Counselor Education at Chadron State College offers an Online Master of Arts in Education (MAE) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and in School Counseling. The CACREP-accredited MAE in Clinical Mental Health Counseling provides the academic coursework required for eligibility for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP) in Nebraska. Likewise, the CAEP-accredited MAE in School Counseling provides the academic coursework required for eligibility for endorsement as a School Counselor in Nebraska. Additionally, we offer Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) approved graduate and undergraduate coursework leading to licensure as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) in Nebraska. The programs and academic courses will prepare you to work professionally in various public and private counseling agencies or within elementary and secondary school settings.

We hope our completely online accredited programs will meet your academic and professional goals as you embark on your chosen career as a professional counselor. Our website and counseling Cohort Counselor Education Student Handbook will provide information regarding program curricula, faculty, performance outcomes, program and college policies, professional associations, and student services.

Why choose Counseling at CSC?

Accredited

Affordable

Fully Online Options

Exceptional Quality

Get Your Master's Degree

The first step to begin your journey is to apply for admission to CSC Graduate Studies.

Complete the Counseling Program Admissions Essay

Upon Conditional Acceptance into CSC Graduate Studies, you are invited to complete an Admissions Essay for acceptance into the Counseling Program. Please choose the link above for a fillable essay form. ♦ Please note the 150 minimum word count for each of the 7 question prompts ♦. Once submitted and reviewed by faculty, you will receive notification of an admittance decision. Please contact Dr. Kathleen Woods for more information

Check out our new post-masters Education Specialist Degree in Mental Health and Addictions

Accreditation

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

The CSC Graduate School Counseling degree program (MAE degree) is accredited by the the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and formally approved by the State of Nebraska. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen PK-12 student learning. CAEP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Higher Learning Commission Accreditation

The CSC Graduate Counselor Education Program MAE degrees are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) to confer the residential Master of Arts in Education degree.

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

The CSC Graduate Counselor Education MAE degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is CACREP accredited. CACREP accredits master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling and its specialties that are offered by colleges and universities in the United States and throughout the world.

Cohort Student Handbook

Non-Cohort Student Handbook

Counseling Practicum & Internship Handbook

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Diversity Statement

Counselor Education actively recruits students from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and cultural influences. Faculty value diversity among its student population and in society at large. This commitment to and appreciation of individual differences can be found in all aspects of our program, including student selection and admissions, faculty hiring, classroom instruction, texts and teaching materials, clinical practice and supervision, departmental administration, day-to-day operations, and policy formation.

Counselor Education views recruiting and retaining a diverse group of students from the western High Plains as a major focus. We define the term diverse group broadly, including ethnic, racial, and cultural identities as well as in personal world views, gender identity, sexual preference, age differences, and the challenges associated with disabilities of various kinds. To attract and support a diverse student population, we have taken several initiatives including but not limited to the following:

Flexibility
Our courses are scheduled to meet the needs of a diverse non-traditional student population. Most of our courses are delivered in an online format to provide options for those students who may need to complete their program in stages or on a part-time basis.
Affordability
Our tuition is highly competitive with other institutions in Nebraska and is significantly less than many online programs offered by private and for-profit institutions.
Financial Support
Our college offers a financial assistance program (FAFSA), which is open to all students without discrimination. Our Counseling Program provides three graduate assistantships that cover tuition and provide a stipend. Assistantships are available for students enrolled in a graduate degree program and designed to provide opportunities for supervised educational experiences at the graduate level.
Advertising
Actively advertising that our program has a strong emphasis on diversity. The program website and mission statement highlight diversity.

Counselor Education Student Learning Outcomes

Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice: Develop a professional identity as a counselor, demonstrate an understanding of the counseling profession, and demonstrate a willingness to provide counseling services within the ethical guidelines of the counseling profession.
Social and Cultural Diversity: Demonstrate an understanding of the social and cultural influences, the effects of power and privilege, and the impact of acculturative experience on the counseling process.
Human Growth and Development: Develop an understanding of developmental aspects of human growth and appreciation for the nature of human development and its integration within the counseling process.
Career Development: Develop an understanding of career development and approaches for conceptualizing the interrelationships between work, mental well-being, and other life roles within counseling.
Counseling and Helping Relationships: Gain significant knowledge and application of major counseling theories. Identify effective individual counseling techniques that facilitate client growth and the ability to evaluate progress toward treatment goals.
Group Counseling and Group Work: Develop experiential and theoretical understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches.
Assessment and Testing: Gain knowledge and skills in assessment techniques and apply basic concepts to individual and group appraisal.
Counseling Research and Program Evaluation: Develop the ability to read, critique, evaluate, and contribute to professional research literature.
Clinical Mental Health Program: Identify principles, models, and documentation formats of biopsychosocial case conceptualization and treatment planning.
School Counseling Program: Develop a model for implementing a school counseling program.

New Student Orientation

Once you've received acceptance, you will view a New Student Orientation video prior to, or during, your first semester of classes. View the orientation video here. Should you require more detailed information, contact Dr. Kathleen Woods, Counseling Program Director.

Counseling Program Objectives

The department will focus on training well-suited candidates from culturally diverse backgrounds, enabling them to cultivate a robust professional counselor identity while demonstrating culturally sensitive knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
Utilizing a collaborative pedagogy, the department faculty will integrate CACREP standards and the latest evidence-based and culturally appropriate research into the curriculum.
The department will conduct regular program evaluations, incorporating input and suggestions from advisory board meetings, employers, faculty, and current and past students. This information will be assessed annually to enhance program evaluation efforts and will be integrated into the curriculum as deemed suitable.