Department of Professional Counseling

• Develop a professional orientation and identity as a counselor by applying sound ethical, legal, advocacy and supervisory practices which lead to success as a mental health counselor.
• Identify the cultural context of relationships, issues and trends in a multicultural society that impact the counseling process.
• Synthesize theories of human growth and development to develop culturally responsive counseling practices.
• Apply theories and models of career development to related life factors in multicultural contexts appropriate to an individual's work, family and lifestyle.
• Develop an empirically based approach to counseling that emphasizes wellness and prevention by integrating theory and best practices.
• Apply theoretical and experiential understandings of group approaches to counseling to develop targeted interventions within a multicultural society.
• Apply individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society.
• Utilize statistical concepts, research methods, needs assessment and program evaluation skills commonly used in the counseling profession.

In addition to the Counseling core program learning outcomes, this emphasis has the following learning outcomes:

• Apply ethical and legal standards, as well as knowledge of public mental health policy, financing and regulatory processes to mental health counseling.
• Implement mental health counseling principles and practices associated with education, prevention, consultation and intervention.
• Describe how living in a multicultural society impacts clients and apply effective advocacy strategies to enhance mental health services.
• Employ various assessment techniques associated with professional mental health counseling to appropriately intervene in meeting the needs of diverse clients.
• Apply evidence-based research literature associated with professional mental health counseling to meet the needs of clients living in a diverse society.
• Implement diagnostic tools appropriate for mental health counseling professionals to diagnose disorders in diverse clients.

Webster University offers a pre-counseling program which combines the BA in Psychology with an Emphasis in Mental Health and the MA in Counseling at our main campus. In this program, students who complete all of their undergraduate requirements for the bachelor's degree and university requirements within the first 108 credit hours can complete the remainder of their elective credits (12 hours) as a student in the master's program. Once students complete 120 hours, they can petition to graduate with the BA. The students then work to complete the remaining 48+ hours toward their graduate degree in Counseling. They need to complete at least 48 hours at the graduate level once they receive their undergraduate degree.

Psychology (BA) with an Emphasis in Mental Health/Counseling (MA)

Webster's MA in Counseling supports the development of students as competent counselors, and is designed to prepare individuals for a career in this growing profession. The innovative curriculum combines classroom education and hands-on field experience to provide you with the theory and skills you need to work with individuals, couples, families, and children in a variety of mental health settings.

Master of Arts in Counseling

• with an Emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• with an Emphasis in Community Counseling (only available in Geneva)

• Admission Requirements for MA in Counseling Program
• Download Counseling Recommendation Form (PDF)
• American Counseling Association
• American Mental Health Counselors Association
• Licensure Boards that have adopted the ACA Code of Ethics (PDF)
• Statistics on Mental Health Professionals (PDF)

• Clinical Handbook, 2024-2025 (PDF)
• Professional Skills Evaluation Form (PDF)
• Tevera

• Recommended Plan of Study: Full-time Fall start 
• Counseling Student Handbook
• Course descriptions
• Financial Aid
• Petition to Graduate
• Webster University Student Counseling Center

Field Experience

All clinical documentation is completed in Tevera Management System. Students can view various forms such as Weekly Hour logs, Agreement to Supervise, Site Supervisor evaluation form and Professional Skills Evaluation.

• Steps to Follow When Pursuing Field Experience (PDF)
• Tevera