M.A. in Counseling

Stockton University's Master of Arts in Counseling program is designed to educate students about best practices in mental health and human services and train students in the skills necessary to work with clients in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, social service agencies, residential treatment centers, community mental health centers, and other organizations

Our program prepares individuals to provide evaluations, referrals, and counseling services to help people prevent or remediate personal problems, conflicts, and emotional crises. Our curriculum includes instruction in human development, psychopathology, individual and group counseling, personality theory, career assessment, patient screening and referral, observation and testing techniques, interviewing skills, professional standards and ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.

Accreditation update: The Master of Arts in Counseling program sought accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and received notice of our accreditation on August 12, 2024. The program is accredited for eight years and graduates of the program can consider themselves graduated from a CACREP program dating back to July 11, 2022. Here is our program's status on their website. Stockton was one of three institutions that received a CACREP Grant to assist with the accreditation process. The Program Chair, Dr. Sara Martino, was featured on their website.

Click here to view our Master of Arts in Counseling Virtual Information Session.

About the Program

Program Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes

Master of Arts in Counseling Faculty

Academic Objectives:

The Master of Arts in Counseling program aims to educate students regarding best practices in counseling. Curriculum focuses on the eight core areas delineated by CACREP standards: professional counseling orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling and group work, assessment and testing, research and program evaluation.

The objectives for the program are specifically:

To provide meaningful educational experiences to prepare graduates with foundational skills, critical thinking ability, and dedication to the counseling profession,
To prepare graduates for employment, licensure, and certification by meeting the standards set by the appropriate accrediting and licensing agencies,
To inspire graduates to become advocates for their clients and leaders in their profession,
To encourage patience, sensitivity, and understanding in the delivery of counseling services to diverse communities,
To prepare graduates for a commitment to ethical professional practice, and
To prepare students to use research as a guide for identifying effective counseling techniques (Chwalisz, 2003).

M.A. in Counseling Student Handbook

Professional Objectives:

National certification: Graduates of the program are qualified to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE), which is administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Passing the NCE exam qualifies graduates as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). See the section on Accreditation below to verify the proposed program's eligibility for CACREP accreditation.

State licensure: Graduates who have passed the NCE are qualified to apply for licensure in the State of New Jersey as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) after an additional 4,500 hours of supervised experience. This license allows them to work as counselors in non-profit organizations, for profit organizations, or in private practice in New Jersey.

Curriculum

Students must complete 60 credit hours satisfying the criteria outlined below with passing grades of C or better in all courses. All students must also satisfactorily complete a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internships. Due to the interpersonal nature of the discipline, it is expected that all core courses will be delivered in face-to-face format, although some courses may be offered as hybrid classes.

Counseling skills will be an introduction to basic clinical skills designed to prepare students to begin working at practicum sites. Students will be required to complete a 100-hour practicum during the second semester of the program, including 40 hours of direct service with clients (individual therapy or group therapy, for example). This experience can take place in a group or private practice which is separate from social work practicum opportunities. They will also complete two semester-long internships consisting of 300 hours of client-related work during the third and fourth semesters of the program. These internships should both take place at the same site and will include group supervision by faculty as well as supervision with an on-site supervisor. Each semester of internship will include 120 hours of direct client contact and 180 hours of indirect client services.

Master of Arts in Counseling Curriculum Worksheet

Year 1- Fall Semester-15 credits	Year 1- Spring Semester- 15 credits
COUN 5110 Pre-Practicum COUN 5115 Theories of Counseling COUN 5120 Psychopathology COUN 5125 Ethical and Legal Issues COUN 5205 Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling	COUN 5135 Assessment and Testing COUN 5140 Statistics and Research COUN 5210 Multicultural Counseling COUN 5215 Group Counseling COUN 5900 Practicum
Year 2- Fall Semester-15 credits	Year 2- Spring Semester-15 credits
COUN 5130 Lifespan Development COUN 5220 Couples and Family Therapy COUN 55xx Elective COUN 55xx Elective COUN 5901 Internship I	COUN 5225 Career Counseling COUN 5230 Subtance Abuse Counseling COUN 55xx Elective COUN 55xx Elective COUN 5902 Internship II
Elective Courses COUN 5520 Counseling Children and Adolescents COUN 5521 Play Therapy COUN 5522 Counseling in the Criminal Justice System COUN 5523 Aging in Counseling COUN 5524 Counseling Women COUN 5525 Counseling in School Settings COUN 5530 Health Psychology COUN 5540 Crisis Intervention COUN 5550 Prevention Strategies in Schools and Communities COUN 5560 Foundations of Clinical Supervision COUN 5565 Modern Day Clinical Approaches and Interventions

For course description, please visit the University's Course Catalog.

Practicum/Internship Resources

Admissions Criteria

Application Deadline

Fall 2025: Deadline February 3, 2025

Prerequisite/Matriculation Requirements

Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
Incoming students must have prerequisite skills and knowledge in statistics and experimental psychology as well as at least one course in either child development or personality psychology. These matriculation requirements can be met by courses taken at the undergraduate or graduate level with earned grades of B or better.

Admissions Requirements

Click here to start your application.
Application fee: $50 (non-refundable), submitted with your online application
Graduate application essay
Three letters of recommendation sent electronically via the online application
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores sent electronically to school code: 2889
- Scores must have been taken within the last 10 years
- GRE requirement is waived for those applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.51 or higher, and is also waived for master's degree holders.
Resume
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (including Stockton) should be e-mailed by the institution or clearinghouse, mailed or dropped off directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

By mail:
Office of Graduate Admissions, N-Wing 007a
101 Vera King Farris Drive
Galloway, NJ 08205-9441

Electronically:
gradschool@stockton.edu
To review international applicant deadlines and admission criteria, please click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need to have a specific degree for admittance into the program?

No, however students must have prerequisite skills and knowledge in statistics and experimental psychology as well as at least one course in either child development or personality psychology.

2. Are GRE scores required?

Yes, with the exception of master's degree holders or those with a cumulative GPA of 3.51 or higher. The Graduate Entrance Exam must have been taken within the last 10 years.

3. When are students admitted to the program?

Students are admitted in the Fall semester only.

4. When and where are classes held?

Classes are held in the afternoon and evenings at Stockton's Kramer Hall Instructional Site in Hammonton, NJ.

5. Can I take courses in the M.A. in Counseling program prior to being admitted into the program?

Yes. To register, students must complete the online Graduate Non-Matriculated Student form.

6. Can the program be completed as a part-time student?

At this time, the program only offers full time enrollment with the ability to take summer courses to partially decrease the academic load during the school year.

7. Can I transfer credits into the program?

Stockton may accept up to 9 credits that sufficiently match corresponding Stockton courses, provided that the grade earned is a 3.0 (B) or better. Clinical courses are exempt from transfer.

A Graduate Transfer Equivalency Form must be submitted at the time of application when requesting transfer credits.

8. How soon after the application deadline will I know if I have been accepted?

After all applications have been reviewed, the most qualified applicants are invited to interview in mid-March. After interviews are completed, final decision letters will be mailed no later than May 1st but these timelines can be adjusted based on circumstances (weather, emergencies, etc.). Please note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee interview or admission to the M.A. in Counseling program.

9. When will the M.A. in Counseling program become accredited?

The Master of Arts in Counseling program sought accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and received notice of our accreditation on August 12, 2024. The program is accredited for eight years and graduates of the program can consider themselves graduated from a CACREP program dating back to July 11, 2022. Here is our program's status on their website. Stockton was one of three institutions that received a CACREP Grant to assist with the accreditation process. The Program Chair, Dr. Sara Martino, was featured on their website.

Apply today. If you have further questions you can Request More Information or call the Office of Graduate Admissions at (609) 626-3640 or E-mail gradschool@stockton.edu.

Dr. Sara Martino
Professor, Director, MA in Counseling program