CIP Code: 13.1101
Mission Statement
The Education Division at Missouri Baptist University seeks to develop reflective, problem-solving, professional educators of excellence from a Christian perspective; to enhance the lives of students in the classroom intellectually, spiritually, physically, and socially; and to significantly influence students through the demonstrated integration of Christian faith and learning in the classroom, so that they may become positive change agents in a globally and culturally diverse society.
Overview
The Counselor Education (Certification) program offers two tracks: a 48 hour program to become an elementary school counselor (K-8) and a 48-hour program to become a secondary school counselor (7-12). (If the student is not already certified to teach in Missouri then an additional three to six hours may be required to meet DESE requirements for certification.)
The Counselor Education (Licensure) track is designed for those students who wish to pursue a career as a counselor in an agency setting and not as a certified school counselor. This 48-hour program meets the academic requirements for licensure as a mental health Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Missouri. Students must also meet additional state requirements beyond the master’s degree for counselor licensure including: 1) weekly supervision of 3000 hours of counseling and 2) a state licensure examination.
Students who major in Counselor Education (Certification) will complete the Missouri Educator Profile (MEP) as an entry assessment. Students must complete a Professional Counseling Portfolio, which meets the research and assessment requirements for the Master of Arts in Counseling degree as an exit assessment. The portfolio must be completed and scored before the degree is conferred.
To be considered a program completer and be eligible for certification, students must pass the Missouri Content Assessments (MoCA) Counselor exam, which replaced Praxis in Missouri as the content area exit exam, in September 2014. For more information or to register for the MEP or MoCA, visit the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) website http://www.mo.nesinc.com/. Students must also pass the performance-based assessment for school counselors, the Missouri School Counselor Performance Assessment (MoSCPA), which was implemented in the 2015-2016 academic year. For more information visit http://mega.ets.org/.
The State of Missouri certification and licensure offices require that you have good moral character. A criminal record can be defined as, but not limited to: immoral sexual acts; sexual abuse; use, possession, or the sale of narcotics, etc. If you have a concern about your background experiences, please contact the Committee for Professional Counselors (for licensure) or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (for certification).
Students seeking a Master of Arts in Counseling degree must submit a current national fingerprint background check before they will be considered for admittance to the program. Results must be sent directly to the Director of Public Safety, Missouri Baptist University, One College Park Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141.
In the event that the background check shows any incidence that might prevent certification, the student must provide a letter of explanation to the Chairman of the Admissions Review Committee. The Admissions Review Committee makes the final decision and advises Graduate Admissions.
Online Program
Students in the online program may take up to six courses (18 credit hours) of traditional courses and students in the traditional program may take up to six courses (18 credit hours) of online courses. Traditional students in either licensure or dual track programs cannot take courses required for licensure online. Online program students must take ELPS 563 , ELPS 583 , and ESPS 583 online. Traditional program students must take ELPS 563 , ELPS 583 , and ESPS 583 face-to-face.
Certification in a state other than Missouri:
This degree leads to School Counseling certification in the state of Missouri. If certification in another state is desired, you must check with that state to determine if additional certification requirements are mandated. Missouri certification may or may not be reciprocal with another state. It is the responsibility of candidates to determine if there will be additional requirements for their state. All students must be considered program completers in the state of Missouri, which means that all course requirements must be met and both the portfolio and Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA) 056 Counselor passed, before
recommendation paperwork for out-of-state certification will be processed.
Summary of the Master’s Degree Process
To earn the MAC degree, a student must complete each of the following steps:
- The student must develop a comprehensive plan of study with the Graduate Advisor.
- The student must complete all coursework included in the plan of study.
- The student must complete an internship.
- An Application for Graduation, signed by the student, Graduate Advisor, and Vice President for Graduate Studies, must be filed with the Graduate Office and the Records Office.
- Students must pay the required graduation fee. Students are encouraged to participate in the graduation ceremony scheduled the first Tuesday evening after the last Saturday in April of each academic year. Students must notify the Vice President for Graduate Studies and the Director of Records if they choose not to participate. Students must pay the graduation fee whether they attend commencement or not.
- All graduate students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to graduate from the program.
Transfer Students/Transfer Credit
Transfer credits must have been earned within the seven (7) years prior to entry into the Graduate Studies Program. Transfer credits must be approved by the Graduate Advisor and the Division Dean or Program Director and must have grades of A, B, S, CR, or P. Students may not take courses from other graduate programs while enrolled at Missouri Baptist without written approval from the Vice President for Graduate Studies.
Students entering the Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) degree program may transfer up to twelve (12) graduate credits into the Missouri Baptist University Graduate Studies Program from another regionally accredited college or university. The total hours transferred to Missouri Baptist, including courses from other programs while enrolled, may not exceed twelve (12) hours.
The University only recognizes institutions accredited by the current edition of Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education published by the CHEA and the American Council on Education.
Directed Studies
The Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors will not accept directed studies as meeting the academic requirements for counselor licensure; therefore, no directed studies are permitted in the Master of Arts in Counseling program.
Diversity Field Experience Requirements
The MAC Graduate Counseling Program requires 40 diversity experience hours to be completed during the program. The 40 diversity experience hours include 20 exploratory/observation hours which are embedded in the curriculum coursework and 20 face-to-face diversity counseling experience hours to be completed at the clinical level. Effective completion of the 40 hours during the Graduate Counseling Program ensure the successful diversity experience for each program graduate.
Exit Exam
Students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Counseling for Counseling Licensure (or the agency counseling track) will be required to take the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) developed by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), with a target score of 85 (of a possible 136). This exam is not the same as the state licensure examination. Those students seeking state licensure will be responsible for making application to the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors to take the state licensure examination after graduation. Students enrolled in the Counselor Education (school certification track) will be required to take Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA) 056 Counselor.
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