The Mental Health Counseling Program and the Marriage and Family Counseling Program are designed in accordance with national counselor certification and state licensure standards for the academic training of professional counselors. The School Counseling Program additionally prepares students to be certified in both elementary and secondary school counseling by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Thus far ninety-three percent of Geneva College students who took the Professional Counselor Certification and Licensure Exam, successfully passed the exam on the first sitting.
Students in all three MA in Counseling Programs take core courses on human development, faith-based counseling foundations, career development, assessment, research design and program evaluation, professional issues and ethics, multicultural awareness, counseling theory, and groupwork as well as training in the skills of helping. All students are required to participate in a 10-hour group laboratory designed to train group facilitators. Each student receives intense individual and group clinical supervision during practicum and 600-900 hour internship. Recent graduates of the programs have found employment in a variety of work settings including schools, clinics, church counseling centers, and public and private agencies.
The MA in Counseling Programs at Geneva College welcome both full-time and part-time students. The MA in Counseling degree can be completed in 20 months by students who wish to attend full-time. During the first year, required classes are taught on Monday and Thursday afternoons and evenings, making the program convenient to students who travel a distance. Part-time students may wish to schedule classes only on Mondays, only on Thursdays, only evenings, or only afternoon hours. During the second year, full-time students complete supervised practicum and internship course credits. Some more advanced elective and specialization courses are offered in an intensive week-long format.
