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Applying to Ottawa University's Professional Counseling Programs

The admissions selection process is designed to identify students who have potential for completing the counseling program and achieving licensure as a professional counselor. Due to the sensitive nature of work in the area of professional counseling, students are admitted on the basis of many different expressions of their qualities and abilities: academic preparation, work experience, and factors relating to character and personality.

All applicants must submit an Application for Admission along with the $65 application fee. Additionally, the following information must be provided. 

For application information and materials, please click here. To schedule an appointment with an advisor, please call 602-749-5151. To speak with an advisor, please call 602-749-5156.

  • Academic Preparation.  Admission requirements include an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and 12 semester credit hours of psychology or related behavioral science/health services/social science courses. The program prerequisite courses are Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology/Human Development, Theories of Personality, or equivalents. It is strongly recommended that the applicant has taken an undergraduate statistics course in addition to the 12 semester credit hours named above; if not, those admitted to the program will be required to complete a graduate statistics workshop. A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) in field-related coursework is expected. Similar proficiency is expected in upper-level work (final 60 semester credit hours of bachelor degree work) in the humanities and related science classes. Performance in coursework in areas such as computer technology, media design, engineering, and others not as directly relevant to preparation in behavioral health is given less weight in evaluating academic preparation. Applicants must provide transcripts for all undergraduate and post-graduate work.
  • Work Experience.  Students who have volunteer and/or work experience in professional counseling environments bring an added level of preparation. This type of experience may be considered when academic coursework has not been in the psychology/health services/social sciences area. Personal psychotherapy experiences may provide a familiarity with professional counseling activities, but this is not an automatic qualifier for appropriateness for graduate study in professional counseling. Letters of reference must verify relevant field experience. A current resume, outlining all work and volunteer experiences, and noting reasons for leaving positions, is required of all applicants.
  • Letters of Reference.  An applicant must submit three completed reference forms from former professors, professionals within the mental health field, or work supervisors qualified to comment on the applicant's potential for successful graduate study in professional counseling. These questionnaires require comments on the applicant's intellectual, academic, personal, social, and emotional qualities that may pertain to graduate study and to success in the field of counseling psychology. Reference forms are included with the application packet. It is the applicant's responsibility to forward them to those individuals from whom s/he wishes a reference. The reference information is then forwarded directly to the graduate office to be added to other application materials. 
  • Personal Statement on Career Development.  Applicants must submit a two-page essay. The topic of the essay should center on professional career development. The applicant should address how past experiences have influenced their current decision to pursue higher education. Ultimately, the essay should illustrate to the reader why the applicant wishes to be in the counseling profession. The essay should demonstrate the ability to organize thoughts in writing and present them in a clear manner.
  • Interview.  An interview may be requested of some applicants.

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS)

An individual who holds a master's degree in counseling or a related field and wishes to complete academic eligibility for licensure as a professional counselor and/or seeks continuing professional education may apply for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies option. A minimum of 15 semester credit hours of coursework in the Professional Counseling Graduate Program is required for the CAGS certificate.

Admission standards: Master's degree in counseling or related field; two letters of reference; completion of appropriate prerequisite coursework for courses selected in CAGS study; personal preparation, as outlined for other applicants to graduate study in professional counseling.

Professional Certification/Licensure

All the programs offered in the Master of Arts in Professional Counseling are designed to meet the education requirements of the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners as a licensed associate counselor. Final decisions regarding licensure rest with a respective state's licensing Board. Students interested in certification in a specialized area (e.g., art therapy, marriage and family therapy) are responsible for requesting updated information from certifying bodies about current certification requirements in order to plan their graduate coursework. Final decisions regarding certification in areas of concentration are determined by the certifying bodies.