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Applied Psychology
Degree Requirements
Department of Applied Psychology, 2004-2005
Special Requirements for All Programs in the Department of Applied Psychology
Because these are programs of professional preparation, students must meet professional as well as academic standards. The Department of Applied Psychology adheres to the code of ethics of the following organizations: American Psychological Association, The American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy, The American Counseling Association and the American Dance Therapy Association and also requires that students manage their personal issues so as not to affect their work or their clients adversely. Where the faculty have questions about your personal/professional competence or ethical conduct, the matter will be discussed with the student before any administrative action is taken. This will ensure a more productive resolution. If an agreeable resolution cannot be made at the departmental level, the issues may be referred for more formal resolution through the Student Grievance Procedure.
Policies and procedures employed by the Department of Applied Psychology in evaluating academic, clinical, interpersonal effectiveness, and professional behavior can be found in the Department of Applied Psychology Handbook.
Certification and Licensing
Graduates of the Department of Applied Psychology may apply for professional credentials, recognizing their level of training and experience. Credentials may be granted by national professional boards/organizations or by the regulatory boards of individual states.
Generally there are three levels:
Licensure
A legislatively established form of regulation. It may protect the practice of an occupation as well as the title. This makes it the most desirable, both for public protection (its primary purpose) as well as for members of that profession. Only states may grant licenses. State licensure establishes standards for insurance payers to use in identifying qualified practitioners. Examples of titles under current usage are licensed clinical mental health counselor, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, substance abuse and addictions counselor, or creative arts therapist.
Certification
The process of verifying one’s professional qualifications. State laws may establish certification; national organizations/boards may also certify. Most often this includes a written examination of one’s knowledge in the field. The National Board of Certified Counselors offers certification as a National Certified Counselor and several specialty certifications. Certification for drug and alcohol counselors is available both through professional organizations and through state certifying bodies. Certifications, memberships, and registries are not generally recognized by insurance payers, but are useful to the public in assessing a practitioner’s qualifications.
Registry or Roster
Usually refers to a listing of those using a title or providing a service. Registries can be with the profession or with the state. Some states require rostering in order to practice. Clinical Membership in AAMFT and Registry through the American Dance Therapy Association (American Dance Therapists—Registered) are examples of this level of credential. Vermont maintains a roster of unlicensed practitioners.
The legislature in each state establishes the criteria for licensure and an appointed board determines if an individual’s education and experience meet their standards. The Department has designed its programs to be consistent with the standards of the representative professional organizations. Individual states, many of whom base their legislation on professional organization’s standards, vary as to specific coursework, number of hours of supervised practice, supervisor qualification, and other required criteria. While the Department offers coursework and internships that allow students to put together a licensable portfolio, it cannot guarantee licensure.
The Department of Psychology recognizes the importance of licensing and certification as part of the preparation for professional practice and offers coursework and internships that allow students to achieve a licensable portfolio. However, because licensure is the sole province of the state regulating bodies, it cannot guarantee that students will be licensed or certified.
Therefore, students must be vigilant in obtaining their state’s regulations and meeting the detailed requirements. This is especially important since some states require that all coursework be completed within the graduate degree program, and will not allow courses to be added at a later date. Additionally, board membership changes and new legislation may alter licensure requirements or interpretation of these requirements during a student’s program. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and to meet these requirements. The cost of any coursework over and above that required for the student’s program is the responsibility of the student, including the cost of meeting any future changing regulations.
Membership in state professional organizations and ongoing contact with licensing boards in their respective states will assist students in assuring their own prospects for professional licensure. Core faculty of the Department are available for advice and counsel on licensing matters.
Changing State Licensing Requirements
ANE, while not responsible for actions of external licensing agencies, does intend to support students, both current and graduates in meeting changing requirements. In doing so, we strive to be fair and consistent to all students. Therefore, if licensing requirements are enacted by an external agency which exceed the current degree requirements, the following options are available:
- For current students, additional coursework to satisfy licensing requirements (either existing courses or SISs). Current students may use elective credits.
- For graduates, the opportunity to enroll as a Special Student in either the appropriate course or, as an exception, in an SIS, at the following rate: 50% of the Special Student masters per credit fee plus $100.00 (application, registration, and processing fee). This charge is less than the current per credit fee for matriculated masters students.
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
MA—61 credits
The first level of the program is an introduction to the fundamental theories and practices of mental health counseling. As a part of the required coursework, the first year includes the Professional Seminar in Counseling, with emphases on the practice and ethics of counseling. Also required is a 600 hour practicum/ internship, which should include supervised experience in group, individual and systems work. This field experience requires a commitment of about 20 hours per week over two semesters (about 9 months). Students who wish to use their current employment as an internship site must consult with the Director of Internships.
Students may enter the program in Spring or Fall semesters and complete Level One requirements over one to two calendar years. As a result of varying entry dates, the actual sequence of instruction (courses, professional seminars and practica/internships) will be somewhat different even though the degree requirements are the same.
In Level Two, four seminars of concentration are taken. Two have required subjects: Career/Lifestyle Development and Research and Evaluation. The remaining two are selected from a variety of courses, such as Brief Treatment Approaches, Systemic Approaches in Counseling; Crisis Intervention and Brief Treatment, Integrative Approaches to Addictions Counseling, Child and Family Counseling, Adolescent and Family Counseling, Spiritual Approaches, and Expressive Approaches.
In Level Two of the program, most students secure a different 600 hour internship to meet their more advanced training needs. Another year of Professional Seminar is completed, with emphasis in different professional issues such as understanding of licensure and legal and ethical issues and making the transition to the professional role.
To earn the MA degree in Counseling Psychology, a student must successfully complete a minimum of sixty-one credits, distributed as follows:
Required Courses are Listed Under Each Competency Area
Level One Requirements |
|
Behavioral Science
|
6 credits |
Individual Assessment and Intervention
|
9 credits |
Group and Social Systems Assessment and Intervention
|
6 credits |
Substance Abuse Counseling
|
1 credit |
| Professional Seminar in Counseling | 6 credits |
| Supervised Practicum | 3 credits |
| Supervised Internship | 4 credits |
| Total credits Level One | 35 credits |
Level Two Requirements |
|
Major Areas of Concentration
|
12 credits |
| Professional Seminar in Counseling | 6 credits |
| Supervised Internship | 8 credits |
| Total credits Level Two | 26 credits |
Total Credits for MA in |
61 credits |
60 credit minimum if any required courses are waived.
All waivers must be submitted to the Registrar’s office in writing.
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Specialization in Substance Abuse/Addictions Counseling
MA—61 credits
The first level of the program is an introduction to the fundamental theories and practices of mental health counseling. As a part of the required coursework, the first year includes the Professional Seminar in Counseling, with emphases on the practice and ethics of counseling. Also required is a 600 hour practicum/ internship, which should include supervised experience in group, individual and systems work. This field experience requires a commitment of about 20 hours per week over two semesters (about 9 months). Students who wish to use their current employment as an internship site must consult with the Director of Internships.
Students may enter the program in Spring or Fall semesters and complete Level One requirements over one to two calendar years. As a result of varying entry dates, the actual sequence of instruction (courses, professional seminars and practical internships) will be somewhat different.
In level two, four 3—credit seminars of concentration are required: Career/Lifestyle Development; Integrative Approaches to Addictions Counseling; Research and Evaluation, and Family Therapy Approaches to Addictions Counseling.
In the second year of the program, most students secure a different 600 hour internship to meet their more advanced training needs. One of the two internship/practicum years must be completed in a substance abuse treatment setting. Another year of Professional Seminar is completed, with emphasis in different professional issues such as understanding of licensure and legal and ethical issues and making the transition to the professional role, as well as a focus in addictions counseling. A weekend course in psychopharmacology of substance abuse is required in the spring of the 1st or 2nd year.
To earn the MA degree in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Substance Abuse/Addictions Counseling, a student must successfully complete a minimum of sixty-one credits, distributed as follows:
Required Courses are Listed Under Each Competency Area
Level One Requirements |
|
Behavioral Science
|
6 credits |
Individual Assessment and Intervention
|
9 credits |
Group and Social Systems Assessment and Intervention
|
6 credits |
Substance Abuse Counseling
|
1 credit |
| Professional Seminar in Counseling | 6 credits |
| Supervised Practicum | 3 credits |
| Supervised Internship | 4 credits |
| Total credits for Level One | 35 credits |
Level Two Requirements |
|
Major Areas of Concentration
|
12 credits |
| Professional Seminar in Counseling | 6 credits |
| Supervised Internship | 8 credits |
| Total credits Level Two | 26 credits |
Total Credits for MA in Counseling Psychology |
61 credits |
60 credit minimum if any required courses are waived.
All waivers must be submitted to the Registrar’s office in writing.
Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy
MA—64 credits
To earn an M. A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, you must earn 64 credits, (a minimum of 60 credits if any required courses are waived), as distributed below. Students will complete a 450 hour practicum in the Fall and Spring of the first year of the program, and a 12—month, 1,000 hour internship, starting in May and extending through the Spring of their second year. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Required courses are listed under each competency area.
Level One Requirements |
|
| Behavioral Science Foundations | 6 credits |
|
|
| Individual Assessment and Intervention Strategies | 3 credits |
|
|
| Group Assessment and Intervention Strategies | 3 credits |
|
|
| Social Systems Assessment and Intervention Strategies | 6 credits |
|
|
| Professional Seminar in Marriage and Family Therapy | 6 credits |
| Practicum | 8 credits |
| 450 supervised hours in an approved practicum setting. | |
| Total Credits for the First Year | 32 credits |
Level Two Requirements |
|
| Concentration Seminars - Marriage and Family Therapy | 15 credits |
|
|
| Professional Seminar in Marriage and Family Therapy | 7 credits |
| Internship | 10 credits |
| 1,000 supervised hours over 12 months in an approved internship site. | |
| Total Credits for the Second Year | 32 credits |
Total Credits for the MA in |
64 credits |
60 credit minimum if any required courses are waived.
All waivers must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office in writing.
Master of Education in Substance Abuse Counseling
MEd—40 credits
Students must complete one practicum/internship in a substance abuse facility over a nine-month period to accumulate 600 hours (about 20 hours per week). Internship site requirements for the substance abuse specialization may be found in the Department of Applied Psychology.
To earn the MEd degree you must successfully complete a minimum of 40 credits distributed as follows:
Required Courses are Listed Under Each Competency Area
Behavioral Science Foundation
|
7 credits |
Individual Assessment and Intervention Strategies
|
12 credits |
Group Assessment and Intervention Strategies
|
3 credits |
| Systems Assessment and Intervention Strategies | 3 credits |
|
|
| Professional Seminar in Counseling Psychology | 6 credits |
| Supervised Practicum | 3 credits |
| Supervised Internship | 4 credits |
| Electives courses will be selected with the SA/AC coordinator to complement the student’s learning needs |
2 credits |
Total Credits for MEd in Substance Abuse Counseling |
40 credits |
Master of Arts in Dance Movement Therapy
with a Minor in Counseling Psychology
MA—62 credits
The program typically takes two-and-a-half to three years to complete, entailing two days per week of classes. In your first year, you will take core classes in dance/movement therapy, two semesters of practica in dance/movement therapy as well as counseling psychology courses.
During your second year, you will take advanced dance/movement therapy courses and additional counseling psychology courses. You will also spend nine months over two semesters in a supervised counseling psychology practicum/internship sequence, for 12 to 15 hours per week totaling 450 hours, and take a concurrent 6-credit Professional Seminar sequence.
You will begin your six to nine-month dance/movement therapy internship (700 hours) during the fall of your third year. Internship sites range from the local New England area and are spread throughout the country, possibly including foreign countries when supervision is available. (The internship must be supervised by an ADTR.)
Before graduation, each student must have taken a 3-credit course or its equivalent in Anatomy & Kinesiology. Documentation of this requirement must be submitted to the Program Director in order for degree requirements to be satisfied.
Graduates of the MA program are eligible for DTR registration from the American Dance Therapy Association. They must apply directly to the ADTA.
To earn the MA degree in Dance/Movement Therapy you must successfully complete a minimum of sixty-two credits, distributed as follows:
Required Courses are Listed Under Each Competency Area
Behavioral Science Foundations
|
12 credits |
Individual Assessment and Intervention Strategies
|
15 credits |
Group & Social Systems Assessment & Intervention Strategies
|
6 credits |
| Professional Seminar | 12 credits |
| Practicum and Internship | 14 credits |
| Research and Evaluation | 3 credits |
Total Credits for MA in Dance Movement Therapy |
62 credits |
60 credit minimum if any required courses are waived.
All waivers must be submitted to the Registrar’s office in writing.
Please Note: An MEd in Dance/Movement Therapy is also available. Course requirements are the same as for the MA, but there is more flexibility in the type of internship and supervision allowed. Internships not supervised by ADTR’s, however, do not qualify the graduate for DTR registration. (62 credit minimum program)
Post-Master’s Certificate of Respecialization in Dance Movement Therapy (Certificate)
32 credits
The Certificate Program is completed over two academic years (fall and spring semesters only). In the first year, you take core classes and practica in dance/movement therapy. During your second year, you take advanced dance/movement therapy courses. In order to earn the certificate, students must earn 32 credits, distributed as follows:
Required Courses are Listed Under Each Semester
Fall Semester, First Year
|
11 credits |
| Spring Semester, First Year
|
11 credits |
Fall Semester, Second year
|
6 credits |
Spring Semester, Second Year
|
4 credits |
Total Credits for Dance Movement Therapy Certificate |
32 credits |
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