The second admissions review occurs during the semester the student is enrolled in CNS 585, Practicum in Counseling. (Application should be made at the beginning of the semester in which the student is enrolled in this class.)
The purposes of candidacy are:
- to ensure that students are integrating material from the classroom to real-life experiences,
- to verify that professional goals are specific and focused,
- to clarify that students have formulated a realistic view of what they need to do to become effective professionals,
- to ensure that students understand and can meet ethical standards, and
- to ensure that students can express themselves regarding controversial issues in the field.
The process for applying for Admission to Candidacy in the Department of Counseling is:
- Applicant files a formal Application for Admission to Candidacy Form with the Department
(these are available from the Practicum instructor, advisor, or Department Secretary).
On the form for application, the student declares his/her chosen area of specialization.
The Department acknowledges receipt of the application by letter, also informing the student of the following specific procedures.
Before being admitted to Candidacy, the applicant must meet with his/her Team from the speciality area. That meeting will include the following areas (see individual area of specialization):
- School Specializations:
- Develop and submit a portfolio (instructions are available from your Advisor).
- React to a case study.
- Discuss with the Team the student’s progress in the program and review the Plan of Work.
- Community/Mental Health Specializations:
- Present the case of a current client with an accompanying tape (videotape preferred) of that session. (A tape sample critique form may be obtained from your Advisor.)
- - Discuss the case presentation and videotape with the Faculty members of the Community/Mental Health Counseling Team.
- - Demonstrate basic listening and relationship skills, basic case conceptualization skills, treatment planning, client assessment, and an analysis of their clinical strengths and weaknesses.
- Complete a portfolio (instructions are available from your Advisor).
- Discuss case conceptualization of a client vignette given to the student during the candidacy meeting.
- Discuss with the Team the student’s progress in the program and review the Plan of Work.
- Present the case of a current client with an accompanying tape (videotape preferred) of that session. (A tape sample critique form may be obtained from your Advisor.)
- College Counseling Specialization:
- Provide a Personal Philosophical Statement which will explain how classroom learning interacts with practical experience, including the student’s statement of his/her philosophy of student development.
- Submit a statement of short term and long term goals.
- Present an updated resume, which includes presentations, major papers, pamphlets, etc.
- Provide an annotated bibliography of recent readings, not to exceed two pages.
- Submit a portfolio (instructions are available from your Advisor).
- - Present the case of a past or present client with an accompanying tape (videotape preferred) of that session. (A tape sample critique form may be obtained from your Advisor.)
- - Discuss the case presentation and videotape with the Faculty members of the College/Student Personnel Team.
- - Demonstrate basic listening and relationship skills, basic case conceptualization skills, treatment planning, client assessment, and an analysis of their clinical strengths and weaknesses.
- Discuss with the Team the student’s progress in the program and review the Plan of Work.
- College Student Personnel Specialization:
- Review the research proposal, either from the research class or a new proposal. (See Appendix B for policy and procedures regarding Human Subject Research.)
- Provide a Personal Philosophical Statement which will explain how classroom learning interacts with practical experience, including the student’s statement of his/her philosophy of college student personnel.
- Submit a statement of short term and long term goals.
- Present an updated resume, which includes presentations, major papers, pamphlets, etc.
- Provide a bibliography of influential readings, personal and professional.
- Submit a portfolio (instructions are available from your Advisor).
- Discuss with the Team the student’s progress in the program and review the Plan of Work
The applicant must have maintained a grade-point average of not less than a “B” (3.0) in all graduate courses.
A grade of “B” or better in CNS 578, Pre-Practicum in Counseling is required for continuance.
A grade of “B” or better in CNS 585, Practicum in Counseling is required for continuance.
The applicant must have attended the New Student Orientation Meeting.
The department’s expectations are that the applicants have already attended a professional conference by this point. If not, they are expected to attend one prior to the completion of their Clinical Field II experience (Adv. Clinical Field for Mental Health students). Those who do not meet this requirement will receive an incomplete for the course.
The applicant must belong to a professional organization reflecting the students’ professional track and development.
The Team Leader will then present the application to the Department for consideration of admittance to candidacy.
Once a decision is made, the student will receive a letter from the Department stating this decision.
Students must have obtained candidacy in order to graduate from the program.
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS
The portfolio is an organized, structured exhibit of the competencies students develop through the counseling program at
The first review of the portfolio will take place at the time of candidacy (with the exception of Student Personnel Students, who will have theirs reviewed earlier). Candidacy will not be granted until the initial portfolio requirements are met. The final review of the portfolio will take place during CNS 589, Clinical Field Experience II (Advanced Clinical Field Experience for Mental Health students) or CNS 562, Student Personnel Work in Higher Education for Student Personnel students.
Specific portfolio requirements/guidelines are different for each specialization and may be obtained from your advisor, team leader, or Practicum instructor. They are also available in Appendix C. In general, most portfolios should contain:
- Table of Contents
- Preface explaining the purpose of the portfolio
- Resume (in progress)
- Philosophy of counseling
- Statement of professional goals
- A summary of each course completed, including it’s application to the profession. It should also include a major paper and/or project from the class.
- Listing of professional experiences (e.g., workshops, lectures, conferences, etc.)
- Membership in professional organizations
- Annotated listing of books read above and beyond course work
- An audio- or videotape and critique of a client session
Students are reminded that portfolios are a “work in progress” and should be continually updated.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTICUM AND CLINICAL FIELD EXPERIENCES
The Department of Counseling consider the supervised field experiences of Practicum, Clinical Field Experience I, Clinical Field Experience II and Advanced Clinical Field Experience to be the most important sequence of professional preparation in students’ programs. These laboratory and field based experiences are designed to sequentially integrate knowledge and skills from earlier work as well as to allow for the development of new skills. In addition, the experiences serve as a vehicle for communication and networking, (i.e. serving as one important means of linking the student, the Department, and field-based professionals in dialogue, feedback and development of mutual interests). The importance of Practicum and Field placements cannot be over-stressed. For this reason, emphasis is made on the student becoming familiar with the requirements and following them exactly as specified.
Overall Requirements
- There are four specific requirements in the program sequence designed as Practicum and/or Clinical Field Experience. The two Practica and the two (three for Mental Health specialties) Clinical Field Experiences are clearly separate and sequential experiences in the counseling program and MUST THEREFORE, BE REGISTERED IN FOUR OR FIVE TERMS.
- Sites selected for Practicum and Clinical Field Experience placement, whether school or agency based, are expected to adhere to nondiscriminatory practices in providing services to clientele (see site selection guidelines in Practicum and Field Manual). The Department of Counseling, being a unit within a state funded institution of higher learning, is in support of compliance with current federal and state laws and regulations enforcing equal opportunity. The Department expects that students seek field placement in schools and agencies which provide equal educational, employment and economic opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, religion, memberships, gender, or disability. Students placed in approved sites are expected to experience and have direct contact with the full range of clientele representative of ethnic, lifestyle and demographic diversity of the geographic area served by the institution. While schools and agencies may request approval as a placement site, the final decision regarding the suitability of placement sites for training purposes resides with the Department.
- Students enrolled in any program leading to a degree in the Department of Counseling are required to complete two semesters of Practicum:
- Pre-Practicum in Counseling - CNS 578 (Pre-Practicum must be successfully completed prior to approval for enrollment in Practicum.)
- Practicum in Counseling - CNS 585 (Practicum must be successfully completed prior to approval for enrollment in Clinical Field Experience
- In addition to the Practicum requirement, all students are required to complete two semesters (three for Mental Health) of Clinical Field Experience:
- Clinical Field Experience I - CNS 580 and
- Clinical Field Experience II - CNS 589
- Advanced Clinical Field Experience - CNS 590
(for Mental Health concentration)
Mandatory Practicum/Field Meetings
- The Department holds mandatory practicum/field meetings at the beginning of each semester for those students planning to schedule Practicum or Field Experience during the semester following the meetings. (For example, if a student is interested in scheduling Practicum during the Fall semester, they must attend the meeting held in the Spring semester.)
- The purpose of this meeting is to review guidelines for Practicum and Field Experience and are normally held from
- In preparation for the meeting, students are asked to do the following:
- Pick up a list of Practicum/Field Sites (by specialty) which will be available in the lobby approximately two weeks before the meetings.
- Make preliminary decisions about which sites to choose.
- Get permission from your advisor (who will be available at the meeting) to pursue the site.
- Students who do not attend these meetings will NOT be permitted to schedule Practicum or Field.
ACT 34 Clearance and Pennsylvania
- Students planning to do Practicums or Field placements at schools or other sites working with children or adolescents must have ACT 34 clearance and Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance.
Practicum Requirements
- Practicum at
- Pre-Practicum -- Pre-Practicum in Counseling is designed as a laboratory course offered during Phase I of the student’s program. A wide variety of micro skills training methods, and audio taping and/or videotaping experiences are incorporated into this laboratory experience. Successful completion of this course is required to progress in the program. Students must receive a grade of “B” (3.0) or better to continue in the program.
- Practicum in Counseling -- Practicum is a Phase II, field based assignment in an agency, school setting
- -Students enrolled in Practicum (CNS 585) must accumulate a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) clock hours at the site during the academic term. Enrollment for Practicum is, therefore, an ongoing commitment of ten (10) clock hours per week for the fifteen (15) week term. Students must receive a grade of “B” (3.0) or better to be considered for admission to candidacy. Additional information regarding Practicum selection and requirements is contained in the “Guidelines for Practicum” available from the Field Coordinator.
- Deadlines for pre-registration are:
- April 1 for the summer semester
- May 1 for the fall semester, and
- November 1 for the spring semester
- All students wanting to schedule Practicum or Clinical Field Experience I must attend the Field Orientation Meeting during the semester prior to their placement. These meetings are usually held late September and late February.
Clinical Field Experience Requirements
Clinical Field Experience is the culminating experience in the student’s program. As such, it is expected that students enrolled in Clinical Field Experience will assume more professional responsibility than students enrolled in Practicum. The student, being at the end of his/her program of training, will be expected to assume all the responsibilities of a regular staff member in the setting in which he/she is doing the internship experience.
- Clinical Field Experience sites are selected with advisor’s approval from an approved listing in the same manner as the Practicum site. Prior approval is required for sites not on the approved list. Students should begin the process early to ensure approval at least one (1) month before the pre-registration date with the Field Coordinator.
- Clinical Field Experience will consist of two, three (3) semester credit hour courses and together will require the completion of a minimum of 600 clock hours in the selected professional setting. (Please Note: Students enrolled in the Mental Health concentration will be required to complete an additional three (3) semester credit hour course, for a total of nine (9) semester credit hours of Clinical Field Experience with 900 hours of supervision.)
- Usually CNS 580 and CNS 589 (and CNS 590 for Mental Health specialties) are enrolled in sequentially as a one-half time internship for the academic year. These are taken in the final two semesters, or final three semesters for students in the Mental Health concentration, of graduate work.
- Deadlines for pre-registration are:
- April 1 for the summer semester,
- May 1 for the fall semester, and
- November 1 for the spring semester.
- All students wanting to schedule Practicum or Clinical Field Experience I must attend the Field Orientation Meeting during the semester prior to their placement. These meetings are usually held late September and late February.
Additional information regarding Clinical Field Experience site selection and requirements are contained in the “Guidelines for Clinical Field Experience” available from the Field Coordinator.
Formal Process of Communication within Department and Between The Department and Site Supervisors
When an advisor or the Field Coordinator is notified by a student in Practicum or Clinical Field Experience that the student wishes to change their field placement, the advisor or Field Coordinator will inform the Practicum or Field instructor with whom the intern is taking class. The Practicum or Field instructor will be responsible for notifying the site supervisor of the intern’s request in writing or by phone. The purpose of this notification is to ensure that the student has informed the supervisor of their wish to change sites and to ensure that the student works cooperatively with the site supervisor in terminating with clients, making referrals for clients, and completing the necessary paperwork.
When the Practicum or Field instructor is notified by a student that he/she wishes to change their field placement, the instructor will notify the student’s advisor, the Field Coordinator, and the site supervisor. One month prior to the end of each Practicum and Clinical Field Experience, the instructor will ask students if they are planning on continuing in their current site or if they are switching sites. The instructor will contact the site supervisor of those students who plan to switch sites. The purpose of this notification is to ensure that all parties have been informed of the student’s wish to change sites and to ensure that a responsible and ethical termination process with clients and the site takes place.
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Note to Community and Mental Health Counseling Students
- The Community and Mental Health programs are designed to prepare counselors in general counseling skills with a wide variety of clients. They will prepare students to obtain state licensure as a counselor. These programs, however, do not prepare specialists (i.e., play therapists, addictions counselors, marriage, couple or family therapists). Students wishing to develop a specialty area will need to complete post-graduate training and/or supervision.
- Advisors in the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling concentration will not approve Practicum or Clinical Field Experience sites in private practice settings. The Department and CACREP consider the Master’s degree programs in the Department of Counseling as foundational building programs for individuals desiring to become professional counselors. Therefore, field placement experiences should be broad based with a varied number of clientele and presenting pathologies. Settings for these kinds of foundational building experiences are best found in agency settings with varied clinical approaches available to the student for observation and processing.
- The Department of Counseling Faculty believe that students completing the Master’s Degree program in Community Counseling or in Mental Health Counseling are not ready to enter private practice. Ongoing supervision is critical to continued professional development. Such supervision is seldom available in a private practice setting after graduation. Thus the focus during training is on a community agency setting as opposed to a private practice setting. Students are reminded of the Agreement to Refrain from Private Practice Form which was signed during the application process.
- The Community and Mental Health programs are designed to prepare counselors in general counseling skills with a wide variety of clients. They will prepare students to obtain state licensure as a counselor. These programs, however, do not prepare specialists (i.e., play therapists, addictions counselors, marriage, couple or family therapists). Students wishing to develop a specialty area will need to complete post-graduate training and/or supervision.
