The Minor in Counseling will provide students with knowledge on counseling practices, theories, and interventions to work with others within the community. Students who complete the Minor in Counseling will enable them to gain skills within various counseling approaches and techniques for work in settings related to mental health and/or seeking advanced study in Counseling.
18 Credit Hours (5 core courses and 1 elective course)
Course Listing:
Core Classes:
PSYC 1560 General Psychology
An examination of scientific and clinical approaches to understanding the relationships between one's physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and quality of life, including the basic principles governing the growth and maintenance of behavior, emotion, and cognition.
COUN 1587 Introduction to Health and Wellness in Contemporary Society
Provides an introduction to the wellness model integrating physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Using current research, students explore decision-making models examining ethical, theoretical, multicultural, and practical concerns in developing their own wellness strategies.
PSYC 3702 Abnormal Psychology
Patterns of deviant behavior, including current systems of classification; classic syndromes; the nature and trend of major maladjustments; possible causative factors; and methods of prevention and treatment.
COUN 3750 Foundations of Counseling Skills
This course will facilitate counseling skill development. Students will learn how to foster helping relationships using counseling skills with individual, families and/or groups of clients/students in various settings. An experiential skill video training component of counseling skills will be required of all students.
PSYC 4800 Introduction to Psychotherapy
A critical overview of major psychotherapeutic approaches to mental health including an evaluation of empirical validity. Students will develop an increased sensitivity to multicultural and ethical issues.
Electives to choose from (must choose 1):
COUN 3752 Introduction to Addiction Counseling
This course provides an overview of the field of counseling for substance abuse and addictive behaviors. The focus will be centered on alcohol and other drug use. Course topics will include models and theories of addiction/substance use, psychological processes surrounding addictive behaviors, the diversity of addiction, and models and techniques that work towards the prevention and treatment of addiction. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to challenge common conceptualizations of addictions as portrayed in modern society and gain knowledge on the basic foundations of addiction counseling.
COUN 3788 Leadership Skills for Helping Professionals
This course will facilitate the development of leadership skills for helping professionals. This course will include the study of leadership through theoretical and practical applications. There will be an emphasis on application of leadership skills in high education and community settings. Through group interaction, discussions, and change projects, students will develop their leadership knowledge while acquiring skills to solve leadership challenges within organizations. The course will provide students with opportunities to practice the process of becoming effective leaders.
COUN 3789 Career Development and Life Skills
This course will facilitate the development of career and life planning skills for helping professionals. This course will emphasize identifying strengths, clarifying values, exploring career options, developing effective decision-making skills, and learning life skills related to health, finances, relationships, and community responsibility. Students will learn strategies to support the career development and life skills of individuals within a role as a helping professional.
What You’ll Study
The skills that students learn in the Minor in Counseling will help them to better understand mental health and the ways that counseling skills and techniques can be applied to a mental health-related profession and/or advanced study in counseling. The unique educational experience in the Minor in Counseling will prepare students for advanced study in counseling and allow students to choose electives based on their specific interests within the field of Counseling.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1560 | General Psychology | 3 |
| COUN 1587 | Introduction to Health and Wellness in Contemporary Society | 3 |
| PSYC 3702 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| COUN 3750 | Foundations of Counseling Skills | 3 |
| PSYC 4800 | Introduction to Psychotherapy | 3 |
| Select 3 s.h. from the following | 3 | |
| COUN 3752 | Introduction to Addiction Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 3788 | Leadership Skills for Helping Professionals | 3 |
| COUN 3789 | Career Development and Life Skills | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 27 | |