Master of Arts Counseling Psychology

Unlock Your Potential with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at Felician University

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP) program prepares students for a meaningful career as a licensed mental health professionals, specifically as licensed counselors, with the ability to serve diverse populations within society. Through classroom learning and fieldwork, you will learn to identify patterns of behavior and articulate treatment plans for a variety of patients. However, developing critical and analytical thinking skills is only part of what makes our graduates successful in this field. Our program is taught within the framework of our Franciscan values – a love of learning, a commitment to service, and respect for all. These values empower our graduates to bring a high level of professionalism and humanity to the people and groups they serve. To meet your needs and time constraints, you may enroll as a full- or part-time student.

What’s Different About our MACP Program?

The Felician MACP program represents a synthesis of two approaches and represents a unique path to preparing professional counselors.

  1. Our focus is on preparing students to be compassionate, community-focused, and facilitative of the potential of others while striving to maintain the ideas of the Gospel and following the model of St. Francis through service to others.
  2. In the realm of counseling, a new paradigm – positive psychology – has emerged during the last 10 years. An emphasis on mindfulness, spiritual development, and empowering the potential of others has become a new and core theoretical expansion of models of counseling.

Credits: 60 credits including clinical placements
Program Length: 2-3 years full-time or 4 years part-time
Start Dates: Rolling admissions
Instructional Method: On campus


Program Objectives and Outcomes

Upon completion of the Master of Arts in Counseling program, students will learn to:

  • Demonstrate an awareness of the ethical challenges and responsibilities in the field of counseling.
  • Articulate a personal model for addressing these responsibilities that is consistent with Catholic and Franciscan values.
  • Assess individuals and groups that display patterns of psychopathology.
  • Use information and technology literacy for maintaining best practices in counseling.
  • Articulate a clear and precise treatment plan for addressing the diagnoses of individuals and groups.
  • Adapt to the unique cultural, gender, racial, and sexual orientation needs of individuals and groups they serve.
  • Demonstrate competence in appropriate scientifically validated treatment modalities including individual psychological counseling, marital and couples counseling, family counseling, group counseling, and organizational consultation and interventions.

At the completion of the degree program and the required hours of experience, you will be eligible to sit for the state licensure in professional counseling. You will continue to participate in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program is accredited by the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period June 2014 – June 2025.

Before earning your master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, you must complete the required 60 credits, including clinical placements, and maintain a professional/clinical portfolio. Applicants from out of state should check with their state licensing board and requirements prior to starting the program at Felician.

Mission Statement
As a Franciscan institution Felician University has always focused on preparing students to be compassionate, community focused, facilitative of the potential of others, and striving to maintain the ideas of the Gospel as modeled by the service of others of Saint Francis of Assisi. In the realm of counseling over the course of the last ten years a new paradigm, positive psychology, has emerged. Further, an emphasis on mindfulness, spiritual development, and empowering the potential of others has become a new and core theoretical expansion of models of counseling. With these two models in mind the following program represents a synthesis of these approaches and represents a unique approach to preparing professional counselors.
Diversity Statement
The Felician University Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program strictly adheres to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014) and maintains a strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity. This program highlights the importance of multicultural counseling psychology and actively promotes diversity within the broader community. Located within diverse multicultural environments, our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to address the needs and complexities of individuals from various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, national origins, religious, spiritual, and political beliefs, physical abilities, ages, genders, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Our educational approach is dedicated to fostering an understanding of stereotypes, microaggressions, prejudice, and discrimination. Through rigorous academic coursework and practical, experiential learning opportunities, we prepare our students to become compassionate, ethical, and effective counselors who can advocate for and contribute positively to a just and equitable society.

Core Counseling Courses

  • PSYC 505: Introduction to Counseling
  • PSYC 507: Developmental Models of Personal Growth
  • PSYC 510: Techniques of Counseling and Appraisal
  • PSYC 511: Industrial, Organizational and Community Counseling

Counseling Courses

  • PSYC 520: Psychopathology
  • PSYC 530: Marital and Family Counseling
  • PSYC 550: Theories of Personality and Counseling
  • PSYC 555: Vocational and Career Development
  • PSYC 557: Professional Issues and Ethics
  • PSYC 565: Groups: Theory and Practice
  • PSYC 580: Assessment and Treatment Planning
  • PSYC 590: Research and Evaluation Methods
  • PSYC 597: Multicultural Perspectives in Counseling

Clinical Courses

  • PSYC 560: Clinical Practicum
  • PSYC 575: Counseling Internship I
  • PSYC 576: Counseling Internship II

Forensic Track

  • PSYC 521: Counseling & The Legal System
  • PSYC 522: Criminal Behavior
  • PSYC 523: Forensic Assessment
  • PSYC 594: Studies in PTSD

Counseling Courses

  • PSYC 507: Developmental Models of Personal Growth
  • PSYC 565: Groups Theory and Practice
  • PSYC 550: Theories of Personality and Counseling
  • PSYC 510: Techniques of Counseling and Appraisal
  • PSYC 591: Child and Adolescent Counseling
  • PSYC 555: Vocational and Career Development
  • PSYC 580: Assessment and Treatment Planning
  • PSYC 595: Addictions Counseling
  • PSYC 520: Psychopathology
  • PSYC 597: Multicultural Counseling
  • PSYC 511: Community, Organizational, and Institutional Counseling
  • PSYC 590: Research and Evaluation Methods

Clinical Courses

  • PSYC 560: Clinical Practicum
  • PSYC 575: Counseling Internship I

Education Courses

  • EDU 505: Educating All Populations: Collaborating with Home, School, and Community
  • EDU 645: School Policy and Administration

LPC Electives

  • PSYC 505: Introduction to Counseling
  • PSYC 557: Professional Issues and Ethics
  • PSYC 576: Counseling Internship II
  • PSYC Elective

MPCAC Annual Survey

FELICIAN

2022-2023

Applications recevied to matriculate in:

34

Of those, number of students accepted

26

Of those accepted, number newly enrolled in:

19

Of those newly enrolled in stated academic year,
number who continued into year two

17

Total number of students enrolled during year:

53

Number of students who graduated in year:

10

Number of students who started the program and
graduated within the expected time frame
(two or three years, depending on program length).
Does not include part-time students

7

Percent of students who enrolled in the program in Fall
2018 who graduated from the program
(5-year graduation rate)

80%

Percent of those who graduated in the years 2019 to 2021
who became fully licensed and/or credentialed

30%

Percent of those who graduated in the academic year who
became certified or licensed as school counselors

0%

Percent of courses taught by adjunct or part-time faculty in academic year:

25%

Race/Ethnicity of Full Time faculty: 
African American/Black

2

Hispanic/Latinx 1
Gender Indentity of Full Time Faculty:
Female

3

Male

0

Transgender

0

Non-binary

0