CHHS >> Counseling >> Current Students >> Advising Information
Advising Information
- Advising and Registration
- Communication
- Prerequisite Requirements
- Full Time and Part Time Status
- Additional Fees
- Independent Study
- Changing Specializations and/or Emphases
Advising and Registration
All new students are assigned an adviser with whom each student must meet a minimum of once each semester while in the program. This usually occurs during the week of the university's Advising Day each December and May. Newly admitted will be assigned and will meet with an adviser on Advising Day. Each student who plans to take classes the following semester must make an appointment with his/her adviser during advising week and should bring to this meeting an unofficial transcript and two separate advising forms: (1) Advising Form, and (2) Consent of Adviser Form (COAF). The adviser and the student plan together the student's sequence of classes and status in the program, and also discuss other issues pertinent to the student's progress in the program. The student and adviser also fill out the COAF with the classes that they agree are appropriate for the student to take during the next academic term. The student keeps one copy of the form for guidance in registering for classes through touchtone and for submitting copies to each instructor's class that he/she is registered for.
Touchtone Registration – The university will mail your registration touchtone time slot to you. If you miss the assigned time, you will lose priority for class registration.
First Day of Class – All students must attend the first class meeting. "No shows" will be dropped from the class list. Your enrollment in class is based upon the touchtone class list and the Consent of Adviser Form. In the event you are wait listed and have a Consent of Adviser Form, the instructor will give you priority on a space available basis.
Counseling Practicum Class Registration – Students select a practicum section (COUN 706, COUN 736, COUN 890, COUN 891) that reflects their primary or secondary specialization.
Communication
The Department of Counseling makes every attempt to keep students fully informed through announcements in class, voicemail messages, listserve announcements, and posted notices on the bulletin boards outside the Department office (BH 524). On the other hand, it is the student's responsibility to inform the Department of any relevant changes in his/her status; e.g., change of address or telephone number, leaves, prolonged absences, and fieldwork changes.
The Department maintains a listserve for all active students. Subscription is mandatory. Additional information and subscription instructions are provided at New Student Orientation.
Current Address and Phone Number
Your phone number and address must be kept current with the Department office. This is essential for students in the program as well as for graduates so that you will receive Department communications. Neither your phone number nor address will be released to anyone other than faculty.
Department Announcements
The Department of Counseling has a general information bulletin board (outside BH 524, the Department office). Please check these areas regularly for information of relevance to you. You can expect to find information such as department and university deadlines, job information, conferences (national, state and local), and CSA (Counseling Students Association) announcements. With approximately 300 students in the graduate program, the Department assumes that you will be responsible for keeping yourself informed. Check the student pickup box in BH 524 for your personal documents/papers from faculty or the office.
Faculty Mailboxes
Each faculty member has a mailbox in the Department office. These boxes can be used to leave messages, assignments, etc., when a faculty member cannot be reached.
Office Hours
Full-time faculty members set aside four hours each week to meet with students. The specific schedule for all faculty office hours is posted near his/her office, and a complete list is also posted on the bulletin board outside the Department office. You may also leave voicemail messages for faculty on the extensions noted in the posting outside the Department office.
Prerequisite Requirements
You must complete a (1) theories of personality class before enrolling in COUN 700; (2) a developmental psychology class before enrolling in COUN 702; and (3) a psychopathology class before enrolling in COUN 703. All of the undergraduate psychology classes must have been completed within ten years from the date of enrollment or by the end of the fall semester. If the developmental psychology and psychopathology prerequisites are not completed prior to enrollment in the program, students will not be permitted to enroll in the first-year practicum/ fieldwork/ internship classes (COUN 705/706), and your graduation may be delayed since first semester, first-year practicum classes are offered only in the fall. Also, theories of personality must be taken before or concurrently with the first year, second-semester practicum, COUN 735/736. COUN 690 may be taken prior to or during the first semester in residence, but must have been taken within five years of the date of enrollment. Counseling 690 is not required for the M.S. Rehab degree program unless you plan on taking an additional emphasis in the Department.
Full Time and Part Time Status
Full-time students usually carry 12-15 units per semester. To complete the program within two years without taking any summer school or outside work, a 15-unit load is required. Part-time students usually carry 3-9 units per semester depending upon outside commitments. The Department makes every effort to accommodate part-time students by offering some classes in the afternoon and evening . Students must expect, however, that their schedules will need to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate fieldwork requirements and Department class schedules.
24-Unit Fieldwork Policy
It is advisable that students start fieldwork as early as possible. Students will not be able to enroll in more than 24 units before beginning fieldwork. Appeals to this policy can be directed to the Chair in writing.
Additional Fees
Some classes require students to pay an additional fee to defer the costs of test materials, scoring tests, assembling test packets, copying course materials, mailing, and other direct expenses. You should expect fees to be assessed in COUN 715 and COUN 720.
Independent Study
From time to time, students may wish to initiate special study or some kind of independent activity that can be integrated into their graduate program and for which credit is granted.
In all cases planning for special studies must be discussed with the adviser to ascertain the way they will fit into the student's overall graduate program.
Changing Specializations and/or Emphases
Some students' long-range objectives are best served by taking an emphasis in addition to his/ her specialization. Students are encouraged to seriously consider these choices. Adding emphases do not necessarily lead to increased career opportunities and may result in inadequate preparation. Specializations, to a large degree, reflect one's professional identity. To determine whether it makes sense to pursue a specialization and an emphasis, consult your adviser.
Changing specializations may change a student's degree objective; for example, if a student whose emphasis is School Counseling adds MFCC, this student will have to change his/her degree objective from "M.S. in Counseling" to a "M.S. in Counseling, Concentration MFCC."
