Master of Arts Degree in Counseling & Guidance

Counseling & Guidance at NMSU

The MA Counseling Program is accredited in Mental Health Counselng by the Council for Accrediting of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The MA Counseling Program is a 60 semester hour program with dual licensure opportunities in mental health (http://www.rld.state.nm.us) and school counseling(http://www.sde.state.nm.us). Students are encouraged to belong to the American Counseling Association (ACA)(http://www.counseling.org), the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) (http://www.amhca.org), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) (http://www.schoolcounselor.org), the New Mexico Counseling Association (http://www.nmca-nm.org/ ), and Chi Sigma Iota (CSI)(http://www.csi-net.org/) the national organization for counselor education students.

Training is tailored for service delivery in both mental health agencies and school counseling settings and both specialties share core knowledge and skills. They also share a commitment to promoting optimal human development and problem prevention. Mental health agencies and schools differ in the manner in which counseling is provided. The Program educates professional counselors about the unique aspects of each, and how to adjust their approach to service delivery to fit those settings. School counselors work with students who are receiving counseling in the community. Community-based mental health counselors work with children and their families who are involved with the schools. To be effective in either setting, counselors need to be knowledgeable about the other, and the Program addresses this overlap. For those interested in addiction related issues, the Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Alcohol & Drug Counseling is available.