Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (Long Program), (MACP:SY)

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (MACP:SY), 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 with children and adolescents. The program concentration offers comprehensive and personal graduate degree training that qualifies students as counselling professionals in a primarily 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.

The five established MACP:SY objectives are (1) to train graduates to ethically assess and skillfully intervene with a wide range of populations with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to work professionally with diverse young 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 healthy communities stemming from 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 is designed for qualified teachers in British Columbia who have been granted the BC Teacher Federation’s Teacher Qualification Service (TQS) Category 4, and want to upgrade their training to Category 6. This degree program has been pre-approved by the TQS to be an acceptable graduate degree as a “long program” to meet the criteria of completing the course credits, capstone project, and master’s degree necessary for Category 4 teachers to obtain Category 6. As stated on the TQS website, each individual teacher should contact the TQS to request pre-approval for their Category 6 education plan and to have their undergraduate education and other coursework considered within this qualification process. This 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: School and Youth Concentration (Long Program) but requires the successful completion of a thesis.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for a wide variety of mental health positions in schools, 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.

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of 62 required credit hours, including all required courses.
2. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 700 clock hours of clinical practicum.
3. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 200 clock hours of Social Justice Practicum.
4. A cumulative GPAof 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.

Minimum 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 an in-person 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.

Practicum - Vancouver Campus

An integral part of the M.A. in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration 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 community-oriented practicum experience, the 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’ clinically oriented 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

In their second year, students 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 Social Justice Practicum, Vancouver Campus.

Clinical Practicum

After completion of all first-year coursework, students should expect to spend at least two days per week over the course of eight to 12 months at an approved counselling practicum site and must concurrently enroll in practicum seminars during their first two terms of field experience. A minimum 700 total clock hours of counselling practica are required, which is further outlined in program descriptions within this catalog. The training director collaborates with students to identify and obtain counselling practicum opportunities that meet the standards and requirements of the program. Students should refer to the Practicum Handbook, available on Adler Connect, for detailed information.

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.

M.A. Thesis - Vancouver Campus

Students are required to complete a research-based thesis as a capstone project of their MACP degree. Students begin the thesis process by registering for Preparation for 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 M.A. 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. See Adler Connect for the current MACP Thesis Handbook.