Jul 11, 2025

2012-2013 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 3, Issue 6

2012-2013 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 3, Issue 6 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Program—Argosy University, Salt Lake City

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is designed to provide students with a sound foundation for eventual practice of mental health counseling. The program introduces students to basic counseling skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of professional counseling into appropriate client interaction and intervention skills. The program is designed to emphasize the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional counselors who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program at Argosy University, Salt Lake City is to create a learning environment that promotes academic excellence, professional competence, and personal integrity. This mission is achieved through a curriculum that integrates counseling skills, sound ethical values, and professional clinical practice for utilization in a variety of settings with diverse client populations.

Program Formats

Argosy University, Salt Lake City strives to provide an educational experience with the highest academic quality in a variety of flexible formats designed for the convenience of adult students. In that respect, blended in-residence courses are offered in either a two year or three year course schedule. The two year program consists of 7.5 week classes held on Thursday nights and Saturdays for the first year of the program, with students taking 11 credit hours per semester. The second year consists of practicum or internship offered in a 15 week format with two 7.5 week courses for a total of 9 credit hours per semester. The three year program consists of 7.5 week courses held on Thursday nights and Saturdays for the first two years of the program, with students taking an average of 9 credit hours per semester. The third year consists of practicum or internship offered in a 15 week format for an average total of 3 credit hours per semester.

Licensure Information

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program curriculum is designed to align with the Utah state Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to seek licensure through the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, 160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111, Phone 801.530.6628, Toll-Free in Utah 866.275.3675, Fax 801.530.6511, http://dopl.utah.gov/licensing/professional_counseling.html. Argosy University does not guarantee that the MA in Mental Health Counseling degree program will meet the requirements to obtain licensure.

Additional Requirements for Academic Progress

Students must make satisfactory progress toward their degree program by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a scale of4.0. Student progress in the MA in Mental Health Counseling degree program is formally evaluated after the first four courses.

Students who receive a grade below a “B-“ in any course must repeat the course. Students who receive two grades below “B-“ in the first four courses, including a repeat of the same course, will not be permitted to continue in the program.

Students are expected to follow the recommended course sequence as outlined in the curriculum in order to complete all coursework in two years for the two year program, or three years for the three year program, with a maximum time frame of five years. Students who have temporarily withdrawn from Argosy University will have five years plus the length of time that they were not enrolled, not to exceed one year, to complete the program.

Students are required to complete 60 credit hours (51 credit hours of core courses and 9 credit hours of practicum and internship). The suggested 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
End of Year Five	60 credit hours

Additional Graduation Requirements

In addition to the graduation requirements listed previously, students must also meet the following requirements:

Completion of 60 semester credit hours by the end of the fifth year of matriculation. The total credit hours must include:
- 51 credit hours of core courses
- 9 credit hours (12 months) of practicum and internship training experience
Successful completion of the Counselor Presentation Evaluation (CPE)
Successful completion of the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)
A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
A Completed Petition to Graduate Form submitted to campus administration

Program Requirements

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program requires the satisfactory completion of 60 semester credit hours are distributed as follows: core course requirements, 51 credit hours; practicum and internship requirements, 9 credit hours.

Core Course Requirements—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Core Course Requirements—51 Credit Hours

Practicum and Internship Requirements–Students Are Required to Take the Following

Practicum and Internship Requirements—9 Credit Hours

Practicum and Internship Requirements

Students may be placed in a training experience during the second year of study. A student may also have the option of waiting until all coursework is completed before beginning the training experience. The practicum and internship each carry 3 credit hours per semester. Practicum and internship last 15 months.

Throughout the year, students will be required to spend a minimum of 100 hours in practicum and 900 hours in internship for a total of 1000 hours. Students may not waive the practicum and internship requirements. Students are required to purchase liability insurance before beginning practicum and must be maintained during PC 6410 Counseling Practicum , PC 6416 Counseling Internship I , and PC 6417 Counseling Internship II . To be eligible for a practicum and internship, students must have successfully completed all prerequisite courses as indicated on the Program of Study.

Practicum Requirements

Students may apply for placement in a practicum and seminar during the second year of study after completing all first-year coursework. A student may also have the option of waiting until all coursework is completed before beginning the practicum experience. Courses that are designated as prerequisites for practicum are as follows:

Practicum Prerequisites

Practicum Readiness Seminar

Prior to finalization of arrangements for a practicum site, the student is required to attend a Practicum Readiness Seminar to receive proper orientation, and to assess the student’s ability to be successful in a practicum experience. This seminar will typically be held in the semester prior to placement.

During the seminar, the student will be asked to demonstrate the following skills:

Presentation of a strategy for successful acceptance at potential sites.
Assessment and treatment planning skills: complete a written report based on a provided case study.
Present a summary of skills and knowledge based on learning outcomes in the MA in Mental Health Counseling degree program, including the attributes that make the student a desirable candidate for practicum.
Demonstrate knowledge of the professional opportunities for practicum and employment in the area of the student’s preference.
Demonstrate efforts toward developing professional contacts.
Show interpersonal skills in interviewing and conversation

Practicum and Internship Seminar Requirements

All students enrolled in a field experience must also concurrently attend a related seminar. The seminar allows the student to reflect on various field experiences and to acquire additional skills and attitudes useful in field training. The specific content and emphasis of the seminar varies according to the setting and focus of the enrolled students and the professional expertise of the faculty member.

Practicum and Internship Evaluation

The goal of the field experience is to focus on the training of competent counselors capable of providing basic and effective counseling and therapeutic intervention. Evaluation of student progress in supervised field training focuses on three areas:

Theoretical knowledge base
Counseling Skills
Professional Attitudes

A thorough review of site and seminar evaluations is conducted by the director of Training, and an overall grades of “Credit” or “No Credit” is included in the student’s academic record.

Counselor Presentation Evaluation Requirement

The Counselor Presentation Evaluation (CPE) requires each student to present a case study and conceptual analysis in writing, resulting in a case formulation, conceptual formulation, and recommendations for treatment relevant to the case conceptualization. The purpose of the CPE is to monitor the growth and development of the school’s standard of competency for mental health counselors.

The CPE ensures that students are prepared to demonstrate their conceptual abilities, theoretical knowledge, and applied counseling skills in class and in supervised field training. Faculty evaluators assess the student’s fund of knowledge regarding the foundations of mental health counseling, the student’ s ability to manage an interview, and the student’s ability to arrive at an accurate diagnostic and case formulation. Students are also evaluated on their ability to make appropriate and individualized treatment recommendations based on their case formulation. The document is written throughout the three semesters of practicum and internship, and the oral examination of the CPE is taken during the second semester of the student’s internship.

The CPE requirement is met by submitting a written document along with a digital recording and/or transcript or other approved sample of one psychotherapy session that the student has conducted with a client, and a diagnostic case formulation report, including a self-critique. The CPE is submitted to the student’s seminar faculty at a designated date. The digital recording cannot have been submitted either in the school or outside of it for review, supervision or critique.

Students should refer to the Counselor Presentation Evaluation document for complete information concerning the requirements and process for completing the CPE.

Course/Credit Transfer

A maximum of 12 credit hours may be transferred.

Capstone Examination Requirements

Students are required to take the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) during their last semester in the program. This exam will typically be given during the student’s final internship, but may be given during another course if the student is out of sequence.