|
Employment Opportunities
A
survey of our graduates indicated that they were employed in a diverse selection
of jobs including: Counselor in an urban American Indian Mental Health Center;
Quality Assurance Coordinator/Psychiatric Treatment Unit; Program
Director/Outreach Program; Director, Geriatric Day Treatment Program; Child
Development Counselor II; Coordinator, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program; Therapist
for Eating Disorders; Out-patient Therapist; Counselor, Outpatient in Drug and
Alcohol Treatment; University Instructor; Caseworker III; Crisis Counseling with
Adolescents and Families; Director, Community Services; Outpatient Therapist and
Children’s Day Treatment; Counselor, Adult Treatment Center; Mental Health
Specialist/ Psychiatric Treatment, and Director of a tribal community services
agency. Graduate students from our program also have been successful in Ph.D.
programs at various universities.
Prerequisites
A
statistics and design course is required. In addition, the following courses
are strongly recommended: personality or abnormal; social or developmental; two
courses from learning, perception, sensation, motivation and physiological; a
course in history and systems of psychology or a course in the philosophy of
science.
Graduate Student Handbook, Department of
Psychology
The Department of Psychology Graduate Student
handbook presents comprehensive information about each of the three graduate
programs. The Handbook includes information about academic requirements, goals
and objectives of the programs, teaching assistantships, scholarship standards,
thesis requirements, comprehensive examinations, registration and enrollment,
internships, diversity recruitment policy, National Counselor Examination,
Academic Grievance Policy and Procedures, and other important information.
Download the Psychology Department Graduate Student Handbook
Application
Our priority application
deadline is February 1. Later applications will be considered on a
space-available basis only. Applicants are required to submit ALL materials
(see
required
application materials below) to
the Graduate
School. The Graduate School
will determine which applicants are eligible for admission and forward the
applicant files to the Psychology Department. An admissions committee
within the Department will then conduct an initial review of the applications
and select individuals to invite for personal interviews. Interviews take
place in early to mid-March, and final admission decisions are usually made by
the end of the month. We typically recommend six students for admission to
the program each year.
Applicants are evaluated
based on GPA, GRE scores, psychology background, letters of recommendation,
personal preparation, experience, and motivation. For further information
contact Dr. Christina Byrne, Director, Mental Health Counseling Program,
Department of Psychology, MS 9172, 516 High Street, Western Washington
University, Bellingham, WA, 98225-9172; phone: 360. 650.7945; e-mail:
christina.byrne@wwu.edu.
Application materials may be
obtained at Western Washington University’s
Graduate School website. Online
submission of some application materials is now an option at the Graduate
School’s website. If you have any questions or difficulties with the
application materials at the website, please contact the Graduate School at
gradschl@wwu.edu or call them at 360-650-3170.
Required application
materials (to be sent directly to the Graduate School or submitted to their
website; not to the Psychology department):
-
Graduate School
application form and application fee 3 letters of reference, no more than 1
year old
-
1 official transcript
from each university/college attended, no more than 2 years old
-
Completed Questionnaire
(Statement of Purpose, see below)
-
General GRE is required;
the subject test is recommended but not required. GRE scores must be sent
directly to the Graduate School from the Educational Testing Service.
Information on the GRE may be obtained online:
www.gre.org.
If you would like to be
considered for a Graduate School Assistantship, follow the instructions online
at the
Graduate School website.
Currently, teaching assistants in the Department of
Psychology are usually assigned to the undergraduate experimental psychology and
statistics courses, or occasionally to the introduction to psychology course.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: teaching
laboratory classes where relevant, helping students understand the conceptual
and computational components of statistics, helping students understand research
methodology and design, and helping students become more competent scientific
writers.
Mental Health Counseling
Questionnaire (Statement of Purpose)
(To be
included with application materials and sent to the Graduate School)
| 1. |
Your name and e-mail address. |
| 2. |
What do you consider to be the
primary role of a mental health counselor? |
| 3. |
What experiences in life, work,
and/or schooling have you had that are relevant to the counseling
profession? |
| 4. |
Why have you selected Western
Washington University's counseling program? What are your long-range
professional plans in the field of mental health? |
| 5. |
Research expertise is an
integral part of your training. Please indicate at least two areas of
clinical research and/or practice in which you are interested. |
| 6. |
Please feel free to attach any
additional information that you consider to be relevant to your application,
including a professional résumé or information not included in your answers
to the previous questions. |
Tuition and Fees, Financial Aid, and Stipends
The current amounts for
graduate tuition and fees for residents and non-residents can be obtained at the
Graduate School website.
Teaching and research
assistantships are available on a limited basis. Teaching assistantships include
a substantial tuition waiver. To be considered for a graduate assistantship,
please see instructions at the
Graduate School website.
Students interested in
applying for federal and state loans, grants or work/study should consult the
Student Financial Aid Services Center, phone 360-650-3470. If you would like
more information about Western Washington University, visit the
Western Washington University website.
Frequently Asked
Questions
How many credits are
required?
The program requires a
minimum of 91 quarter credits (comprehensive option) or 97 quarter credits
(thesis option) to be completed in two years of full-time graduate study. The
degree is a Master of Science (M.S.) in Mental Health Counseling.
Does the program require
a thesis?
A thesis is not required.
Students may complete a thesis, or pass a written comprehensive examination, or
do both if they so desire.
Can I attend part-time or
take classes in the summer or evening?
No, the program does not
lend itself well to part-time study because of the highly structured nature of
the practicum and internship experiences. While some classes are taught during
the evening, most classes meet during the day. Program classes are not offered
during the summer.
Do you have a satellite
program?
The program is offered on
the campus in Bellingham only. Some second-year students have completed
internships as far away as Seattle or Vancouver, B.C., but they still must take
courses on campus.
How large is the program?
We accept six students per
year. The program is intentionally small in order to maintain small
student/faculty ratios and class sizes.
Can I be
certified/credentialed/licensed in other states?
Every state has its own
requirements for certification, credentialing, or licensing (Washington State
has a licensing process). You will need to contact the State Department of
Licensing for specific information about each state. In general, people licensed
in one state by a CACREP-accredited program can become licensed in other states.
What is the Licensing
Process in Washington State?
Upon completion of a
counseling program, one generally needs to complete 3 years of postgraduate
full-time counseling, complete 100 hours of supervision, and pass a licensing
exam. Because we are CACREP approved, graduates from our program need only 2 ½
years of postgraduate full-time counseling, and 50 hours of supervision, and can
take the licensing exam (NCE) on campus during the second year of the program.
When should I start my
application?
Complete applications are
due February 1 of each year. It is a good idea to complete the Graduate Record
Examination in the preceding Fall.
Should my references be
faculty members or work supervisors, or does it matter?
It is advisable to have a
mix of recommendations. Identify at least one faculty member who can address
your ability to complete graduate level work. It is also advisable to select a
reference who can discuss your potential as a counselor.
May I include extra
information in my application?
It is a good idea to include
a resume and cover letter that describe your interest in becoming a counselor.
Be sure to let us know about your related work experience.
I've heard it is really
hard to get admitted. How do I know if I stand a chance?
Our program is small and we
receive many fine applications. However, this should not necessarily discourage
you. If you believe that you have special qualities that we should consider, be
sure to let us know. We do consider grades and test scores, but we consider
other things as well.
Who are the counseling
faculty?
There are seven faculty
members within the department who have significant responsibility for our two
graduate counseling programs. Drs. Rob Bedi, Christina Byrne (Director, Mental
Health Counseling Program), Tina Du Rocher Schudlich, Deborah Forgays, James
Graham, Diana Gruman, and Arleen Lewis (Director, School Counseling Program) all
have regular teaching responsibilities in both programs and participate in the
selection of students for both programs. Furthermore, you'll have the
opportunity to take classes from several other faculty members within the
department as well.
Graduate Faculty,
Department of Psychology
- |
