Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling (GG12)
The Department of Counselor Education offers a 60-credit Master of Arts in Counseling: Rehabilitation Counseling. The Rehabilitation Counseling (RC) program at NEIU provides a comprehensive curriculum and supervised clinical experiences aligned with CACREP standards. Students develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions needed to work collaboratively with individuals with disabilities, their families, and support systems to achieve personal, psychosocial, and vocational goals. The program emphasizes social justice, advocacy, and structural competence to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Graduates meet Illinois educational requirements for LPC and LCPC licensure and are eligible for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification.
Admission Requirements
Counselor Education admits students in the fall semester. The deadline to submit a complete application for the program is February 1st. Counselor Education deadline dates differ from other Northeastern M.A. program deadline dates.
Applicants can apply to the program through NEIU’s online application system (https://apply.neiu.edu/apply/). The online application requires submission of the following:
- Application form
- Application fee
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Two recommenders (applicants will be prompted to enter contact information for 2 professional recommenders)
- Current resume
- Signed informed consent
- An Essay (500-700 words or less), typed and double-spaced (instructions provided in the application).
Application materials will be evaluated in regard to an applicant's academic aptitude, relevance of career goals, cultural competence, and potential for fostering therapeutic relationships. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements in Rehabilitation Counseling will be invited to attend a virtual Pre-admission Workshop (PAW). The PAW involves applicants participating in a series of group discussions facilitated by Counselor Education faculty. Dates and times to attend a PAW session are available on Slate.
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM
- Graduate Admissions and Records has established a minimum grade point average of 2.75 for undergraduate degrees. Applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 2.75 will not be admitted. Applicants who have earned a graduate degree from an accredited university are exempt from this requirement.
- Problematic or poor performance during the PAW will make an applicant ineligible for admission.
- Meeting the minimum academic requirements is no guarantee of admission.
- Admission to the Counselor Education Department is competitive. It is possible for an otherwise acceptable applicant to be denied admission due to the competitive strength of the applicant pool. The number of applicants that can be admitted to the program is limited. Those not selected for admission may reapply only once.
ADMISSION DECISIONS
Admission decisions are based on the following:
- Relevance of career goals
- Aptitude for graduate-level study
- Potential success in forming effective counseling relationships
- Respect for cultural differences
Eligibility to Enroll in Classes
Once you are officially admitted to your program, you may register for classes during online registration periods.
Counselor Education allows non-degree seeking students to take courses as a student-at-large under certain circumstances, such as completing deficiencies for licensure or complementing your graduate degree. To request approval to take a course as a non-degree seeking student, please complete this form.
Authorization to enroll in courses as a non-degree seeking student in Counselor Education does not constitute admission to any of the Department's programs. Students who wish to pursue a master's degree in counseling must make formal application to Graduate Admissions. Non-degree seeking students can enroll only in courses for which they have been authorized by this Department. Some of the courses in the Department are not open to non-degree seeking students.
Rehabilitation Counseling
Rehabilitation Counseling requires a minimum of 60-credit hours (20 courses):
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation Counseling required courses: | ||
| COUN-401 | Professional Orientation & Legal/Ethical Practices | 3 |
| COUN-402 | Developmental Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-403 | Theories Of Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-404 | Assessment And Evaluation In Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-405 | Individual Counseling Skills | 3 |
| COUN-406 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-408 | Research Seminar | 3 |
| COUN-409 | Career Development | 3 |
| COUN-420 | Introduction To Family Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-425 | Diagnosis And Treatment Of Addictive Disorders | 3 |
| COUN-427 | Diagnostic Systems For Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-430 | Social & Cultural Diversity In Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-433 | Foundation Of Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-434 | Medical & Psychosocial Aspects Of Disability | 3 |
| COUN-435 | Work & Disability | 3 |
| COUN-436 | Case Management In Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-438 | Trauma And Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-446 | Practicum In Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-463 | Internship I:Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-473 | Internship II:Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
PROGRAM COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
Rehabilitation Counseling students must complete all course requirements, successfully pass each transition level, and meet the graduation requirements.
PROGRAM TRANSITION LEVELS:
Students must successfully complete all the program transition levels. Students cannot obtain more than two grades of “C” in graduate work as per the College of Graduate Studies and Research Policy. Students are required to earn a grade of "B" or better in their clinical courses (e.g., COUN 405, COUN 406, Practicum and Internship).
TRANSITION LEVEL I
- Successful completion of prerequisites for clinical skills training courses
- Completion of first-semester student survey
- Demonstration of appropriate professional and ethical behaviors and dispositions
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Passing key program assessments for level I
TRANSITION LEVEL II
- Successful completion of clinical skills training coursework
- Demonstration of appropriate professional and ethical behaviors and dispositions
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Satisfactory rating on professional disposition evaluation
- Complete the Practicum application and submit to the Clinical Training & Placement Director
- Applicants are required to provide results of a state and federal fingerprint background check as part of the practicum application process
- Submission of evidence of having participated in 5 counseling sessions with a qualified LPC, LCPC, ALMFT, or LMFT, as part of the practicum application process
- Passing key program assessments for level II
TRANSITION LEVEL III
- Successful completion of clinical experiences including Practicum and Internship
- Completion of minimum of 100 hours of Practicum
- Completion of minimum 600 hours of Internship
- Satisfactory ratings on all evaluations from site and university supervisors
- Demonstration of appropriate professional and ethical behaviors and dispositions
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Passing key program assessments for level III
TRANSITION LEVEL IV
- Completion of student exit survey
- Passing of the departmental proficiency examination (DPE) prior to graduation
EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE COMPLETION:
- Successful completion of all transition levels and required credit hours
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
Clinical Experience
During the fall semester of the year before planning to do Practicum/Internship, students meet with their program advisor to review readiness for Practicum and to sign the application form. Applications for clinical experience are distributed at the mandatory Practicum Orientation meeting. Applications for Practicum/Internship are due November 1 for fall placements of the following year. Students must attend a mandatory orientation meeting before submitting the application form. The date and the place of the orientation meeting are posted on the Department website, listserv, and Departmental bulletin boards. All applications must be reviewed and signed by the student’s program advisor. The student may then submit the signed application and the student’s resume to the Clinical Training & Placement Director.
Practicum: Practicum is a 100 hour, field-based experience which requires a minimum of 40 hours of clinical contact with clients (contact hours), and is a prerequisite for Internship. Practicum is offered in the Fall semester.
Internship: Internship is a 600 hour, field-based experience which requires a minimum of 240 hours of clinical contact with clients. Students earn six credit hours for Internships I and II.
Departmental Proficiency Examination (DPE)
Prior to graduation, all students are required to pass a comprehensive Departmental Proficiency Examination (DPE). Students are allotted three attempts to pass the DPE. Students who do not pass the DPE in their first two attempts may take it a third and final time as an oral exam. As an oral exam, students will respond to ten open-ended questions covering the same content as the written DPE and will be graded on a rubric. Students must pass the oral exam with a grade of 70% or better. Students who do not pass the DPE within three attempts are dismissed from their program.
The DPE application must be completed by the student and approved by their program advisor no later than two weeks prior to the exam date. Students in the Rehabilitation Counseling program may take the examination after completion of 48 credit hours of coursework including, but not limited to:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COUN-401 | Professional Orientation & Legal/Ethical Practices | 3 |
| COUN-402 | Developmental Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-403 | Theories Of Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-404 | Assessment And Evaluation In Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-405 | Individual Counseling Skills | 3 |
| COUN-406 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-408 | Research Seminar | 3 |
| COUN-409 | Career Development | 3 |
| COUN-430 | Social & Cultural Diversity In Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-433 | Foundation Of Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-434 | Medical & Psychosocial Aspects Of Disability | 3 |
| COUN-435 | Work & Disability | 3 |
| COUN-436 | Case Management In Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-438 | Trauma And Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Notification of Student Recess
Once having begun the Counselor Education program, students will matriculate at a full-time pace. If a student needs to drop a class for any reason, they will potentially have to defer their course trajectory by one year or make up for the missed course, If available, in addition to their regular academic schedule. If a student does not attend classes for more than six consecutive semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer), the student must notify the College of Graduate Studies and Research and the advisor of their intent to continue in the program. Faculty members reserve the right to review the student’s course work upon reentry by the student and to require that certain courses be repeated if necessary. Students have a maximum of six years in which to complete their degree programs.
Please take note of the following critical update to the preceding DPE information: Each of the three semesters—Fall, Spring, and Summer—offers the DPE just once. To graduate, all students pursuing degrees in counselor education must pass the DPE. The scheduled dates are subject to change annually. For the most up-to-date and correct dates and instructions, visit the Counselor Education Current Student Resources Website.
This sample curricular map is provided to guide your program planning. This guide should not replace regular consultations with your program advisor. For specific recommendations of courses not identified, please consult your program advisor.
The Plans of Study for the programs in Counselor Education should be used as general guidelines for the completion of courses. These plans suggest how a student might complete a program in two calendar years by beginning in the fall semester and attending through two summer semesters. There are many factors that affect how students complete their programs, including whether they begin in the fall or spring semesters and whether they attend full-time or part-time.
All students in Counselor Education will have a mandatory orientation at the beginning of their programs and have a faculty advisor who will help in the planning of each student’s course of study.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Hours | |
| COUN-401 | Professional Orientation Legal/Ethical Practices | 3 |
| COUN-403 | Theories Of Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-433 (only offered in Fall term) | Foundation Of Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| COUN-402 | Developmental Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-404 | Assessment And Evaluation In Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-430 | Social Cultural Diversity In Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| COUN-405 | Individual Counseling Skills | 3 |
| COUN-409 | Career Development | 3 |
| Term Hours | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| COUN-408 | Research Seminar | 3 |
| COUN-425 | Diagnosis And Treatment Of Addictive Disorders | 3 |
| COUN-434 | Medical Psychosocial Aspects Of Disability | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| COUN-406 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-435 | Work Disability | 3 |
| COUN-427 | Diagnostic Systems For Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| COUN-420 | Introduction To Family Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-436 | Case Management In Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| COUN-438 | Trauma And Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| COUN-446 | Practicum In Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 6 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| COUN-463 | Internship I:Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 3 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| COUN-473 | Internship II:Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| Term Hours | 3 | |
| Total Hours: | 60 | |