Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP)
The MSCP degree is designed to meet the academic requirements for the state
of Oklahoma’s Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. This course of
study is a 60-hour program. The curriculum is divided into seventeen modules
containing theoretical and applied psychotherapy courses, 300 hours of
internship, and a thesis. Courses are completed over five, nontraditional,
accelerated semesters. The courses (modules) are taken sequentially, to allow
focused study on one subject area at a time. Class meetings occur one night per
week for a four-hour session or on intensive weekend courses that meet Friday
and Saturday for eight hours each day. Extensive directed study occurs outside
the classroom, in preparation for participative learning experiences during
class time.
In addition to the courses, the MSCP student will complete a master's thesis
and 300 hours of Internship. Specific guidelines for the thesis and internship
are provided in supplemental publications (Thesis Handbook, Internship
Handbook). Work on all three components of the program (modules, thesis, and
internship) occurs simultaneously. Work on the thesis begins in the Research
Methods module; work on the internship starts at the beginning of the second
semester.
A scientist practitioner model of professional training assumes that in order
to become professional qualified; you must seek to understand the research
underpinnings of the discipline while simultaneously developing counseling
knowledge and skills. The thesis is the primary tool for helping the student to
develop competency in research.
Another vital component of counselor preparation is supervised experience in
counseling situations. This process is initiated briefly in the first module,
but is developed more fully during the internship placement. Internships begin
in the second semester and are completed by the fourth semester. The internship
occurs in approved clinical settings. Throughout the program, the student is
encouraged to apply the training from the psychotherapy lab courses. The
clinical capstone of the program occurs in the Multicultural Treatment Planning
course. The student integrates the assessment, diagnostic and treatment process
into a clinical demonstration of his/her ability to conceptualize the dynamics
of the client and to articulate a comprehensive treatment plan.
All masters’ degree programs at SNU require an exit evaluation. In the MSCP
program, the exit evaluation takes the form of an oral defense of the master's
thesis and a Clinical Competency Interview (CCI). Specific guidelines for
completing the thesis defense are found in the MSCP Thesis Handbook. The
Clinical Competency Interview (CCI) is a way of demonstrating clinical
competency of the student and synthesizing the various clinical components of
the program. The CCI is intended to evaluate the student’s competence in
assessing, diagnosing, and treating clients. Specific guidelines for completing
the CCI are available in the CCI Handbook.
Requirements to complete the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology
PSY 5333 Introduction to Counseling Techniques
PSY 5313 Lifespan
Development
PSY 6133 Research Methods
PSY 5263 Psychopathology
PSY
6333 Theories of Counseling
PSY 5143 Family and Psychological Assessment
PSY 5283 Professional Orientation
PSY 6263 Family Crisis Intervention
PSY 6293 Philosophy of Interpersonal Relationships
PSY 6303 Counseling
Children and Adolescents
PSY 6243 Marriage and Family Therapy
PSY 6353
Counseling the Elderly
PSY 6393 Multicultural Treatment Planning
PSY
6143 Research Methods Two
PSY 6213 Group Psychotherapy Techniques
PSY
6193 Caress Assessment and Counseling
PSY 6233 Brief Psychotherapy
PSY
6993 Thesis
PSY 6196 Internship