The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling (MA in PC) meets the educational requirements in Arizona for licensure as an associate counselor. Students have the option of completing concentrated areas of study. The post-master's certificates of advanced graduate studies (CAGS) is a program reserved for master's level professional who have received a master's degree in counseling or a related field. Students may be eligible to waive practicum requirements and substitute and approved elective if they are licensed by the Arizona Board of Behavior Health Examiners and have two years of work experience as a substance abuse counselor. Students must receive approval from the director of counseling. The requirements for graduation from Ottawa University with a MA in PC degree are listed below. Additionally, Ottawa University offers students the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge in a specialty area by completing one of six concentrations.
An education plan will be developed in conjunction with your faculty advisor and may vary based on prior credit granted. Christian Counseling | Expressive Arts Therapy | Gerocounseling |Marriage and Family Therapy | Substance Abuse Counseling | Treatment of Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation
Required Sequence of Courses
Elective Courses 15 Semester Credit Hours
Total Credit Hours Required for Graduation 60 Semester Credit Hours
Christian Counseling This concentrated area of study is designed for students who are interested in a program that leads to licensure in professional counseling combined with coursework providing a focus for Christians who work as counselors in Christian and secular settings. Students in the Christian Counseling specialty must be simultaneously, but separately, admitted to both the Ottawa University and the Phoenix Seminary programs. The program consists of significant coursework from both schools. Upon successful completion of all requirements of each school, graduates are awarded the Ottawa University MA in PC and the Phoenix Seminary Graduate Diploma in Christian Counseling (GDCC).
Foundation Courses
*Students who did not meet the program prerequisite courses of abnormal psychology, developmental psychology/human development, theories of personality, or equivalents at admission are required to complete this course. **Students must have successfully completed 100 hours of pre-practicum before beginning internship.
Expressive Arts Therapy Expressive arts therapy is an interdisciplinary, arts-based approach to counseling and psychotherapy that integrates various art disciplines to assist individuals in self-expression and self-discovery. Most forms of creative expression have an equivalent therapeutic discipline, such as art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, drama therapy, play therapy, writing/poetry therapy, and storytelling/narrative therapy. Expressive arts therapy involves the use of artistic experiences in the service of health, healing, human growth, and development. Expressive art therapists are trained to recognize symbols and metaphors that are revealed through the creative process and communicated in verbal or nonverbal ways. Using expressive arts therapy in conjunction with counseling provides innovative ways for the client to discover underlying thoughts and feelings that are being accessed through the creative experience. This may help them gain insight, develop a more comprehensive understanding of themselves, and recognize how they interact and relate to others. Since 1996, Ottawa University's MA in PC with a concentration in expressive arts therapy has graduated students who have gone on to become successful clinicians and highly respected expressive therapists. Graduates find they have an additional advantage in marketing themselves to the community because of their training and expertise in expressive arts therapy. Incorporating Expressive Arts Therapy with counseling offers efficient and effective ways of working with a wide variety of populations and age ranges. Expressive arts therapy continues to gain respect and recognition locall, nationally and internationally. The requirements for graduation from Ottawa University with a MA in PC with an expressive arts therapy concentration are listed below. Your personal graduation plan may vary based on prior credit granted. All MA in PC students may enroll in the first two classes of this concentration as electives. These courses are expressive arts therapy and principles, techniques and practices. The other more advanced classes in the program are for students successfully admitted to the expressive arts therapy concentration.
Prerequisites for entry into Expressive Arts Therapy Program
Specialty Courses 15 Semester Credit Hours
Post-Master's Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) students are required to complete a six month practicum with a focus on Expressive Arts Therapy
Master of Arts in Professional Counseling with an Expressive Arts Therapy concentration students are required to complete their Internship with a focus on Expressive Arts Therapy
Note: Students must have successfully completed 300 hours of practicum before beginning Internship.
Applications for Expressive Arts Therapy Concentration For admission to the expressive arts therapy concentration, both master's and post-master's CAGS, students must submit a separate application packet to the MA in PC. Applicants must write an essay or why they are choosing this concentration, provide two professional references, submit all official transcripts if not on file, and present a portfolio representative of the applicant's expressive art development for review. The portfolio review should be scheduled with the professor in charge of expressive arts therapy. To get started on completing your MA in PC degree, contact us today to schedule an appointment with an advisor.
According to the US Census Bureau (2007), the population of people 65 and older is projected to increase by 200 percent by 2025. As the segment of the population of older adults continues to grow, the demand for competent mental health professionals to provide treatment interventions to this population will also grow. A concentration in gerocounseling allows students to graduate with a competency and increased marketability for employment.
The requirements for graduation from Ottawa University with a MA in PC with a Gerocounseling concentration are listed below. Your personal graduation plan may vary on prior credit granted.
Prerequisites for entry into the gerocounseling concentration
** Students must have earned a "B" or better in BOTH ethics and counseling in the helping professions.
Applications for Gerocounseling Concentration For admission to the gerocounseling concentration, both master's and post-master's CAGS, students must submit a separate application packet to the MA in PC. Applicants must write an essay about why they are choosing this concentration, provide two professional references, submit all official transcripts if not on file. To get started on completing your MA in PC with a concentration in gerocounseling, contact us today to schedule an appointment with an advisor. Marraige and Family Therapy Marriage and family therapy is based on the scientific findings that individuals and their problems are best seen in their context, and that the most important context is the family. Research studies repeatedly demonstrate the effectiveness of marriage and family therapy in treating the full range of mental and emotional disorders as well as health problems. Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT's) are trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and focus on understanding their client's symptoms and the interaction patterns with others that may contribute to the problem. There has been an incredible growth in this field as a result of renewed public awareness of the value of family life and concern about the increased stresses on families in a rapidly changing world. MFT's can get jobs in community mental health centers, family counseling centers, clinics, hospitals, residential schools, hospice programs, EAPs, and or private practice. www.aamft.org
Ottawa University's MA in PC with a concentration in marriage and family Therapy meets requirements for Arizona licensure as a LAC (Licensed Associate Counselor) as well as a LAMFT (Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist). Graduates find they have an additional advantage in marketing themselves to the community because of their additional training and competency in working with couples and families.
The requirements for graduation from Ottawa University with a MA in PC with marriage and family therapy concentration are listed below. Your personal graduation plan may vary based on prior credit granted.
Prerequisites for entry into Marriage and Family Therapy Program
Curriculum
*PYC 8112, PYC 7832, PYC 8372 are also core classes in the MAPC Program that would apply to both programs **Practicum consists of field experience with couples and families and must have supervision from a LMFT *** Students must have earned a "B" or better in BOTH ethics and counseling in the helping professions.
Applications for Marriage and Family Concentration For admission to the marriage and family therapy concentration, both master's and post-master's CAGS, students must submit a separate application packet to the MA in PC. Applicants must write an essay or why they are choosing this concentration, provide two professional references, submit all official transcripts if not on file. To get started on completing your MA in PC degree with a concentration in marriage and family therapy, contact us today to schedule an appointment with an advisor.
Substance Abuse Counseling Students within this degree concentration are selected, advised and supervised through the professional counseling graduate program.
Foundation Courses 12 Semester Credit Hours
Concentration Courses 24 Semester Credit Hours
* Students who hold any level of substance abuse counseling licensure with two years of work experience may be eligible to substitute a counseling elective in lieu of Practicum I and Practicum II. Treatment of Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation With recent advances in the neurobiology of trauma and more evidence based treatment methods for working with trauma, specialized training is essential for counselors who work with survivors of trauma. This training addresses specialized techniques for working with:
Trauma counseling is gaining recognition as an area of clinical specialization. We have based the Ottawa University trauma specialty program on the latest knowledge about assessing and treating trauma. Our students develop a thorough understanding of current theory and research in the assessment and treatment of all kinds of traumatic stress. Even if students do not limit their practice to the treatment of trauma they find the specialized knowledge invaluable in many areas of counseling.
How the Program Works
The MA in PC is a 60 semester credit hour program that includes practicum and internship and is designed to meet the educational requirements in the State of Arizona for licensure. The trauma, abuse and deprivation (TAD) program is offered both as an area of specialization in the MA in PC degree or as a post-master's certificate program in trauma.
The fifteen credit hour trauma counseling specialty program at Ottawa University offers a comprehensive approach to understanding the neurobiology of trauma, the psychosocial impacts of trauma, the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD, and the impact of particular kinds of trauma on the victims. Students learn the three stage model of trauma treatment, the basics of educating trauma victims about PTSD, tools for systematic treatment planning for trauma victims, strategies for creating stability and safety for trauma victims, and the basics of the exposure based cognitive behavioral approaches for treating trauma. Students also take a course in assessing and treating complex trauma in children. In addition they learn the basics of using expressive arts therapy in treating trauma in adults and children.
Our graduates are working in centers that specialize in the treatment of trauma or in centers that offer counseling to clients who have a history of trauma. In many cases they find themselves educating other staff members where they work about treating traumatic stress. To enroll in the TAD program, students must complete a CAGS application with an essay saying why they are interested in the trauma program and two letters of reference. Required Specialty Courses 15 Semester Credit Hours