BRIDGEWATER STATE COLLEGE MASTER'S PROGRAM

GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION

PROGRAM STATEMENT

The Bridgewater State College graduate Department of Counselor Education prepares professionals to provide counseling, consultation, and preventive services to individuals, families, groups, and communities in mental health, higher education, and preK-12 educational settings. The department is particularly suited to the needs of adult learners and non-traditional students who are seeking career advancement or a change in career. Students typically are part-time and are balancing graduate studies with multiple roles and responsibilities. Using a constructivist framework, the faculty build on students' prior knowledge, background, and experience. The counseling faculty is diverse with regard to background, experience, and counseling orientation, and prepare counselors to help clients effectively respond to developmental, educational, career, mental health and other lifespan challenges. Professional ethics, legal standards, technology, and multicultural competencies are also infused throughout the curriculum and experiential opportunities. Graduate students in the Department of Counselor Education are educated to think critically, communicate effectively, and responsibly utilize innovative strategies to enhance the practice of counseling in the 21st century. The faculty facilitates the ability of students to translate theoretical and philosophical principles into practical application to promote wellness throughout the lifespan. Students graduate prepared to pursue licensure in their respective area of counseling.

PROGRAM MISSION

Unlike most student affairs and college student personnel programs at focus on higher education administration, the M.Ed. Program in Student Affairs at Bridgewater State College provides students with a strong counseling foundation. In addition to courses on student development theory, foundations and philosophies in higher education, and student affairs administration, graduates in the program learn basic counseling skills to help in a variety of capacities: individual, group, and crisis counseling interventions. The program places a strong emphasis on the professional development of its students. Students partner each year with the faculty to present at national student affairs conferences. Adjunct Faculty are current Student Affairs Practitioners from area colleges and universities which provides students with a practitioner-educator focus. Students have opportunities for internship and fieldwork experiences at colleges and universities within Boston, Massachusetts and the Southeastern Massachusetts area.

PROGRAM UNIQUENESS

APPLICATION AND ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field, which includes at least one of the following courses: general psychology, abnormal psychology and developmental psychology.
• 2.8 undergraduate GPA.
• A composite score of 1000 on the quantitative and verbal parts of the GRE General Test.
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one of which should be from a supervisor who has knowledge of the applicant's aptitude for the higher education/counseling profession and counseling related experience.
• Applicants must have successful experience in a counseling capacity or related experience in higher education.
• All applicants will be required to interview with a faculty member.
• A completed application, including a five-hundred word personal statement that presents a synthesized, integrated, and self-reflective description of the applicant's career goals as they relate to higher education counseling.
• This 51 credit hour program is designed for those students interested in careers in higher education/student affairs settings.

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

Program Curriculum:

Counseling Core Courses

• CNGC 528 Counseling and Development (3 credits)
• CNGC 529 Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
• CNGC 500 Research and Evaluation (3 credits)
• CNGC 539 Group I: Theory & Practice of Group Interaction (3 credits)
• CNGC 520 Group Experience (Pass/No Pass) (0 credits)
• CNGC 539 Introduction to Career Counseling (3 credits)

Student Affairs Core Courses

• CNSA 551 Student Development Theory (3 credits)
• CNSA 523 Foundations in Higher Education Counseling for Student Affairs Practice (3 credits)
• CNSA 520 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Student Affairs (3 credits)
• CNSA 525 Student Affairs Administration (3 credits)
• CNSA 530 Applied Counseling for Student Affairs Professionals (3 credits)
• CNSA 560 Special Topics in Student Affairs (or other elective) (1-3 credits)
• CNSA 570 Advanced Applied in Student Affairs Counseling (3 credits)
• CNSA 571 Internship in Student Affairs Counseling (12 credits)

Capstone Experience Choices

• Option A: Comprehensive Exam and Capstone Portfolio or
• Option B: Master’s Thesis

Is a thesis required? See Capstone above.

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Students in student affairs or higher education administration programs (2005-2006):

PROGRAM FACULTY (Name, title, typical number of coursed taught annually, interests)

Michael M. Kocet, Ph.D. Program Director for Student Affairs, Full-Time Faculty
Courses taught: Student Development Theory, Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Student Affairs, Foundations of Higher Education Counseling, Intro to Career Counseling, Internship Seminar.

J. Allen Ward, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty (Visiting Lecturer), Senior Associate Dean of Students, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Courses Taught: Student Affairs Administration, Special Topics in Student Affairs.

Beth Moriarty, M.S., Adjunct Faculty (Visiting Lecturer), Director of Residence Life & Housing, Bridgewater State College. Courses Taught: Student Development Theory, Special Topics in Student Affairs, Millenial Students.

Helen Santos, Ed.D. Adjunct Faculty (Visiting Lecturer), Dean of Advising and First Year Programs, Lasell College. Courses Taught: Academic Advising, Special Topics in Student Affairs.

Last modified December 12, 2006
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