May 14, 2025

2012-2013 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 3, Issue 4

2012-2013 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 3, Issue 4 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Arts in Community Counseling Degree Program—Argosy University, Dallas

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (MA) in Community Counseling degree program at Argosy University, Dallas is designed to prepare students for the practice of professional counseling. The program promotes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential to becoming thoughtful, skilled, and ethical professionals who can provide counseling services in a wide variety of government, community, and private settings. Graduates meet the academic requirements for one or more Texas state license exams.

Mission Statement

The Argosy University, Dallas Community Counseling degree program mission is to create a learning environment that promotes academic excellence, professional competence, and personal integrity. We serve a diverse student body from urban, suburban, and rural areas who are intrinsically motivated to help others. The program actively engages faculty and students in the preparation of counselors who meet the needs of a dynamic and diverse community. The purpose of the program is to deliver those core learning experiences established by academic program accrediting and state licensure boards to assure that students completing our program are competent, ethical counselors prepared for post-graduate positions on the path to Professional Counseling licensure.

Course Delivery Formats

The MA in Community Counseling degree program is intended to make graduate training accessible to professionals who are employed full-time. Courses are offered in multiple formats. Course formats include:

Weeknight format: class meets for 15 weeks, one evening per week, for 3 hours
Blended format which combines two weekends on campus blended with an online component. It generally takes a mix of program course formats to complete the program. There is no fully weekend or fully weeknight format of course offerings.

Syllabi are made available prior to the first class meeting. Each semester has two, 7.5 week sessions.

Eligibility for Licensure

As of the date of this publication, licensure in Texas requires a master’s degree in counseling, successful completion of licensure exams, and 3,000 hours post-master’s supervised work experience. The 48-credit hour MA in Community Counseling degree program includes the required core coursework for licensure.

Students interested in pursing this licensure will need to complete their degree program, take a Texas jurisprudence exam, take the National Counselor Exam (NCE), and apply for a temporary license (LPCI – I is for Intern) in order to accumulate their 3,000 hours of supervised post-graduate experience. Much of the supervised experience may be obtained through employment in the field after completing the master’s degree. Licensure regulations are subject to change and are determined by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counseling. It is the student’s responsibility to determine the requirements for professional licensure in the state they wish to practice. Students are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the regulations governing professional counselor licensure. These regulations are available directly from the regulatory board.

Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

Texas Department of State Health Services
MC-1982
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, Texas 78756-3183, USA
E-mail: lpc@dshs.state.tx.us
Telephone: 512.834.6658
Fax: 512.834.6677
Web site: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/

Faculty Advisement

Students are assigned an academic advisor upon admission to the MA in Community Counseling degree program. Academic advisors are available to discuss matters related to professional development and progress in the program. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors when they have questions and problems in these areas.

Enrollment Requirements

Once matriculated into the program, students must remain continuously enrolled for at least 3 credit hours per semester — fall, spring, and summer — unless they formally request a temporary withdrawal through the Student Services Department. Students are expected to remain enrolled full-time (at least 6 credit hours or in practicum) each semester, and should meet with their advisors if they are considering less than full-time enrollment.

Additional Requirements for Academic Progress

Students must make satisfactory progress toward earning their degree by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. Students who receive a grade below “B-” in any course must repeat the course.

Students must complete all coursework in a maximum time frame of four years. Students who take an approved temporary withdrawal will have four years plus the length of time that they were not enrolled, not to exceed one year, to complete the program. Under special circumstances, students who take more than 48 credit hours may receive permission from the campus dean or program chair for the MA in Community Counseling degree program to take more than four years to do the extra coursework.

Students are required to complete 48 credit hours (42 credit hours of required courses and 6 credit hours of practicum and practicum seminar). The minimum amount of work that a student must complete each year following matriculation to successfully complete the program appears below:

Suggested Incremental Time Frame Completion Rates

End of Year One	12 credit hours
End of Year Two	24 credit hours
End of Year Three	36 credit hours
End of Year Four	48 credit hours

Graduation Requirements

Students who are admitted into the MA in Community Counseling degree program are responsible for completing the program requirements in effect at the time of their admission. However, Argosy University, Dallas retains the right to modify these requirements in accordance with the demands of the counseling profession. To be eligible for graduation, students must:

Complete 48 semester credit hours by the end of the fourth year of matriculation. The total credit hours must include:
- 42 credit hours of required courses
- 6 credit hours of practicum and practicum seminar
Successfully complete the Counselor Competency Examination (CCE) and Comprehensive Examination.
Have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration

Program Requirements

The MA in Community Counseling degree program requires the successful completion of 48 semester credit hours, distributed as follows: required courses, 42 credit hours; and practicum and practicum seminar requirements, 6 credit hours.

Students Are Required to Take the Following

Required Courses — 42 Credit Hours

Practicum and Practicum Internship Seminar Requirements — Students Are Required to Take the Following

Practicum and Practicum Internship Seminar Requirements — 6 Credit Hours

* Counseling Internship and Seminar (PC 6415 ) is repeated for two semesters for a total of 4 credit hours

Practicum and Practicum Internship Seminar Requirements

Practicum and Internship experiences are a required and essential part of counselor training. They provide students with the opportunity to practice and learn counseling and other professional skills under the guidance of an appropriately licensed supervisor. Practicum and internship students apply their theoretical knowledge, implement and develop clinical techniques based on this knowledge, and develop the professional and personal attitudes important to counseling practice. All students enrolled in the practicum and internship are concurrently enrolled in a seminar.

Practicum Eligibility

To begin practicum, students must be in good academic standing, have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, received permission from their program chair or Clinical Training Committee, and have successfully completed or transferred the following courses:

Practicum Prerequisites

No student may begin a practicum without being in the MA in Community Counseling degree program for a minimum of three semesters. Students who are on academic probation are not allowed to participate in practicum or enroll in an additional practicum until they are returned to good academic standing.

The Counseling Training Manual is available from the Clinical Training Department or the program chair of the MA of Community Counseling degree program. This manual describes the practicum process, procedures, and requirements in detail.

Practicum Prerequisites

Counselor Competency Examination Requirements

All MA in Community Counseling degree program students must successfully complete the Counselor Competency Examination (CCE). The CCE assesses basic counseling competencies, including the ability to manage a counseling session, conceptualize a case, and make recommendations for treatment. Students are evaluated on a tape of a counseling session, transcript, and a written document that includes a self-critique. The CCE is completed during the last Internship Seminar. It is graded Pass or Fail. All revisions must be completed within one semester of the original CCE. Additional information regarding registration, qualification, format, and dates of the exam are addressed in the CCE Manual available from the director of Clinical Training or program chair of the MA in Community Counseling degree program.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All MA in Community Counseling degree program students are required to successfully complete a Comprehensive Examination. The knowledge tested by the exam covers all material from all MA in Community Counseling degree program courses. The Comprehensive Examination is generally held three times a year. Students must have successfully completed all required coursework, with the exception of practicum, and be in good standing to be eligible to take the Comprehensive Exam. Additional information regarding registration, qualification, format, and dates of the exam are available from the director of Clinical Training or the program chair of the MA in Community Counseling degree program.

Students are allowed to take the Comprehensive Examination a total of three times. Students who fail the Comprehensive Exam receive information from the program chair concerning their performance on the examination and assistance from faculty in acquiring experiences and learning aimed at enabling them pass the exam.

Student-At-Large Status

Students are allowed to take up to three courses in the MA Community Counseling degree program curriculum as a student-at-large (SAL). Some courses relating to the clinical skills of counseling may be restricted depending on the student’s prior education. The following seminars and clinical training courses are excluded for SAL enrollment:

Excluded Courses

Course/Credit Transfer

Transfer of Courses/Credit to the Master of Arts in Community Counseling Degree Program from Another Institution

Students who have completed graduate coursework at another institution may petition for transfer of courses to the MA in Community Counseling degree program. A maximum of 9 credit hours may be transferred. For a course to be considered eligible for transfer, the following conditions must be met:

The course must have been taken no more than five years prior to enrollment at Argosy University, Dallas, unless the student can present evidence of ongoing work experience or continuing education in that area.
The course must have been a graduate-level course, taken for graduate-level credit at a regionally accredited institution. In the case of an institution outside of the United States, the appropriate state or national accreditation is required.
The course submitted for transfer of a 3-credit hour course must itself be at least 3-credit hours.
The student must have earned a grade of “B” or above in the course.
Practicum and Professional and Ethical Issues (PC6300) are not eligible for transfer.
Courses are accepted for transfer at the discretion of program faculty.
Course Descriptions and syllabi must demonstrate that the course taken by the student is substantially similar (80 percent or more) to the Argosy University, Dallas course in content, skill, and rigor.¹

All course transfer requests must be submitted to the Student Services Department before or during the first semester of enrollment in the program. Transfer Request Forms are available from the Student Services Department. The transfer request must be accompanied by a transcript reflecting completion of the course and the grade received, along with other supporting documentation, such as course description, syllabus, and work samples.

Transfer of Courses/Credit to the Master of Arts in Community Counseling Degree Program From Another Argosy University Campus

Students who transfer from one Argosy University campus to another may receive credit for a course taken at the original campus, if the course is substantially similar (80 percent or more) to the one offered at the transfer campus. In cases where the course is similar but not identical, the campus has the option to review for approval or denial. Students at Argosy University, Dallas who wish to submit course transfer requests for courses taken at another Argosy University campus must do so before or during the first semester of enrollment at Argosy University, Dallas.

1 All transfer credit decisions are final.