Master Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Counseling (M.COUN.) program faculty is to nurture the next generation of highly skilled and ethically minded counseling professionals. The Department of Counseling faculty believe that providing comprehensive education, grounded in evidence-based practices, and a commitment to creating an environment of belonging, accessibility, as well as being representative of the world within which counselors work, prepares students to excel in counseling practice, research, advocacy, and leadership within the counseling profession. The Master of Counseling degree is designed to be the strong foundation upon which graduates enter a lifetime career in the counseling profession. 

Objectives

The counseling program offers four specialty practice areas to meet students’ learning and professional career goals:

• Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
• School Counseling

Students will experience a variety of learning opportunities through rigorous coursework, hands-on experiences, and supportive mentorship. We strive to empower our students to make meaningful and healthy contributions to the well-being of individuals, couples, families, and communities while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct. 

This program's clinical focus allows students to graduate with confidence in their ability to meet future client needs and state licensure requirements as professional counselors.

In addition, graduates from the School Counseling specialty practice area meet the requirements for the Idaho School Counselor Pupil Service Staff Certificate, while graduates from the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling specialty practice area meet the requirements to apply for the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.

Our graduate counseling programs are designed to meet the educational requirements established by the Idaho Licensing Board for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) License.

The program includes at least 60 semester credit hours of counseling coursework within a CACREP-accredited framework, satisfying Idaho’s baseline educational requirement for LPC licensure.

The curriculum covers all core content areas required under Idaho licensing standards, including professional counseling orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural identities and experiences, lifespan development, career development, counseling practice and relationships, group counseling and group work, assessment and diagnostic processes, and research and program evaluation.

The program incorporates a graduate-level practicum and internship experience that meets Idaho’s minimum hour requirements for LPC licensure eligibility.

Shared Master Program Objectives

Objectives for all students within the counseling program align with the CACREP core areas and seek to maintain each of the following for all graduates.

1. Graduates demonstrate a professional counseling identity and apply ethical standards in counseling practice.
2. Graduates apply culturally competent counseling practices and examine how their personal biases, privileges, and identities influence their work.
3. Graduates use developmental frameworks to conceptualize clients and explain how developmental stages influence client experiences across the lifespan.
4. Graduates apply career development concepts to help clients address career transitions and life-work balance.
5. Graduates demonstrate foundational counseling skills and establish therapeutic relationships.
6. Graduates facilitate group counseling and apply systems approaches in counseling practice.
7. Graduates conduct clinical assessments, evaluate programs, critically evaluate research, and contribute to the counseling knowledge base.

In addition to the above curricular objectives, the Department of Counseling has program-specific objectives.