Lubbock Christian University

School Counseling

Master of School Counseling

School Counseling

School counselors in the South Plains and the state of Texas have no difficulty finding employment. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics employment of school and career counselors and advisors is projected to grow 10 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. The M.S. in School Counseling from Lubbock Christian University will help prepare you to serve the personal, academic, and career needs of children and adolescents. The M.S. in School Counseling prepares students to become a certified school counselor. 

At LCU, the professors are certified school counselors, certified diagnosticians, and licensed professional counselors. Through this unique blend of professors, you will learn to assess students through a variety of techniques to help you provide evidence-based interventions. Our courses provide innovative and hands-on-instruction to help you develop as a person and as a practitioner. You’ll enjoy small classes taught by cutting-edge professionals. 

Currently, 100% of our graduates have passed their certification exams to become school counselors in the state of Texas because we offer a rigorous and challenging program that will help you be prepared for a rewarding career in a fast-growing profession. 

Graduates will be able to: 

  • Effectively counseling in individual, family, and group settings. 
  • Conduct career assessments and help clients develop career goals 
  • Develop effective guidance lessons for classroom presentations 
  • Recognize when culture impacts personal and professional relationships 
  • Recognize when mental illness or developmental delays impact academic success 
  • Understand cutting edge research and how it can shape effective interventions 
  • Uphold the ethical and legal standards of the school counseling profession 

Learn more about becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor and our M.S. in School Counseling. Fill out an application if you’re ready for a rewarding career that makes a positive impact in the lives of others, LCU’s Master's degree in School Counseling will prepare you to do just that and become a professional counselor.

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Tara Donai

Administrative Director, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Tara.Donai@LCU.edu 
806.720.7842

Master of Science in School Counseling (48 hours for Texas Residents)

Examines the stages of individual development as they occur in the context of the family life cycle. Consideration will be given to how various tasks, transitions, and events impact individuals and families at different stages of life. Students will integrate a linear individual perspective to human development with a systemic family perspective.

Examination of the major individual, marital, and family assessment strategies and instruments. Students will receive training in the use of both testing and non-testing approaches to assessment and appraisal. Attention will be given to the relationship between assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.

Survey and analysis of research methodology and program evaluation in the counseling profession. Topics include current trends in counseling research, Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods design, implementation, and data analysis. Evaluating research and writing research reports will be also be addressed. Recommended pre-requites include COU5301 Introduction to Clinical Mental Health and/or COU 5361 Techniques of Individual and Family Counseling.

Focuses on the development of a professional attitude and identity as a marriage and family therapist and a professional counselor. Areas of consideration will include professional socialization, the role of professional organizations, licensure and certification, legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical practice and research, family law, confidentiality issues, codes of ethics, the role of the therapist in court proceedings, and inter professional cooperation. 

Foundations of the profession of school counseling. Includes examination of the philosophy, history, and current trends in school counseling and in education, as well as investigations of the concepts of developmental counseling programs for Pre-K-12 students and the ASCA national model and standards for school counseling programs. Special attention given to childhood mental health and behavioral disorders from the DSM-5. 

Detailed overview of psychopathology and analysis of psychopathology in educational and clinical counseling settings. Students will receive training in the use of the DSM-IV and its application. Diagnostic and treatment planning skills will be facilitated using case studies.

Examination of the major theories and models of counseling. Ethical and culturally relevant issues of in-person and technology-assisted relationships and the impact of technology on counseling is examined. Students expected to develop a coherent theoretical rationale for their therapeutic interventions. 

Introduction to the skills involved in developing effective helping relationships. The processes, principles, and techniques associated with counseling are explored. Experiential component fosters the development of basic interviewing, listening, and counseling skills. Additional techniques and resources are reviewed and evaluated.

Reviews concepts, issues, and trends in the field of career counseling and career education. It is designed to consider the role of the counselor in the career decision-making process of individuals across the lifespan. Consideration will be given to the relationships between work, career development, and family functioning.

Study of theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work. Emphasis on dynamics associated with group process and development. Ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups. Students are provided direct experiences to participate as group members and leaders in small group activities.

Study of crisis with emphasis on appropriate behaviors and responses to crisis. Applied therapeutic counseling in general and crisis intervention are presented along with strategies to alleviate crisis and deal with crisis aftermath. 

Intensive overview of therapeutic strategies for working with children, adolescents and their families. Consideration will be given to developmental psychopathology. Techniques and strategies from Adlerian, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and systemic approaches will be presented. Fee: $100.

Study of definitions of addiction, substance abuse and dependence, and counseling persons with substance abuse disorders and process disorders. Holistic approach to treatment and recovery is emphasized. Assessment, initial treatment, and intervention techniques are explored for rehabilitation of substance use disorders.

Review of multicultural counseling literature. Focus on promotion of self-awareness and self-knowledge, facilitation of the construction of cultural knowledge to increase awareness and sensitivity to issues affecting multicultural populations, identification of intervention strategies applicable to multicultural clients, and promotion of development of a personal philosophy of substance abuse disorders.

Integration of didactic and clinical material in the supervised practice of individual, group, marital, and family therapy. Weekly group and/or individual supervision sessions are included. Pre-approval required.

Taken in the final semester indicating registration for state licensure exam.

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