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Professional Counseling (MEd)

The purpose of the program in Professional Counseling is to prepare students for effective performance in professional positions in counseling in school and non-school settings. The prospective student should consult the Chair of the Counseling Program prior to enrollment regarding the appropriateness of this curriculum to her or his situation and professional objectives. The program places heavy emphasis on the interpersonal and helping relationship and requires considerable commitment on the part of the student. Once admitted, the student must consult with his or her faculty advisor concerning proper sequencing of courses and licensure requirements.

The Counseling program combines academic preparation in the areas of counseling and guidance and research with practicum and internship assignments. Emphasis areas are available in PreK-12 School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling.

Students in both Counseling Concentrations (PreK-12 School and Mental Health) must take the Common Counseling Core, which consists of 36 credit hours. In each of the classes in the following Common Core, Counseling students complete case studies, coursework, research papers, and other assignments individualized to their specific concentration area: Counseling:

Common Core (All 3 Credit Hours)
COUN 501 - Professional Orientation and Ethics in Counseling
COUN 521 - Career Counseling
COUN 531 - Social and Cultural Aspects of Counseling
COUN 541 - Counseling Skills
COUN 581 - Psychology of Human Development
COUN 593 - Practicum in Counseling
COUN 611 - Counseling Theories
COUN 621 - Crisis Intervention and Consultation
COUN 631 - Group Counseling
COUN 662 - Psychopathology
COUN 671 - Assessment in Counseling
EDUC 511 - Research and Statistics

In addition to this common core of Counseling classes, students are required to take courses within their concentration as follows:

PreK-12 School Counseling

The PreK-12 School Counseling Program has been designed to meet all the academic requirements for licensure as a PreK-12 Counselor in the state of Tennessee. The PreK-12 School Counseling program is a total of 60 credit hours, consisting of the 36-credit hour Counseling Common Core, with an additional 24 hours of specialization in PreK-12 School Counseling, as follows:

PreK-12 School Counseling Concentration Specific Classes - 24 Credit Hours
COUN 508 - Introduction to School Counseling (3 Credit Hours)
EAS 561 - School Law (3 Credit Hours)
COUN 698 - Internship and Seminar in School Counseling (6 credit hours)
EDUC 501 - Foundations of American Education
SPED 531 - Special Education and Law, Policies, and Ethics
CI 501 - Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
CI 516 - Motivational Theory and Classroom Management



Additional PreK-12 Licensure program requirements:

  • The Practicum/Internship requirement consists of 700 total clock hours of Field-Based Experience (Practicum-100 hours; Internship-600 hours). Specific requirements for the Practicum and Internship courses can be found in the Internship/Practicum Application packets. Students are required to be covered by insurance provided with an American Counseling Association student membership. Students are responsible for obtaining their own personal ACA Student Membership.
  • Students are required by the State Department of Education to pass the Praxis Specialty Area Test in School Counselor with a score of at least 156 to be eligible for Licensure as a PreK-12 School Counselor in Tennessee. Students in other states are responsible for following the licensing policies of their respective governing boards.

Mental Health Counseling

The focus of the Mental Health Counseling program is to prepare counselors as leaders with the knowledge, skills, proficiencies and dispositions to meet the changing counseling needs of clients in the community agency and mental health settings. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for effective performance in professional positions in counseling as encountered within community settings. In addition to the aforementioned 36 core hours students will be required to complete the following:

Mental Health Counseling Concentration Specific Classes - 24 credit hours
COUN 509 - Foundations of Mental Health Counseling
COUN 551 - Personality and Mental Health
COUN 651 - Evidence-based Treatment and Treatment Planning
COUN 669 - Psychopharmacology for Counselors
COUN 699 - Internship and Seminar in Mental Health Counseling - (6 Credit Hours)
COUN/EDUC - 2 Elective 3 Credit Courses

Additional Mental Health Counseling Licensure requirements:
Graduates of LMU's Mental Health Counseling program will satisfy the state of Tennessee's academic coursework requirements for licensure in professional counseling (LPC). After graduating, students must pass a national counselor certification test (NCE) and complete post master's supervision hours prior to LPC licensure, as stipulated by the related Health Licensing Board. Students majoring in Mental Health Counseling are required to be covered by insurance provided with an American Counseling Association student membership. Students are responsible for obtaining their own personal ACA Student Membership.