M.A. Clinical Psychology, Counseling Specialization

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CHICAGO ● GRAYSLAKE

Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Specialization

Program Overview

The M.A. in Clinical Psychology program is a counselor training program that provides strong preparation in essential diagnostic, therapeutic and consultative skills in order to work with a variety of clinical populations- ranging from children to the elderly- and with a variety of emotional, intellectual, and psychological conditions and problems.

Graduates will have the training to work in a variety of clinical settings, and with required licensure, independent practice. The program has adopted the practitioner-scholar model which is predicated on the belief that a competent mental health practitioner must have both a broad knowledge of the scientific and theoretical principles in the clinical practice of psychology and the ability to apply that knowledge to specific clinical situations. The program also incorporates the 8 content areas outlined by the National Board of Certified Counselors to prepare those students seeking professional counselor licensure and desiring to begin professional practice at the master’s level. The program serves a diverse student body from throughout the Midwest, and the country, and from a number of international countries.

Acknowledged for its commitment to diversity, The Chicago School recognizes that service to a diverse community plays a vital role in psychology. The Counseling Psychology Master’s embraces this commitment through the integration of multicultural education and diversity throughout its curriculum; successful students demonstrate an appreciation for and competency in this area. Likewise, the faculty reflects experience in graduate level teaching and clinical practice with diverse clinical populations.

Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School’s Counseling Psychology program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors that are considered in admission are: GPA from undergraduate and any graduate schools, successful work history after completion of the baccalaureate degree, the required admission essay, and letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer experience supervisors. Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Students must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned. It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all schools where credit was received to enhance their applications.

The Counseling Psychology program has two specific required undergraduate courses that must be completed prior to enrollment with a grade earned of “C” or better (a course in psychology and a course in either statistics or research methods). The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required, however students who have taken the exam may submit their scores to enhance their application. Scores should be sent directly to the school (GRE School Code: 1119) for consideration. Please see the application for detailed instructions and information regarding application requirements, application deadlines, and letters of recommendation. Applications must be submitted with a $50.00 (USD) application fee in order to be evaluated.

TOEFL or IELTS, International Credentials, and International Students

TOEFL or IELTS: If English is not your primary language, you must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores with your application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement. The minimum scores are: TOEFL - 550 paper based, 213 computer based, 79 internet based; IELTS - 6.5.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc (www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, all official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: International students must submit a completed application by the general consideration deadline. In addition, once accepted, international students must submit the International Student Information form, a copy of their passport, and financial documentation showing sufficient funding for at least one year of study and all living expenses. This documentation must be submitted at least two months prior to the start of the semester in order to allow sufficient time for the school to issue an I-20 for the student to obtain an F-1 visa, if needed. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures  : Transfer of Credit, Waiver of Courses, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Grading Scale, Grade Change Requests, Degree Completion, Degree Conferral, Minimum and Maximum Timeframe requirements, and Credit Hours per semester for Financial Aid.

Academic Development Plans

An Academic Development Plan (ADP) is initiated and created by the Department in which the student is enrolled when a student demonstrates deficiencies in competencies that interfere with academic performance, training competence, and/or professional behavior.  Academic Development Plans (ADPs) do not constitute disciplinary action, but failure to complete the plan may lead to disciplinary action.

Student Learning Assessment

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TSCPP) is committed to offering the highest quality graduate and undergraduate completion programs in applied professional disciplines. In order to meet the TCSPP standard for academic quality, all programs will develop overall program competencies, learning objectives, assessment instruments, course descriptions, and course learning objectives. Each of these curriculum components must align in order for students to understand how their program will prepare them for the profession and how they will learn what TCSPP intends. 

All academic programs at TCSPP are required to develop, conduct, and report annual assessments of student learning and program effectiveness in compliance with the processes and procedures established by TCSPP.  These assessments provide reliable and valid information to monitor, maintain, and advance the quality of academic programs. 

Foundations for Scholarship and Practice

To ensure academic preparedness, a key to success in graduate school, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology requires new students to complete the program Foundations for Scholarship and Practice (Foundations). This program reinforces the skills new students need to achieve their academic goals. Foundations is an integral part of the first term’s curriculum (first and second terms’ curriculum for the Online-Blended Programs) and all students are required to complete the program successfully and in a timely manner.  Failure to complete any element of the program can lead to academic consequences, including dismissal.

 Foundations for Scholarship and Practice consists of three elements: 

1.  Academic Focus Program – Academic Focus is an online, self-paced orientation to graduate academics. Completion of these tutorials is required by Friday of the fourth week of the first term. A final  grade of “pass” is considered successful completion of this element of Foundations.

2.  Writing Assessment Process – In this component of Foundations, each student writes an essay in response to an assigned question and submits it for evaluation. Based upon the results of this assessment, , the school may waive the Academic Writing Course requirement (#3, below). Essays are due by Friday of the third week of the first term and essay submission by the given date is considered successful completion of this element of Foundations.

3.  Academic Writing Course (AWC) – This online course is taken before or during the first or second term at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. A final grade of “pass” is considered successful completion of this element. Failure to earn a final grade of “pass” may result in an Academic Development Plan or referral to the Student Affairs Committee. All students are required to take the course, unless they place out through the Writing Assessment Process. Students who place out of the Academic Writing Course may elect to take the course. Based on academic performance concerns, instructors may require AWC completion by a student by creating an Academic Development Plan.

Failure to complete any element of Foundations by the required due date may result in Academic Development Plan or referral to the Student Affairs Committee. 

Preparing for the Academic Writing Course

It is solely the responsibility of the student to make the necessary adjustments to his/her school, work and personal schedules as required for full participation in this course. The Chicago School is not responsible for ensuring that these adjustments are made. Students failing AWC must retake the course in the subsequent semester. The successful completion of AWC is a graduation requirement.

Fees associated with Foundations for Scholarship and Practice

All students incur a one-time fee for their participation in Foundations for Scholarship and Practice. See Tuition & Fees schedule for a full list of applicable course fees

Student Professional Evaluation and Student Review Process:

The course content and experiential activities offered by the MA Clinical Psychology program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology are designed to afford students the opportunity to advance their intellectual and professional development and functioning. Throughout the program of study, students are given feedback concerning their personal, academic, and professional strengths, developmental needs, and performance. This feedback will come from a variety of sources including faculty, supervisors, peers, and clients. Students are expected to respond and incorporate this feedback in a mature and professional manner. Throughout their matriculation in the program students are expected to explore and recognize the effects their personal beliefs, issues, emotions, and behaviors have on others and on their ability to function as a professional counselor and practicing clinician. Students are formally evaluated with regard to their professional comportment at the end of specific courses in the curriculum using the Student Professional Evaluation form. Additionally, all students are reviewed annually by program faculty and administration with respect to their overall program performance during the Student Review Process.

Student Evaluation Information and Agreement: All students are required to read and sign the Student Evaluation Information and Agreement form to indicate their orientation to, understanding of and agreement with program policies with regard to professional evaluation and review.

The Program

Locations

The M.A. Clinical Psychology program is offered in two locations: downtown Chicago and University Center of Lake County in Grayslake. Both locations offer the same program and program requirements. The Chicago campus offers a traditional on-ground format, as well as a “Blended” model that is mostly online with weekend classes. The University Center location offers only the “Blended” cohort model designed specifically for the working adult student. More information about this model and format follows below.

Mission

The mission of the Counseling Specialization Program (Counseling Department) is to prepare mental health professionals who serve the counseling profession through professional competence, personal integrity and academic excellence. This is realized through a curriculum that integrates the theoretical foundations of counseling and clinical psychology, essential diagnostic, clinical and consultative skills, and clinical field placement into appropriate practice in a variety of settings and with diverse populations. In addition, the Program has adopted The Engaged Professional Model of Education developed at The Chicago School. This Model “incorporates a commitment to community engagement and social change at the systems-level” (Aspirations Report, 2011, p.1), and prepares “engaged professionals” who more than practitioner –scholars, are individuals who are prepared to be professionally proficient to deliver services in the community at large.

We acknowledge the significance of promoting an academic environment that is sensitive to difference and to the preparation of clinicians who actively develop their multicultural competence. As such, the program seeks to engage faculty and students in the preparation of counselors who meet the needs of diverse communities “from the broader view of innovators, transformers, and problem solvers; and use their discipline to make positive and lasting impacts on the World (Aspirations Report, 2011, p.5).

Program Outcomes

1. Competency in ethical and professional behavior is evidenced by the ability to apply ethical and professional standards to interactions with clients and with others (peers, supervisors, faculty, professionals in other disciplines, etc); socialization into the profession through advisement, modeling and education; an understanding of legal obligations that may or may not conflict with ethical guidelines; the development of skills in reflective practice and quality control; effective functioning in multiple professional settings.

2. Competency in relationship is indicated by the capacity to develop and maintain a constructive therapeutic alliance with clients and a constructive working alliance with others (including peers, faculty, supervisors, professionals in other disciplines, etc); openness to feedback and accurate self-reflection; an appreciation of the use of self in the therapeutic relationship; the development of empathy, respect for others and interpersonal relatedness; and an understanding of cultural values, worldview and history on cross cultural relationships.

3. Assessment is conceptualized to include both formal and informal assessment activities. Competency in assessment is indicated by proficiency in the interpretation of standard assessment tools; the collection and incorporation of information from multiple sources to inform decision making and diagnosis; effective clinical inference that links gathered data with resulting diagnosis and recommendations; effective communication of assessment results and recommendations; the identification and conceptualization of client strengths and limitations and culturally sensitive choice of assessment methods that will comprise a formal assessment.

4. Competency in intervention is indicated by the ability to develop and present plausible formulations for understanding psychological phenomenon using theory; the use of theory to guide formulations regarding the conditions that create, maintain and change behavior or distress; effectively implement and revise treatment strategies; evaluate the effectiveness of a chosen intervention approach of strategy; recognize the limitations of theories as they relate to individual and system functioning and change; and adjust traditional models of treatment and treatment planning to better meet diverse clients’ needs. 

5. This competency is conceptualized as the recognition that culture is best understood from a broad perspective and includes, but is not limited to, identities related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, religious belief, and ability. It is evidenced by the ability to articulate one’s personal culture and its impact on held values, relationships and worldview; an understanding of worldview, and the psychological impact of privilege, prejudice, oppression, culture and sociopolitical structures; the ability to differentiate between individual variation, characteristic variation across culture and human dysfunction in development, attitudes and reactions; and appreciation for the impact of culture on the historical and philosophical foundations of psychology. 

6. Competency in research and evaluation is indicated by the ability to organize, synthesize and interpret scholarly information; the ability to design and critique approaches to systematic inquiry; the awareness of limits of certainty in different types of clinical and scientific inquiry; the understanding of foundational scientific knowledge in the field; and the recognition of scholarly knowledge production as a social, cultural and political process. Finally, scholarly findings should guide/direct clinical practice/interventions.  

7. Competency in consultation and education is indicated by effective presentation skills and the ability to teach others through oral or written presentation of material; the ability to provide feedback, regarding a client or system issue to multiple sources; and understanding of the means of facilitating and evaluating the growth of knowledge, skills and attitudes in a learner; effective peer consultation and constructive feedback; and the development of productive relationships with community helping networks.

Ethics and Professional Behavior

The Chicago School expects that all clinical counseling students will be knowledgeable of and adhere to the “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct”, as published by the American Psychological Association, as well as the “Code of Ethics” of the American Counseling Association. In addition, no student shall obtain part- or full-time employment that is beyond the scope of their cumulative training in the field of psychology or counseling and shall not use titles governed by licensure statutes, unless so licensed by the state. A student who fails to adhere to this policy or otherwise fails to demonstrate the appropriate ethics required for practice in the field of professional counseling is subject to discipline and possible removal.

Certification/Licensure

The program incorporates the eight content areas outlined by the National Board of Certified Counselors and provides the academic requirements to prepare students seeking professional counselor licensure in Illinois (LPC). Students must consult the licensure requirements for states in which they plan to reside post-graduation. State-by-state licensure information can be accessed via the National Board of Certified Counselors at www.nbcc.org.

Professional Development Group

All students are required to enroll in a Professional Development Group during their first two semesters at the school. A student’s Professional Development Group faculty member automatically becomes her/his advisor. The Professional Development Group class is graded on a pass/no-pass basis.

Practicum and Internship

The practicum and internship require three credit hours for two consecutive semesters - a total of six credit hours. Please note: students who do not complete Internship I by the add/drop deadline of the following term must register for Internship II for one credit in the proceeding semester. The practicum and internship is a clinical training field placement where the student accumulates a minimum of 700 clock hours (16-20 hours per week for 9-12 months) of supervised clinical experience in a mental health agency or for a psychological services provider. The practicum and internship serve to integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of the education of the professional counselor. It allows students to become familiar with professional collaboration and consultation in a clinical setting.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Comprehensive Examination

All students are required to successfully complete the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). This comprehensive exam was developed by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and it is used as an exit requirement to obtain a degree.  The information tested by the exam covers the program competencies. The comprehensive examination is generally administered twice a year - in December and June – and taken during the last year of enrollment in academic coursework. Students must be in good academic standing to be eligible to take the Comprehensive Examination. Additional information regarding registering, qualifying, format and dates of the exam can be obtained from the Department or Associate Department Chair. Students who are unable to pass the Comprehensive Examination will be allowed to retake the exam a maximum of two additional times. The exam may be retaken during the next scheduled administration of the exam. Students will receive information from their faculty advisor concerning their performance on the examination. Assistance from faculty in constructing additional experiences and instruction aimed at enabling them to pass this program requirement can be offered. Any student who fails the Comprehensive Examination a third time is automatically dismissed from the program.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Counseling Competency Examination (CCE) 

In awarding the Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, The Chicago School certifies that the graduate has attained a high level of competency in counseling assessment, case formulation, counseling planning, and implementation, as well as the knowledge and skills base that underlie these abilities. As such, successful completion of the Counseling Competency Examination (CCE) represents the culmination of the clinical training at the Master’s level and the demonstration of proficiency in the core competencies of the program. 

The CCE is composed of three (3) distinct components, which include a written report, a taped session and transcript, and an oral examination. The CCE is completed during the spring term of the student’s internship seminar (CC598). The student must successfully pass the CCE in order to fulfill the requirements of the Practicum and Internship Seminar. Passing the practice CCE during Fall Practicum and Seminar (CC597) is a prerequisite to CC598. The CCE Student Manual describes the requirements and evaluation of the CCE components, which are provided to students at the beginning of their practicum/internship and seminar.

Program Cohort Model at the University Center of Lake County and the Chicago Downtown Campus 

The M.A. in Clinical Psychology Counseling Specialization Blended at both the University Center of Lake County and the downtown Chicago Campus is designed specifically for the working adult student. Classes are offered in an online/weekend format, with class meetings at either the University Center of Lake County or the downtown Chicago Campus. The program is structured according to a cohort model in which students follow the same course progression plan together, taking courses that blend online and on-site learning. The program requirements include a 700 clock hour (minimum) supervised, clinical field placement. Three program concentrations are available at the University Center location: Child & Adolescent Treatment, Treatment of Addiction Disorders, and the Generalist track. 

The Program Cohort Model offers all courses in a blended online/weekend format.  Most courses are seven weeks in length with weekly online instruction and two on-campus weekends (Saturdays, Sundays 9am-4pm). Students take no more than nine credit hours per semester; with three credits in each of two summers.