College of Education

FAQ's for previously enrolled and currently enrolled Professional Counseling Students regarding the program's transition to Mental Health Counseling

Why is the professional counseling program changing?

As stated in the newly released 2009 CACREP Standards, all applicant programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling must require a minimum of 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours for all students, by 2013. The CPS department is following the CACREP standards for this program. The new name, mental health counseling, reflects the new 60 semester credit hour program (as opposed to the 48 semester credit hour professional counseling program).

How will this affect students currently/actively enrolled in the MS or EDS Professional counseling Program?

Students currently/actively enrolled should not be affected, and should continue on through their designed professional counseling program. As long as the professional counseling student stays actively enrolled in their program (without violating the continuous enrollment policy) that student will remain in the 48 credit hour MS professional counseling program and/or 30 credit hour EDS professional counseling program. The last semester for graduation from the MS and/or EDS professional counseling program will be Spring (May) 2013. All students wanting to graduate from the MS and/or EDS professional counseling program must graduate by that semester.

The name change (to mental health counseling) and the semester hour increase (to 60 semester credit hours) will only apply to those that enter the program in 2010 and beyond.

Will the school counseling or rehabilitation counseling program change?

No. The 2009 CACREP Standards still call for a minimum of 48 semester hours for all school counseling students. The CORE Standards still call for a minimum of 48 semester hours for all rehabilitation counseling students.

Will this affect licensing as a counselor in the state of Georgia?

The Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists has not announced any changes at this time. Please see their website for all laws, policies and rules regarding licensure. For all other states, please check that state’s licensing board.

The last semester of reentry for the MS professional counseling program is Spring 2010—application for reentry is due November 1, 2009. If an inactive MS professional counseling student does not reenter in Spring 2010, that student will have to go through the full MS mental health counseling application process (including interview) and hope to gain entry in the new mental health counseling program. Some courses taken under the professional counseling program may not count towards the new mental health counseling program. All students wanting to graduate from the MS professional counseling program must graduate by Spring (May) 2013.

What if a student enrolled in the EDS Professional counseling program violates the continuous enrollment policy (and goes inactive)?

The last semester of reentry of inactive students for the EDS professional counseling program is Spring 2010—application for reentry is due November 1, 2009. If an inactive EDS professional counseling student does not reenter in Spring 2010, that student will not be allowed to reenter and complete the EDS professional counseling program. The EDS professional counseling program will no longer exist. Also, there are no plans for an EDS mental health counseling program. All students wishing to complete their EDS professional counseling program should be active in Spring 2010 and remain active (avoid violating the continuous enrollment policy) until they complete their EDS professional counseling program. All students wanting to graduate from the EDS professional counseling program must graduate by Spring (May) 2013.

Will there be an EDS mental health counseling program?

No.

I am currently enrolled in the MS professional counseling program. Can I switch into the MS mental health counseling program?

To gain admittance into the MS mental health counseling program, you must go through the full application process, including interview, and gain admittance into the mental health counseling program.

I just have 3 courses to complete before I get my professional counseling EDS degree. Can I come back and finish those courses?
You must come back and be active in the Spring 2010 semester. If you do not come back and become actively enrolled by Spring 2010 semester, you will not be allowed to finish the degree. Apply for reentry into the Spring 2010 semester today! Here is the Spring 2010 registration calendar (when course offerings are posted on the web, registration dates, etc.).

I am a current student in the MS professional counseling program and want to transfer to the new MS mental health counseling program. Will the current MS professional counseling courses I am taking transfer into the new MS mental health counseling program?
     First of all, a student would have to gain admission into the new MS mental health counseling program by going through the full application process, including interview. Even though a student was admitted into the professional counseling program, they are not automatically guaranteed admittance into the mental health counseling program.
     If a student did gain admittance into the MS mental health counseling program, all of the courses that they took in the professional counseling program would transfer over so long as they are not older than 7 years at the time of your MS mental health counseling graduation AND the new MS mental health counseling program curriculum requires them. While many of the MS mental health counseling courses will be the same as the professional counseling program courses, there will be some differences. The curriculum will be released this fall upon program approval by the board of regents.
     That being said, not many students will want to switch from a 48-hour degree program to a 60-hour degree program, when both programs lead to the same licensure in the state of Georgia, for obvious reasons....

I started the MS professional counseling program last semester and I am interested in doing the EDS professional counseling program. When do I have to start my EDS professional counseling program classes?
     First, you must make sure you have admittance into that EDS professional counseling program on or before Spring 2010 semester. If you do not have admittance into that program, please apply online for Spring 2010 entrance even if you are not finished with your MS professional counseling degree.
     However, most students were concurrently admitted into the EDS professional counseling program when they were admitted into their MS professional counseling program. If you were concurrently admitted into the EDS professional counseling program, your admittance will wait for you as long as you stay currently enrolled in ANY program at GSU (and avoid violating the continuous enrollment policy).
     So simply work through your MS professional counseling program (without violating the continuous enrollment policy), and when you complete that program, move right into your EDS professional counseling program (without violating the continuous enrollment policy) and stay active in that program until you complete it. Or you may work through that EDS professional counseling program concurrently during your MS professional counseling program, as the courses allow. The last semester of graduation from the MS professional counseling program and/or the EDS professional counseling program is Spring (May) 2013.