The Department of Counselor Education.......

Counselor Education faculty and staff from left:  Dr. Thomas Scofield, Dr. Renae Reljic, Dr. Alan Saginak, Paula Geier, Dr. Kelli Saginak, and Dr. Charles Lindsey

The Master of Science in Education-Counseling degree is designed to be the strong foundation upon which graduates enter a lifetime career in the helping professions. This program prepares counselors to respond to the multitude of changes in society and to the ever-expanding counseling profession. In addition to knowledge and experience in the following common, core areas, graduates also have specialized knowledge and skills as identified in the objectives of the Community Counseling, School Counseling, and Student Affairs and College Counseling majors.

The Department of Counselor Education has been accredited since 1992 by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP sets standards for counselor education programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Our program offers the MSE degree with emphases in Community, School, and Student Affairs/College Counseling. Each program area consists of 48 credits. The program’s core curriculum serves as a foundation for each of the three program areas. Students experience a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes experiential, “hands-on” learning accompanied by supervision and mentoring.

An on-site review will take place during the 2006-07 academic year. At that time, a team of counselor educators, trained by CACREP, will spend two to three days on campus meeting with students, graduates, administrators, faculty, and staff. The team will then make its recommendations to the CACREP board of directors for reaccreditation. Only two other counselor education programs in Wisconsin (UW Whitewater and UW Superior) have achieved CACREP accreditation.The program continues to provide a quality experience for students. Course curriculum and clinical requirements are continually updated to meet the demands of the counseling profession. Competency portfolios and the integration of service-learning are examples of ways in which the program is evolving to enhance students’ education and training.