Counseling, M.S.

Program Director: Megan Shaine, Ph.D.; shaine@hood.edu; 301-696-3166

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Counseling will provide students with the knowledge and skill set needed to work as Clinical Mental Health Counselors or pre-K through 12th grade School Counselors. The program is designed to meet Maryland professional counselor licensure requirements; Maryland State Department of Education certification of the school counseling specialty is projected for 2017. In addition, the program conforms to the standards set by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), and CACREP accreditation will be sought when the program becomes eligible to apply, in 2018. Graduates of the program will demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills and practices necessary to address a wide variety of counseling activities in various settings. Graduates will be instructed in the following domains: foundations; counseling, prevention, and intervention; diversity and advocacy; assessment; research and evaluation; diagnosis; academic development; collaboration and consultation; and leadership.

Application Requirements

To be considered for admission to the M.S. in Counseling program, applicants should have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. Undergraduate coursework in psychology is strongly recommended. Depending on the applicant pool, GPAs under 3.0 may be considered if associated materials are strong. Applicants are encouraged to complete the GRE and/or additional counseling-related coursework to strengthen their applications. Selected applicants will be contacted to attend an interview day, with online or video interviews used for applicants who live more than two hours from campus. 
Individuals applying to the master's in counseling program are required to submit: 

• The online application and application fee

• Official e-transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended (these must be sent directly from previous institutions either to gofurther@hood.edu or via Parchment to the Hood Graduate Admission office)

• A current résumé or curriculum vitae, which can be attached to the online application by the applicant
• A 500-word personal statement describing factors that influenced the decision to apply to graduate school and how this program will facilitate the fulfillment of the applicant's professional goals, which can be attached to the application by the applicant.
• A 500-word essay on past experiences working with diverse populations and your understanding of cultural differences, which can be attached to the application by the applicant.
• A minimum of two (three preferred) academic and/or professional letters of recommendation (recommendation links will be emailed to references once the applicant enters their information in the online application. If they do not receive the links, references can email their recommendations to gofurther@hood.edu)

All application materials should be submitted by March 15 for priority fall and summer admission, May 15 for regular fall admission, and November 15 for spring admission. All materials and interview experiences will be considered by the department's admissions committee in order to render a decision.