2020-21 Academic Catalog

Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Foundations

This is an archived copy of the 2020-21 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.msstate.edu.

Department Head: Dr. Daniel Gadke
Graduate Coordinator (COE): Dr. Charles Palmer
Graduate Coordinator (EPY): Dr. Daniel Gadke
Meridian Campus Division: Dr. Jeffrey Leffler

508 Allen Hall
Box 9727
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-3426
E-mail (Starkville): dgadke@colled.msstate.edu
E-mail (Meridian): jleffler@meridian.msstate.edu
Website: http://www.cep.msstate.edu

Department Programs in Counseling

The Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Foundations offers graduate programs in clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and school counseling.

The Master of Science degree programs in clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and school counseling are planned programs consisting of 60 semester hours. The concentration in rehabilitation counseling prepares graduates for certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor in all fifty states, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Mississippi.

Counseling doctoral applications are due February 1. Applications for master's and educational specialist programs are due March 1. Applications will be considered until full enrollment is attained. Applications may be reviewed at other times for general educational psychology. For further information, write to the Graduate Coordinator.

The department prepares students for careers as school counselors, student affairs professionals in higher education, and as counselors in rehabilitation, college counseling centers, and other mental health community agencies. Teaching and research assistantships are available.

Counseling Program Accreditation

The M.S. programs in Counseling are Clinical Mental Health, Rehabilitation, and School and are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).    

The doctoral programs in counseling (PHCE) and in school counseling (PHSE) are also accredited CACREP. The school counseling program is also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Graduate study in counseling offers preparation in counseling at three degree levels.

  1. The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Counselor Education with concentrations in clinical mental health counseling; rehabilitation counseling; student affairs; college counseling; and school counseling
  2. The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Education with concentrations in counseling and school psychology provide advanced coursework sought by students seeking licensure or higher levels of certification
  3. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with two majors:  Counselor Education and Student Counseling & Guidance

Admission Criteria for Counseling Programs

Applications for master's and educational specialist programs are due by March 1. Counseling doctoral applications are due by February 1. Applications will be considered until full enrollment is attained. Applications may be reviewed at other times for general educational psychology.  For further information, write to the Graduate Coordinator.  

A student accepted into the M.S. degree program in counseling must hold a baccalaureate degree and a minimum GPA of 3.00 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Satisfactory Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytic writing) taken within the past five years must be submitted.

A student accepted into the Ed.S. degree program with a concentration in counseling must hold a master’s degree in counseling or related field (as determined by program concentration), a minimum GPA of 3.30 on all graduate work, and satisfactory GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing).  

A student accepted into a Ph.D. program must hold a master’s degree from a CACREP- or CORE-accredited program in counseling or meet CACREP curriculum requirements as part of the doctoral program of study. Satisfactory results of the Graduate record Examination (GRE) taken with the past five years must be submitted.

Applicants for all counseling degree programs must also produce all other application requirements detailed by the Graduate School (e.g., letters of recommendation, statement of purpose).

Students admitted to a counseling program must maintain continuous enrollment. A student who is not enrolled or is inactive for one calendar year must be re-screened for readmission into the department prior to re-enrollment in the University (see the Readmission section under General Requirements for Admission in this publication).

Provisional Admission for Counseling Programs

An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular admission status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). These graduate courses must be within the student's program of study.  Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program. Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Satisfactory Academic Performance

In addition to the requirements of Mississippi State University for graduate students, a student in any of the counseling programs is required to earn a grade of B or better in each skills course before being permitted to progress to the next course in the sequence. These "gatekeeper" courses include: 

COE 8023Counseling Theory3
COE 8013Counseling Skills Development3
COE 8053Practicum3
COE 8150Academic School Year Field Experience Practicum1-9
COE 8730Internship6

Unsatisfactory performance in graduate-level coursework is defined as a grade of U, D, or F in any course and/or more than two grades below a B after admission to the program. The grade of C, while not considered a failing grade, is seen as indicative of minimal academic performance. Only two grades of C are allowed during a student's work on a degree. Unsatisfactory performance also includes failing the master’s comprehensive examination twice, failing the written doctoral preliminary/comprehensive examination twice, failing the oral doctoral preliminary/comprehensive examination twice, or failing the doctoral dissertation defense twice. Any of these or a combination of these failures will result in termination of the student’s graduate program in counseling.

Department Programs in Educational Psychology

The department prepares students for careers as behavioral science researchers and evaluators, school psychologists, and faculty positions in behavioral science of school psychology training programs. Teacher, service, and research assistantships are available.

Educational Psychology Program Accreditations

The school psychology program degrees (Ed.S., Ph.D.) are approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The Ph.D. degree is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

There are two concentrations in Educational Psychology, general educational psychology and school psychology, with the following degree options:

  1. The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with concentrations in general educational psychology, school psychometry (non-terminal), or applied behavior analysis.
  2. The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree with a major in Education and concentration in school psychology.  The Ed.S. degree is the minimum requirement to work as a school psychologist.
  3. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with concentrations in general educational psychology and school psychology.

General Educational Psychology Concentration

The concentration in General Educational Psychology is designed to prepare an individual for employment in research, teaching, and service settings. The four-year doctoral program involves coursework in psychological foundations, learning, motivational processes as well as research, statistics, and measurement. 

The M.S. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in General Educational Psychology is a planned program consisting of 35 hours.

The Ph.D. degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in General Educational Psychology requires a minimum of 91 hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree.

Applications are due March 1 each year. For further information, please contact the Graduate Coordinator.

School Psychology/Psychometry Concentration

The School Psychology/Psychometry concentrations are based on a scientist-practitioner model with a behavioral focus. In addition to training assessment, training is provided in consultation, academic interventions, behavior assessment, system-wide and individualized positive behavior interventions and supports, applied behavior analysis, and single-case research methodology so students in the program can identify, prevent, and remedy students’ academic, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.

M.S. in Educational Psychology with Concentration in School Psychometry

The M.S. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in School Psychometry is a non-terminal degree designed to begin in the fall semester and be completed in three years. The concentration in School Psychometry leads to AA licensure from the Mississippi Department of Education. The degree is currently a 33-hour program with a 300-hour practicum. All students in this program must successfully complete the PRAXIS I examination en route to the degree or a score of twenty-one (21) on the ACT or equivalent on SAT and pass the master’s comprehensive examination. Students in the M.S. program are expected to continue their education at MSU in pursuit of either the educational specialist or doctoral degree.

M.S. in Educational Psychology with Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis

The M.S. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a terminal degree designed to begin in the fall semester and be completed in two years. The concentration in ABA leads to certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The degree program is currently a 31-hour program. All students in the program must pass a master's comprehensive examination.

Applications are due March 1 each year. For further information, contact the Graduate Coordinator.

Ed.S. in Education with Concentration in School Psychology

The Ed.S. program in Education with a concentration in School Psychology is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Students accepted into the Ed.S. program in School Psychology should either hold a Master’s degree in Psychometry or earn a Master’s degree in Psychometry en route to the completion of the Ed.S. degree. For students entering the program with only an undergraduate degree, the Ed.S. concentration in School Psychology is designed to be completed in four years. A minimum of 82 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree is necessary to earn an educational specialist degree from the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. The Ed.S. School Psychology students must also pass three examinations including the PRAXIS II in School Psychology (i.e., students must obtain a passing score as outlined by the National Association of School Psychologists), Master’s written comprehensive exam, and oral comprehensive exam. Students are also required to complete a 1200-hour internship in the P-12 school setting.

The deadline for applications to the Ed.S. program is January 15. For further information, contact the Graduate Coordinator. 

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with Concentration in School Psychology

The Ph.D. program in Educational Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American Psychological Association (APA). Students accepted into the Ph.D. program in School Psychology should either hold a master's degree in Psychometry (or related field) or will obtain a master's degree in School Psychometry or master's degree in a related field within the first 3 years in the program. For students entering the program with only an undergraduate degree, the Ph.D. concentration in School Psychology is designed to be completed in five years. A minimum of 120 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree is necessary to earn a doctorate from the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. For students entering the program with an advanced degree, the Ph.D. program with a concentration in School Psychology will require a minimum of three years of formal coursework. In addition, doctoral students in the School Psychology concentration are required to present a minimum of one refereed presentation at a regional or national conference, submit one manuscript to a refereed journal, or seek to publish one book chapter or formal test review. Doctoral School Psychology students must also pass three examinations including the PRAXIS II in School Psychology (i.e., students must obtain a passing score as outlined by the National Association of School Psychologists), doctoral written comprehensive exam, and doctoral oral comprehensive exam. Also, students are required to complete a 2000-hour internship (APA-accredited preferred).

The deadline for applications to the Ph.D. program is January 15. For further information, please contact the Graduate Coordinator.

Admission Criteria for Educational Psychology Major

The following are admission criteria for admission to the Educational Psychology degree program (additional requirements may be required).

  1. An overall GPA on the bachelor’s degree of at least 2.75
  2. Recent Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing scores
  3. External recommendations
  4. An interview is generally required

Students admitted to the Educational Psychology graduate degree program must maintain continuous enrollment. A student who is not enrolled or is inactive for one calendar year must be re-screened for readmission to the department prior to re-enrollment in the University.

Prerequisite Undergraduate Courses for School Psychology and Psychometry Concentrations

Students should have the following undergraduate courses before entering the concentration in either School Psychology or Psychometry:

  1. Psychological basis of behavior (e.g., Introductory Psychology)
  2. Developmental psychology (e.g., Child Development)
  3. Education, learning, or cognition (e.g., Theories of Learning)

A student who has not met these prerequisite course requirements may enroll in the program and take these undergraduate courses as he/she progresses through the degree program. As students move through the Ed.S. or Ph.D. program with a concentration in School Psychology, they are required to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree in Psychometry and obtain an AA license in Psychometry from the Mississippi State Department of Education.

Provisional Admission

An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular admission status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). These graduate courses must be within the student's program of study. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program. Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Satisfactory Academic Performance

A student in any of the educational or school psychology programs is required to earn a grade of B or better in core courses before he or she is permitted to progress to the next course in the sequence. Unsatisfactory performance in graduate level coursework is defined as a grade of U, D, or F in any course and/or more than two grades below a B after admission to the program. Unsatisfactory performance also includes failing the Master’s comprehensive examination twice, failing the written preliminary/comprehensive examination twice, failing the oral doctoral preliminary/comprehensive examination twice, or failing the doctoral dissertation defense twice. Any of these or combination of these failures will result in termination of the student’s graduate program in either the general educational psychology or school psychology concentration.