Counseling, M.A.C.

About the Counseling Program

The Profession

Master’s-level counseling professionals play a critical role in the mental health care field. Professional counselors provide various clinical services (e.g., assessment, consultation, therapy, advocacy, program development and evaluation) across multiple settings (e.g., mental health agencies, hospitals, schools and colleges, private practices). Mental health care is a thriving field, and the challenges of today’s society make this field one of continued growth. Arcadia’s Graduate Program in Counseling (GPC) is structured to help students develop competence in delivering therapeutic techniques, multicultural sensitivity and humility, use of diagnostic nomenclature, psychological assessment, consultation and educational strategies, and knowledge of and adherence to professional ethical standards.  

About the Counseling Program

The mission of Arcadia University’s Graduate Program in Counseling (GPC) is to provide students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, self-awareness, dispositions, and skills needed to become competent professional counselors trained to integrate evidenced-based and multicultural practices in their professional work. Students also receive instruction in career development and self-care to help them achieve their professional goals and sustain themselves in their professional careers over time. Our curriculum provides students with repeated opportunities to practice counseling skills, as well as receive and offer feedback to help them become advocates for social justice. Further, our curriculum provides students with the opportunities to fulfill all graduate educational requirements necessary to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) in the state of Pennsylvania. Overall, the curriculum is designed to embody our motto, Best Practices and Social Justice with Heart, and meet the following specific objectives:   

• Graduates will evidence competency in evidence-based practice in counseling.
• Graduates will demonstrate competency in multicultural practice in counseling.
• Graduates will display skills needed to pursue their specific careers in counseling.
• Graduates will exhibit skills needed to incorporate self-care into their counseling careers.

The GPC is a primarily in-person program. That is, a majority of courses and other educational and training experiences are offered in-person on campus. However, several courses, including all summer courses, are offered virtually. Of note, the format of students’ off-campus fieldwork (Practicum and Internship) depends on the specific site where students are training. Some sites are fully in-person, whereas others are primarily remote, and some operate in a hybrid form. The GPC cannot guarantee that students will be accepted to train at a site with their preferred format.

 The GPC is accredited by the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) and offers a 60-credit MAC that requires completion of 14 core courses, 5 elective courses, and 4 multicultural laboratory experiences.  The 60-credit MAC satisfies current Pennsylvania course and credit requirements to sit for the NCE and to apply for licensure in Pennsylvania, after passing the NCE and after accumulating 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. 

Certain combinations of elective courses comprise specialty concentrations in our curriculum. Arcadia offers the following seven concentrations:        

Autism (View Concentration Requirements)

Child and Family Therapy (View Concentration Requirements)

Community Public Health (View Concentration Requirements)

Foundations in BCBA ^®  (View Concentration Requirements)

Mediation and Conflict Transformation (View Concentration Requirements)

Mental Health Counseling (View Concentration Requirements)

Trauma: Clinical Bases of Treatment and Recovery (View Concentration Requirements)

Academic Policies and Procedures of the Graduate Program in Counseling (MAC)

Academic Policies and Procedures

According to University policy, a grade point average (GPA) of “B” is required for internship and for graduation. A grade of “B” or above is required for the culminating activity for any graduate degree; the culminating activity for the GPC is Internship (PY630 and PY631). Any grade below “C” may not be applied toward a degree, and only 6 credits of “C” or “C+” will count toward a degree. If a failing grade is received (“C-” or below), the course may be repeated one time, but only with the Director’s permission. No more than two core courses may be repeated by a student.

Counseling students may be placed on remediation or dismissed for failing grades or for behavior that is deemed by the GPC’s core faculty as clinically problematic. See the GPC’s Student Manual for additional information regarding remediation and dismissal. This manual is available on the GPC’s website and can be requested by contacting the Associate Director.

Degree Requirements

The 60-credit MAC requires completion of 14 core courses, 5 elective courses, and 4 labs.

Students can choose to complete various electives offered by the GPC and potentially some courses offered by several other graduate programs.  

Advanced Graduate Study Options

The GPC offers three advanced educational options for practicing counselors and related mental health providers looking for further their knowledge, skills, and career opportunities.

To apply, applicants must hold a Masters or doctoral degree in Counseling or a related field and meet all the other entrance requirements listed for the MAC.

Early Entry MA Counseling Program

The Early Entry MA Counseling Program allows students in their junior year of undergraduate studies (across all majors) to apply to take up to three graduate counseling courses during their senior year. These graduate courses (PY500, PY516, PY521, PY570) do not require any prerequisites beyond those required for admission. This program is open to Arcadia University undergraduate students, including transfer students, as well as undergraduate students from other accredited institutions.

Taking courses while completing their undergraduate studies allow seniors to lighten their coursework as graduate students, especially within the Counseling program’s 21-month program. While completing courses, Early Entry students receive ongoing advising from an assigned faculty mentor.

Importantly, the credits earned for these graduate courses by Early Entry students will only count toward their intended graduate degree (and cannot simultaneously count as credits for their undergraduate degree). Students interested in this program are encouraged to discuss with their undergraduate academic advisors the feasibility of adding graduate courses while completing their final year of undergraduate studies. 

Admission to the Early Entry MA Counseling Program 

The following requirements must be met:

1. A graduate application, including personal statements, to be completed online at www.arcadia.edu/gradapp.

2. One official transcript from each college, university, or professional school attended. Transfer credits included on a transcript must include grades earned; if not, an official transcript from the original school must be submitted. Transcripts must be sent from the issuing school in a sealed envelope and contain the appropriate signatures and seals.

3. Completion of at least three Psychology courses (must include Introductory Psychology), with grades of “B” or better in each.

4. Three letters of recommendation. The letters must be of a professional not personal nature, and at least one letter must come from a professor. Of note, Arcadia’s current Psychology majors are only required to submit two letters. 

5. An in-person interview with administrators and faculty in the program (by invitation only). 

6. International applicants should visit www.arcadia.edu/international for detailed information on admission requirements and application procedures. Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language except for non-native speakers of English who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand). A course-by-course evaluation of all transcripts by an independent evaluation service based in the United States also is required.

Course Options: Students in the Early Entry MA Counseling Program can earn 3 to 9 graduate credits during their final year of undergraduate studies by completing 1 to 3 of the following courses: 

• PY 500 Educational and Career Counseling 3 credits
• PY 516 Human Development: Life Span 3 credits
• PY 521 Research Design, Methods and Evaluation 3 credits
• PY 570 Professional Issues in Counseling 3 credits