either transfer to Northcentral’s PhD program, or as the beginning of a 60-credit LPC licensure track? I found an old thread discussing UWA and LPC, but no replies from anyone actually having done this. From the older thread, it looks like the additional 27 credits needed to total the 60 required for LPC licensing can be completed at UWA (at least in Alabama), but are there other options available online? Would 27 credits into Northcentral’s PhD program work to meet this requirement?
Thanks!
Steve

 

The MSCE program at UWA is only 33 credits. If your intention is to be a Licensed Counselor, Capella University offers a Master of Science in Human Services that meets the academic credit hours required for licensure. The program is CACREP Accredited. The gold standard for counseling. The tuition is on par with NCU.

http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/human_services/masters/mental_health_counseling.aspx

Liberty University offers a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling. It is not CACREP Accredited. However, the program is
48 credits and may meet licensure for counseling practice.

http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=8747

 

For starters, the 60 semester hour rule is not universal, so one would have to go to one's State Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists (or whatever your state might call it) to find the number of hours required in your state. Some states require only the "mere" "ordinary" 30 semester hour master's degree, some require 48 semester hours, and some require 60 semester hours. As it just so happens, the Ohio State Board of Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists requires (a) a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited educational institution and (b) 90 quarter hours <60 semester hours> in counselor training, which the individual may complete while working toward the graduate degree in counseling or subsequent to receiving the degree. In other words, a 30 semester hour or 48 semester hour master's degree in counseling is not useless in the State of Ohio; for, even though 90 quarter hours <60 semester hours> are required, one could do a 30 semester hour <45 quarter hour> master's degree plus an additional 30 semester hours <45 quarter hours> subsequently, or one could do a 48 semester hour <72 quarter hour> master's degree with 12 semester hours <18 quarter hours> subsequently, or one could simply do a 60 semester hour <90 quarter hour> master's degree. With respect to the University of West Alabama www.uwa.edu , while it is true that the degree is only 33 semester hours, there are a total of 60 semester hours offered online in total. While it is true that Liberty University www.liberty.edu offers a 48 semester hour short residency MA in Professional Counseling and there are only 48 semester hours offered online, the program requires 9 semester hours to be taken in residency in a one-week format (these are not offered online) and the student is allowed to transfer in 9 semester hours. Thus, between 9 allowable transfer semester hours, 9 semester hours of required residency hours, and 48 online semester hours offered, that makes 66 semester hours available. Moreover, even if one has a 30 semester hour or 48 semester hour master's degree in counseling and lives in a 60 semester hours required state, one need not necessarily get all 60 semester hours in one degree, but could get some combination of the master's degree plus some loose credits. And, while one is better off with a professionally accredited degree (for reasons of ease of transfer), it is possible that a regionally accredited degree or even a nationally accredited degree could work for some people, depending on the licensure requirements of their state.

 

Chadron State College ( www.csc.edu ) offers counseling and psychology courses. Inexpensive. You may be able to transfer 6 credit hours towards a UWA degree or/and take the extra courses to meet academic requirements for an LPC licensure. You are right Ted ( about your entire post actually ), the 60 hour requirement is not universal. It is a good idea to compare the offered courses with state academic requirements and ask if the degree program is acceptable in the eyes of the state board.

 

Just to repeat, the 60 hour requirement is not universal. Illinois required 30 in 1992 and moved it up to 48 in 1999.

Also regarding NA, I have never seen a state license people without a RA degree or a foreign equivalent degree--if someone has an example of this please post. The NCC requires RA for the national accreditation.

 

In California, a state approved degree may satisfy the educational requirements for a MFT and counseling licensure. However, things may change in the future. Eventually, state approved degrees may not meet the educational requirements for licensure.

http://www.bbs.ca.gov/mfc-schl.htm

" Educational Requirements:
4999.32. The educational qualifications for licensure as a professional counselor include all of the following:
(a) A master’s or doctoral degree in counseling, or a closely related degree, obtained from a school, college, or university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or its equivalent regional accrediting association, or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education."

http://www.caccl.org/requirements.html

 

Thanks raristud2, that's an interesting point. CA is unique in that the old "Marriage, Family and Child Counselor" credential is now licensed under LMFT, and CA has usually been an exception. If CA will allow state approved psychologists, it makes sense that they would allow state-approved LPC's.

 

I thought you were correct. I did'nt know California allowed holders of state approved degrees to seek counseling licensure. Don't agree with it from a quality standpoint, but the opportunity is there for prospective licensure applicants.

 

I thought you were correct. I did'nt know California allowed holders of state approved degrees to seek counseling licensure. Don't agree with it from a quality standpoint, but the opportunity is there for prospective licensure applicants.

 

I'm a UWA MSCE counseling Student

And Ted is exactly right....I am working towards my 24th credit this "quarter" (For which I earn "semester" credit...I have no idea why that works but it does.) and I will finish with 48 credits needed. UWA is extremely student friendly. I have been extremely happy with their program... It's cheap... It's rigorous... and it's RA. And, your entire 60 hours can be done within the program at UWA.
I hope to transfer into the argosy Ed.d. in counseling program which will not accept you unless you have a "licensable" masters degree. Good luck!

 

UWA MSCE Counseling/Psychology

I did the UWA MSCE Counseling/Psychology program. I am trying to figure out what I can do with it. I don't know if I need to pursue more school to be able to use the degree or if this degree is enough. . .

 

I received the MSCE with a concentration in Counseling/Psychology and was well pleased with my experience at UWA. The school used to have a statement that "while the degree is not sufficient for licensure for the LPC in Alabama the school can make provisions for you to receive the appropriate 48 credit hours." I no longer see this statement, but you might ask. As was mentioned, the school is very student friendly. Another advantage, and the reason I attended, is that you can get 18 hours in PSY courses which will allow you to teach Psychology at a Community College.

Prior to attending UWA, I received my MA in Counseling from Liberty. The school used to have one of the higher pass rates on the LPC exam, I am not sure that this is still the case.

If UWA does not have the option to work with you for the complete 48 hours I would not begin the program.

Suggestions:
Liberty University
Chadron State
Peru College
Adams College

to name a few.

Good Luck.

 

From a cost perspective:
Peru College & Chadron College approx. 270 per credit hour
Adams College about 370 per credit hour
Liberty Univ. nearly 470.00 per credit hour

Adams is the only one in the list that is CACREP and has a 60 hour Masters, which will probably become the standard sometime soon. This puts counselors on par with social workers and may remove some bias in the area of Medicare billing.

Liberty has the most experience in the online counseling arena, but this is not always best.

The list is not by any means exclusive, but, if I had to make a choice of those listed it would be Adams College. (Sorry, Liberty, I ran out on my alma mater!

 

Holy thread necromancy, Batman! A five year old thread! :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

Actually, that's Adams State University, fka Adams State College.

 

LOL Ted, I always look forward to your posts... They make me laugh each time!!!