CACREP Accreditation

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Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Oklahoma State University has a vibrant and successful CACREP-accredited counseling program training competent and prepared counselors.

Mission Statement

The MS in Counseling is designed to prepare professional counselors who are knowledgeable in counseling theories and techniques, who can translate counseling theory into effective counseling practice, who are committed to respecting diversity among people and who ascribe to the highest of ethical standards and practice.

 

The program incorporates teaching in counseling, pedagogical and psychological theory, research and practice into a practitioner-based training program that allows graduates to apply knowledge in these areas to their practice in school and clinical mental health settings in the community. Consistent with the land-grant tradition of OSU, the program is committed to the outreach and training of students from Oklahoma and elsewhere who represent diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual/affectional orientation, culture, rural, suburban or urban backgrounds, socioeconomic status, religious/spiritual affiliation and ability status.

 

Program Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes

1. Professional identity, including history of the profession, roles of counselors, organizational structures, ethics, standards, credentialing, public policy, advocacy, and emerging issues in the profession.
   • • SLO 1: Professional Scope of Practice: Students will apply their knowledge of professional scope of practice by demonstrating ethical decision‑making and behavior consistent with counseling standards.
     • SLO 2: Ethical Decision-Making Models. Students will understand ethical decision-making models and apply them to case studies and examples presented during the coursework.
     • SLO 3: Limits to Confidentiality. Students will explain and apply the legal and ethical limits of confidentiality relevant to their specialization (clinical mental health or school counseling) in case analyses or practice scenarios.
2. Social and cultural diversity, including multicultural trends, counseling strategies, theories, competencies, contextual factors for working with diverse populations, and counselor roles in social justice and advocacy.
   • • SLO: Sociocultural Factors of Client Wellness. Students will analyze sociocultural factors that influence client wellness and apply this understanding to advocate for clients experiencing social injustices.
3. Human growth and development including theories of learning, development, and transition (both normal and abnormal) for individuals and families across the lifespan.
   • • SLO: Development Across the Lifespan. Students will analyze wellness across the lifespan by evaluating contextual factors and connecting these influences on clients’ social‑emotional development and overall, well‑being.
4. Career and lifestyle development, including theories, models, assessment and counseling strategies, information resources, program planning and administration, and emerging issues in a changing world-of-work.
   • • SLO 1: Career Development. Students will analyze strategies for facilitating career development with clients across the lifespan and demonstrate their application in case studies or practice scenarios.
     • SLO 2: Career Satisfaction & Wellness. Students will evaluate the impact of vocational and career dissatisfaction on individual wellness and apply this knowledge to develop appropriate counseling interventions for clients.
5. Helping relationships, including counselor and consultant characteristics, and counseling, consulting, and systems theories, processes, and skills for working with families, children, and adults.
   • • SLO 1: Theories of Counseling. Students will be able to analyze major counseling theories and create an integrated therapeutic approach that synthesizes key concepts for effective work with clients.
     • SLO 2: Systems Theories. Students will be able to analyze systems theories that affect work with families, children, and adults and incorporate the necessary intersectionalities when conceptualizing and treatment planning with clients.
     • SLO 3: Client Conceptualization & Assessment. Students will construct accurate client conceptualizations by assessing presenting concerns, identifying client needs, and evaluating readiness for growth using appropriate clinical frameworks.
     • SLO 4: Treatment Planning & Intervention. Students will develop collaborative treatment plans with clients and select evidence‑based interventions that align with client goals, needs, and developmental readiness.
6. Group work, including group development, group dynamics, and group counseling theories, methods, and skills. CACREP standards require that students experience a minimum of 10 clock hours in an experiential group activity. This requirement is typically met during CPSY 5583 Group Process.
   • • SLO 1: Group Work Processes. Students will analyze the stages and processes of group development and demonstrate their application through group facilitation activities or case examples.
     • SLO 2: Group Member Selection. Students will evaluate client characteristics and group goals to make appropriate member selections based on ethical, developmental, and cultural considerations.
     • SLO 3: Planning and Evaluating Interventions. Students will design and implement group interventions aligned with group goals and evaluate their effectiveness using appropriate assessment methods.
7. Assessment, including basic principles of testing and assessment, case conceptualization, diagnosis, diversity factors related to assessment, and individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
   • • SLO 1: Assessment & Evaluation Strategies. Students will apply appropriate strategies for client assessment and evaluation using standardized and non‑standardized tools.
     • SLO 2: Interpretation of Assessment Results. Students will interpret assessment test results and integrate these findings into accurate client conceptualizations.
     • SLO 3: Evaluating Intervention Suitability. Students will evaluate client characteristics, assessment data, and contextual factors to determine the suitability of specific clinical interventions.
8. Research and program evaluation, including research methods, basic statistics, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
   • • SLO 1: Research Design and Protocol Development. Students will design a study protocol using quantitative and/or qualitative research methods, demonstrating appropriate alignment among research questions, methodology, and data collection procedures.
     • SLO 2: Program Evaluation Foundations. Students will explain key program evaluation procedures and apply basic evaluation concepts to assess the effectiveness of counseling programs or interventions.
9. Professional Practice:
   • • SLO 1: Standards of Professional Practice. Under supervision during Practicum, Internship I, and Internship II students will develop an understanding of professional roles and dispositions appropriate for professional counselors (per specialization – school or mental health).
     • SLO 2: Assessment and Treatment Planning with Crisis Intervention client needs, and clients with Suicidal/Homicidal ideation.
     • SLO 3: Relapse prevention and harm-reduction planning for clients with Substance Use.

 

Professional Concentrations

Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Students will develop an intersectional understanding of case conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention, and prevention strategies relevant for Clinical Mental Health settings in Oklahoma.

School Counseling: Students will develop a relevant and deep understanding of the role of a School Counselor in Oklahoma and learn how to provide appropriate help and support within the school system.

 

Testing and Evaluation:

Aligned with the Graduate College policy, the students are to maintain a GPA of 3.00 (“B” or better grade) throughout the program. There are five core courses they need to complete before enrolling in Practicum, and they are required to earn a “B” grade in all five. These courses are:

1. Basic Counseling Skills (CPSY 5473)
2. Theories of Counseling (CPSY 5553)
3. Conceptualization and Diagnosis (CPSY 5563)
4. Group Process (CPSY 5583)
5. Professional and Ethical Issues in Counseling (CPSY 5493)

 

Each M.S. Counseling student is evaluated by faculty in a yearly evaluation process conducted in Spring, through which students are evaluated on counseling dispositions approved by the Counseling faculty. Letters stating their strengths and/or growth areas are sent to each student.

 

Student Data

In the 2023-2024 school year we had 41 students graduate across two campuses, 40 graduating with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling and one (1) graduating with a concentration in School Counseling. We had 67.6% of graduates complete the program in two years, which is a typical timeline for our students. However, we have several part-time students who work full-time and complete our program in three years or more. We had 100% pass rate for the NCE for Mental Health Counseling and a 100% pass rate for the NCE for School Counseling specializations. Additionally, we are proud to say that of those 41 graduates seeking employment, based on self-report, 80.95% were successful in obtaining employment and 4.76% were continuing education. Data for 2024-2025 will be available in April 2026.