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To attain the professional counseling concentration, students must accrue at least 60 credit hours, including field experience. The sequenced, mental health program of study is designed to meet the Oklahoma State Department of Health's academic requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Students must first meet requirements for the33 hour M.Ed. in Applied Behavioral Studies (ABS), then complete 5 more courses (which includes field experience) in order to have the "Professional Counseling" designation added to their transcript--bringing the total to 60 credit hours (as required by Oklahoma). Most courses are offered in the evening, but flexible daytime schedules are necessary for Practicum and Internship. The program is designed for fall admission and is "fast-track" in that most of the courses are offered in a once-per-week, 8-week session. This allows full-time students beginning in the fall to finish in two years (and part-time students beginning in the fall to finish in about four years). Some courses, such as Practicum and Internship, will be offered in longer sessions. Each 3 credit hour course requires a one-weekend seminar while 4 credit hour courses will require more. Some summer course work is required. Because of this unique structure, students may have to attend some classes on days when the university is otherwise closed. Special fees apply to a few classes.

      Emphasizing a practitioner-wellness model, counseling is viewed as an integration of art and science at OCU. As such, the counselor's effectiveness becomes a product, in part, of personal awareness and creativity. The experiential philosophy of the program reflects this belief by emphasizing students' personal growth and development as critical in the training of counselors. It is therefore assumed that students not only desire, but also intend to pursue the inspection of their own personal identity, growth, and development--both inside and outside the classroom--as an integral part of their graduate studies in counseling at OCU.

Fall-1st 8 weeks
ABS 5713   Counseling Theories
ABS 6813   Human Development

Fall-2nd 8 weeks
ABS 6903   Research Methods
ABS 5314   Assessment I

Spring-1st 8 weeks
ABS 5703   Behavior Pathology
ABS 6513   Socio-cultural Foundations

Spring-2nd 8 weeks
ABS 5363  Counseling Children & Adolescents
ABS 6975  Professional Orientation/Ethics

Summer
ABS 6743  Group Process
ABS 5813  Career Development

Fall
ABS 6714   Advanced Counseling Techniques (1st 8 weeks)
ABS 5364   Topics: Personality Theory (2nd 8 weeks)
ABS 6776   Practicum (both terms)

Spring
ABS 6314   Assessment II
ABS 6979   Internship (both terms) 

[* curriculum/sequence subject to change; bottom 5 classes require candidacy status (see below) and denote a required course to be taken beyond the 33 hour M.Ed. in Applied Behavioral Studies in order to have the "Professional Counseling" designation added to the transcript--if seeking the LPC; 3 & 4 year plans of study also available]

 CANDIDACY & PROBATION

Near completion of the 33 hour M.Ed. in Applied Behavioral Studies, students will be evaluated and must "advance to candidacy" in order to continue study toward the Professional Counseling concentration (for those seeking the LPC). This requires grades of at least 3.0 in each course as well as demonstrating a high degree of professionalism, responsibility, reliability, ethical behavior, knowledge, writing ability, a non-combative, non-abrasive attitude, and a disposition deemed suitable by the faculty. An oral candidacy interview may also be requested.

If a student's grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.0 before or after candidacy, he/she will be placed on academic probation with one semester to raise the GPA to 3.0 or higher. Students entering on probation must raise their ABS GPA to at least a 3.0 within the next 9 semester hours taken. A student placed on probation twice may disqualify him/her from continuation. Only one course grade in the C range is acceptable. Under no circumstances is a grade below the C range acceptable.

QUALIFICATIONS & ADMISSIONS (see Graduate Catalog for any other req's)

• An earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education (or its substantial foreign equivalent)
  
• Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Students may be admitted on probation, at the discretion of the program director, with a cumulative GPA of 2.750-2.990.
  
• Official transcripts from all academic institutions attended.
  
• Ability to speak and write proficiently in the English language.
• 2 satisfactory recommendation letters (from faculty)--sent to Admissions
  
• Submission of transcripts from all institutions, reflecting all course work taken

 [Students whose native language is other than English must demonstrate proof of English language proficiency. Applicants must achieve a score of at least 80 on the internet-based TOEFL, 550 on the international paper-based TOEFL, or an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with at least 5.5 on each band score. The requirements may also be met by completing level 112 of the intensive program at an ELS language center]

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