The Elizabethtown College psychology department is launching a master of arts in counseling psychology program. The goal of the program is to prepare professional mental health practitioners to apply experienced-based and relationship-centered learning practices in a variety of real-life settings.
“Marketing research indicates that counseling psychology is the most popular branch for graduates. Since we have existing expertise, we want to provide that opportunity here at Etown,” program director and assistant professor of psychology Dr. Elizabeth Dalton said in an interview.
The program will be a two year, 60-credit program with courses offered in the fall, spring and summer semesters. In addition, the program also includes 700 hours of practicum and internship training, which is required for students to meet the requirements for becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania. It will be offered in a hybrid format with both remote and in-person classes. The hybrid format was considered even before COVID-19 in order to allow for more flexibility for students.
Dalton expressed that 15 current students attended an open-house event about the master’s program. One of these students was senior psychology major Meghan Keenan.
“In middle school, I realized my passion for psychology, and I knew I wanted to use it to help others. I loved to listen to my friends’ problems and to act as a soundboard for their problem solving,” Keenan said in an interview. “Earning a master’s in counseling psychology is a significant step for me to become a licensed counselor and to help children, teens and young adults work through personal struggles.”
The program offers three different specializations: the generalist track, the substance use counseling track and the child and adolescent counseling track. Students must complete 15 core courses for 45 total credits and then select one specialization and complete the corresponding five courses for 15 credits. Those who want to complete the generalist track for a wider variety of applications must complete 15 total credits from courses from either specialization.
Keenan is interested in pursuing the child and adolescent counseling track and is especially excited to take the trauma-informed psychotherapy course, a special type of training she recently discovered.
Dalton said that she and assistant professor of psychology Dr. Dawnielle Simmons will teach the program’s courses, and that the plan currently is to hire one additional full-time faculty member for the program. The program will be jointly offered through the School of Sciences and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS).
Something that is unique about the program is that it is open to more than just psychology undergraduates.
“Students don’t need to have an undergraduate degree in psychology to apply to the master’s program. All you need to have done is completed three psychology courses and earned a grade of a B- or better,” Dalton said.
The application portal will be open this semester with the application deadline scheduled for Feb. 1, 2022. Next semester will be dedicated to reviewing applications and interviewing applicants. The first program cohort will begin in the fall 2022 semester.
“We will take a holistic view of each applicant, and each will be interviewed before they are offered acceptance,” Dalton said.
She also clarified that the master’s program will be offered to current Etown students, Etown alumni and students outside of Etown. Etown alumni will have their application fee waived upon applying to the program.
Keenan, as well as Dalton and the rest of the psychology department, are excited to launch this master’s program in counseling psychology.
“I highly recommend Etown’s master’s program to any aspiring psych[ology] major. The faculty here are passionate about their fields and are even more so invested in individual student success,” Keenan said. “Overall, this program is formatted to maximize individual student success.”
