HELP 2014-2015 Walden University Catalog (December 2014) [ARCHIVED CATALOG] M.S. in Career Counseling Print Degree Planner | Print-Friendly Page Add to Pages

Return to: College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Return to: School of Counseling 

The M.S. in Career Counseling is designed to prepare students to serve effectively in their roles as career development counselors, specialists, and consultants in a variety of settings including, community agencies, schools, colleges, universities, private practice, business, and government.  Students gain the opportunity to use their specialized counseling training to foster the development of individuals and groups around issues of career decision making, career transitions, and career development.

This program responds to an economic climate that calls for professionals who can support and assist clients around issues of initial career decisions and marketability and viability in the workplace. Students will be able to use their knowledge of human growth and development, career development, counseling theories, and research as well as their clinical training to provide ethical and contextually-relevant career services to diverse populations reflective of individuals’ personal and social values.

Learning Outcomes

1. At the end of the program, students will be able to:
2. Apply sound ethical, legal, and business practices in the work of a career counselor.
3. Implement counseling/prevention/intervention services related to career counseling.
4. Promote diversity and advocacy as related to career counseling.
5. Employ various assessment techniques to appropriately meet the career-related needs of diverse clientele.
6. Use evidence-based research literature to inform practice in meeting the career-related needs of diverse clientele.
7. Demonstrate the promotion, management, and implementation of career-related services.
8. Disseminate information resources related to career counseling.

Students will also be able to:

1. Develop a professional orientation and identity as a counselor.
2. Effectively address the social and cultural diversity issues that impact the counseling process.
3. Synthesize theories of human growth and development to develop culturally responsive counseling practices.
4. Apply theories and models of career development to related life factors, which affect an individual’s lifestyle and mental health.
5. Utilize major counseling theories to develop an empirically based, personal theoretical orientation that integrates theory and best practices.
6. Apply theoretical and experiential principles of group work to develop targeted interventions within group contexts.
7. Evaluate and interpret individual and group assessment in a multicultural society.
8. Utilize research methods commonly used in the counseling profession.
9. Demonstrate skills in applying principles of advocacy toward promoting cultural understanding and positive social change in individuals, communities, and society
10. Achieve personal growth and sustainability in the profession.

Professional Accreditation

The M.S. in Career Counseling is not accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). However, the program was developed to reflect the professional criteria set forth by leading counseling organizations. Since Walden’s M.S. in Career Counseling is a new program, the university is not yet able to apply for CACREP accreditation. Students will be notified if the program becomes accredited in the future.

Degree Requirements

• 75 total credits
• Foundation course (1 cr.)
• Core courses (65 cr.)
• Field experience (9 cr.: 3 cr. practicum, 6 cr. internship)
• 12 days of residency (two 6-day residencies)