Hi! I am obtaining my BS degree in psychology in Feb of 2011. I attend Ashford University online which I love. My next move is grad school. I am not looking to get my license right now but i do want to work as a counselor. Do you guys have any recommendations for schools? Also should i still major in psychology or counseling psychology (university of the rockies stated i should get my MA in psych with a specialization in mediation and conflict resolution). I'm not looking to do private practice or anything, i plan to work in non-profit sectors and group/elder homes (residential facilities).
APA doesn't matter quite as much at the Masters Level as it does at the Doctorate level. In most states, being a licensed counselor requires anywhere from 48 to 60 credits at the masters level (OK requires 60) along with 600 hours of internship and 100 hours of practicum. To become an LPC, you have a couple options. You can piecemeal the required hours by taking a general psych degree, and filling in the blanks with graduate certs and a few single masters level courses here and there. Walden offers a degree program in Mental Health Counseling that's CACREP accredited, but its a counseling degree, not a psych degree, which might give you a little trouble getting into a psych doctorate if you chose to do so at a later point. I haven't really looked at the Rockies program at this point (I've heard they're pretty good, but expensive.) I'm sure there's a few other schools out there that offer what's needed DL, but I just haven't delved deep enough. I've found a local B&M school that I'm looking at pursuing a masters in Counseling Psychology that's all inclusive of the requirements to sit for the LPC test, and its a state school so the total cost for the 2.5-3 year program is only going to be around $12k for me. (Should I get in, I'm not applying until January)
