Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, (MACP)

This program is offered at the Vancouver Campus.

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), in alignment with Adler University’s scholar-practitioner model, prepares students to be knowledgeable and effective in the application of foundational theories and methods of counselling practice. The program offers comprehensive and personalized graduate degree training that qualifies students to practice as counselling professionals in primarily a Canadian context. There is an emphasis on developing self-reflexive and ethically aware practitioners who are educated both theoretically and practically in socially responsible practice.

There are five program objectives: (1) to train graduates to ethically assess and skillfully intervene to support psychological and emotional well-being in a wide range of populations with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to work professionally with diverse clients; (2) to train graduates to use self-reflexivity, self-awareness, and lifelong learning for personal and professional development and competence; (3) to develop graduates who have learned how to critique the literature and can apply literature-based and research-based foundations of counselling psychology practice to their work; (4) to develop graduates who embrace a socially responsible counselling practice and who have the ability to identify and apply goals and tasks that further social justice and foster inclusive and healthy communities rooted in Adler University’s mission towards social interest; and (5) to prepare graduates with the theoretical and scholarship foundations for further academic study at the doctoral level.

This comprehensive program can be completed in a two-year period as a full-time student, including summer terms, if courses are completed according to the curriculum sequence below. This program is identical to the Master of Counselling Psychology but requires the successful completion of a thesis.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for a wide variety of mental health positions in human service agencies and organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for membership registration with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (bc-counsellors.org) and/or the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (ccpa-accp.ca). Students are advised that licensure requirements are under review in various jurisdictions in Canada, and students are encouraged to regularly consult about current requirements. Students are advised to consult with the training director prior to starting the clinical practicum, as individual practicum training experiences may differ, and some students may need additional postgraduate experience or supervision hours to meet certification requirements. Students who intend to practice in locations other than the province of British Columbia are also encouraged to consult with the appropriate association, agency, or board relevant to local certification or licensure requirements.

Practicum - Vancouver Campus

An integral part of the M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Adler is the acquisition of practical counselling and scholarly skills gained in field placements. Ongoing involvement in counselling and scholarly activities at professional training sites gives students the closely supervised opportunity to apply and further develop the knowledge, skills, values, and competencies they gain in coursework. Practicum training requirements begin with a first-year Social Justice Practicum (SJP) that offers a service-learning experience and focuses on developing skills related to community-based interventions, advocacy, social justice, and systemic interventions that benefit human welfare and well-being. Counselling training provided in students’ second practicum focuses on developing the competencies needed to prepare students for entry-level practice at graduation. Because the focus is on integrating master’s-level education at Adler with master’s-level supervised counselling training, no transfer credit is granted for practica credits earned elsewhere. Students must successfully complete course prerequisites prior to being approved to begin their counselling practicum.

Social Justice Practicum (SJP)

Students completing first-year coursework will spend eight to 10 hours per week over the course of six months at an approved SJP site and must concurrently enroll in required coursework. A minimum of 200 clock hours of SJP is required. Students should contact the Manager of Community Action & Engagement, Vancouver Campus.

Socially Responsible Practice (SRP) Portfolio

Students must complete 50 hours of SRP-related programming offered by or required by the program, campus, and/or University. These 50 SRP hours must be completed before the students sits for the MCQE.

Clinical Practicum

After completion of all first-year coursework, students should expect to spend two to three days per week over the course of eight to 12 months at an approved counselling practicum site. Students must concurrently enroll in practicum seminars during their first two semesters of field experience. Should the practicum experience extend beyond eight months or two semesters, students must enroll in MACP-610, practicum continued, which covers the requirements for third-party liability insurance. There are no class meetings for MACP-610. A minimum 700 total clock hours of counselling practica are required to successfully complete the counselling clinical practicum. The training director mentors students to identify and obtain counselling practicum opportunities that meet the standards and requirements of the program. Students must familiarize themselves with the content of the counselling Clinical Practicum Handbook available on Adler Connect. Students are responsible for making themselves aware of the contents of the handbook and following procedures outlined therein. While enrolled in the practicum MACP-506, students need to be concurrently enrolled in the seminar MACP-508. While enrolled in the practicum MACP- 507, students need to be concurrently enrolled in the seminar MACP-509.

Please see course descriptions for prerequisites and corequistes for these courses.

M.A. Thesis - Vancouver Campus

Students are required to complete a research-based thesis as a capstone project of their MAC degree. Students begin the thesis process by registering for Preparation for the M.A. Thesis (MACP-525). Once students register for MACP-525, they are required to continuously register in M.A. Thesis courses (MACP-526, MACP-527, and MACP-528) over the next three consecutive terms. Students who have not completed their thesis after registering for M.A. Thesis I, II & III are required to register for M.A. Thesis Continuation (MACP-529) in all subsequent terms until their thesis is completed and approved. Students receive a grade of IP (in progress) for any term in which they are making satisfactory progress on their thesis and a grade of NP (no progress) when they are failing to complete the project in a timely manner. (Please see the MACP Thesis Handbook for specific thesis timeline requirements.) When a student satisfactorily completes each major thesis component (i.e., the proposal and final thesis), a grade of CR (credit) will be issued for all courses, replacing the previous grades of IP.

Admission Requirements

At Adler University, we take great pride in our diverse student body. Students represent a wide range of professional interests, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and academic and work histories. We admit individuals with a record of outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to social responsibility.

To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, preferably in psychology or counselling-related discipline.
• A GPAof 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate or graduate coursework.
• The equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours in baccalaureate-level psychology coursework with a grade of C or better. These courses must include introductory psychology, abnormal psychology, research methods, and a fourth foundational course in lifespan/development.
• Coursework or volunteer/work experience that involves the use of counselling-related skills and demonstrates counselling capacity is required.
• Approved applicants will be evaluated through a writing sample and interview as the final step in the application process. Students must complete all coursework required for the program at Adler University, Vancouver Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are any courses accepted for transfer credit in accordance with the University’s official Transfer Credit policy. For full details about our admissions requirements, visit adler.edu.

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of 59 required credit hours, including all required courses.
2. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 700 clock hours of practicum.
3. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 200 clock hours of Social Justice Practicum.
4. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and no more than two grades or six credit hours of C.
5. Successful completion of the M.A. Thesis.
6. Successful completion of the Master’s Clinical Qualifying Examination.
7. Submission of completed graduation application and full payment of all outstanding tuition and fees.