The Department of Counseling at Loyola University New Orleans offers advanced courses leading to the Master of Science in Counseling degree. There are two tracks within the program, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling. Upon completion of the program, graduates will meet the course and education requirements to pursue their license as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana.
Department of Counseling Faculty & Staff
Overview
- Academic Programs
- Accreditation
- Admission to Counseling Programs
- Progression & Graduation Requirements
- Transfer Credits
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Academic Programs
The Department of Counseling offers the following degree programs at the graduate level. Detailed curriculum requirements are listed for each program below.
MS in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Science (MS) in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60 credit hour, graduate-level degree program.
- Required Courses - students complete the following courses for 48 crs:
- CNSL A702 Research & Statistical Methods in Counseling
- CNSL A704 Research Writing Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A706 Philosophy & Counseling
- CNSL A725 Lifespan Development
- CNSL A776 Clinical Assessment & Psychometrics
- CNSL A830 Counseling Theories
- CNSL A835 Introduction to Counseling
- CNSL A836 Individual Counseling Skills Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A840 Group Counseling
- CNSL A841 Career Counseling
- CNSL A842 Multicultural Counseling
- CNSL A843 Group Counseling Skills Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A855 Diagnostics in Counseling
- CNSL A863 Fundamentals of Practicum & Internship
- CNSL A864 Ethics in Individual, Marriage, & Family Counseling
- CNSL A865 Counseling Practicum
- CNSL A866 Counseling Internship
- CNSL A866 Internship 2
- Elective Courses - students complete 12 crs from the following list of courses, selected in consultation with an advisor:
- CNSL A825 Human Sexuality Counseling
- CNSL A837 Child Counseling: Play Therapy
- CNSL A845 Addiction Counseling
- CNSL A848 Play Therapy Theories
- CNSL A849 Activity Group Therapy
- CNSL A850 Introduction to Family Counseling
- CNSL A851 School Counseling
- CNSL A852 Marriage & Couples Counseling
- CNSL A853 Child/Parent Relationship Therapy
- CNSL A856 Clinical Thanatology: Death & Dying
- CNSL A857 Psychopathology in Counseling
- CNSL A858 Scholarship in Counseling
- CNSL A862 Family Systems
- CNSL A868 Crisis Intervention
- CMHC Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL): The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
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MS in Counseling - Marriage, Couples, & Family Counseling
The Master of Science (MS) in Counseling - Marriage, Couples, & Family Counseling is a 60 credit hour, graduate-level degree program.
- Required Courses - students complete the following courses for 48 crs:
- CNSL A702 Research & Statistical Methods in Counseling
- CNSL A704 Research Writing Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A706 Philosophy & Counseling
- CNSL A725 Lifespan Development
- CNSL A776 Clinical Assessment & Psychometrics
- CNSL A830 Counseling Theories
- CNSL A835 Introduction to Counseling
- CNSL A836 Individual Counseling Skills Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A840 Group Counseling
- CNSL A841 Career Counseling
- CNSL A842 Multicultural Counseling
- CNSL A843 Group Counseling Skills Lab (1 cr)
- CNSL A855 Diagnostics in Counseling
- CNSL A863 Fundamentals of Practicum & Internship
- CNSL A864 Ethics in Individual, Marriage, & Family Counseling
- CNSL A865 Counseling Practicum
- CNSL A866 Counseling Internship
- CNSL A866 Internship 2
- Marriage, Couples, & Family Counseling Requirements - students complete the following courses for 9 crs:
- CNSL A850 Introduction to Family Counseling
- CNSL A852 Marriage & Couples Counseling
- CNSL A862 Family Systems
- Elective Courses - students complete 3 crs from the following list of courses, selected in consultation with an advisor:
- CNSL A825 Human Sexuality Counseling
- CNSL A837 Child Counseling: Play Therapy
- CNSL A845 Addiction Counseling
- CNSL A848 Play Therapy Theories
- CNSL A849 Activity Group Therapy
- CNSL A851 School Counseling
- CNSL A853 Child/Parent Relationship Therapy
- CNSL A856 Clinical Thanatology: Death & Dying
- CNSL A857 Psychopathology in Counseling
- CNSL A858 Scholarship in Counseling
- CNSL A868 Crisis Intervention
- MCFC Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL): The DPCL serves as a helpful checklist of requirements for each program. Use this form in consultation with your advisor to plan your schedule.
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Dual Degrees
The Department of Counseling participates in dual degree programs in collaboration with the Department of Criminology & Justice, the School of Music & Theatre Arts, and the Loyola Institute for Ministry. Detailed information can be found in the Dual Degrees entry of the Graduate Bulletin.
- MS Counseling & Master of Criminology & Justice
- MS Counseling & Master of Music Therapy
- MS Counseling & Master of Pastoral Studies
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Accreditation
The Counseling program at Loyola University New Orleans is dually accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in both Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage Couple, and Family Counseling. The current accreditation cycle runs through March 31, 2028.
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Admission to Counseling Programs
Admission to the degree program requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Acceptance is based on a combination of:
- GPA
- Results of Graduate Record Examination (can be waived if applicant maintained a 3.0 or above during the last 60 hours of undergraduate work, or if the applicant completed a graduate-level degree)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Written objective statement (1-3 pages)
- Admission interview
- In person writing sample.
Details about the admission process can be found on the Counseling Program's website.
Students who are accepted on a conditional basis are required to receive a grade no lower than a “B” (this includes a B-) in the first 18 hours of their counseling department required coursework. Students accepted conditionally who receive a grade lower than a “B” in any of the first 18 hours of coursework will be dismissed from the program. In order to facilitate conditionally admitted students’ success, the Counseling Department may suggest that students conditionally admitted enroll in a maximum of 7 credit hours each semester for their first 18 hours of course work.
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Progression & Graduation Requirements
All candidates are required to complete at least 60 credit hours of graduate work to receive the degree. A course in which the student has earned a grade of D or F cannot be counted toward the completion of graduation requirements, but is used in determining the grade point average.
It is important to note here, however, that there are several courses for which students are not allowed to receive less than a “B”, even if they are able to maintain the 3.0 GPA. The courses listed as a “Core Requirement” are considered by the counseling faculty to be so important that if a student receives lower than a “B” (including B-), the student will be required to retake the course. The student will not be allowed to take further courses which require the core requirement class as a prerequisite, until they have received a “B” or higher in the core requirement course. If the student who retakes a core requirement course is still unable to receive a “B” or higher, he or she will be dismissed from the program.
Courses, including those taken in the Department of Counseling at Loyola University, must be completed within seven years. Students wanting to take independent study courses must petition the department faculty at least one month before registration. Please consult with your program advisor for details
In addition to all information provided in the bulletin, there is a more detailed description of the program’s policies in the Counseling Student Handbook. A hard copy can be requested through the Counseling Department (504)864-7840 or through the departmental website. There is a worksheet outlining all of the courses, including prerequisites, primary, and required in the Counseling Student Handbook.
Grade Point Average Requirements
All students in the counseling program must maintain a 3.0 GPA in their counseling coursework throughout their tenure in the counseling program as outlined in the Counseling Student Handbook. Students who are in a dual degree program may not count the courses from the other degree towards their Counseling GPA.
Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below the 3.0 GPA requirement (who are not under the conditional requirements outlined in the previous section), will be notified in writing that they are on Academic Probation. The Graduate Counseling Committee of the Department of Counseling will meet to review the student's status and make recommendations (including possible dismissal from the program).
All counseling students are required to pass a Comprehensive Examination before they are permitted to graduate. The Comprehensive Examination is designed to cover all course work completed in the counseling program. Questions will pertain to information offered in the Core Courses, and Required Courses. Students who fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the Comprehensive Examination will not be permitted to graduate. Students must apply for Comprehensive Examinations by the deadline outlined in the Student Handbook.
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Transfer of Academic Credits
Students who have taken graduate courses prior to entering the program may request transfer credit according to the university graduate transfer credit policy, with the following conditions.
Students may not obtain transfer credit for the following courses:
- CNSL 830 Counseling Theories
- CNSL 835 Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- CNSL 840 Group Counseling
- CNSL 864 Ethics in Individual, Marriage, and Family Counseling
- CNSL 855 Diagnostics in Counseling
- CNSL 863 Fundamentals of Practicum and Internship
- Counseling Practicum
- Counseling Internship
Students wishing to obtain graduate transfer credit for any other classes taken at another university must petition the Graduate Counseling Committee of the Counseling Department.
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