Masters In Counseling Program Rankings

Masters in counseling program rankings can help you to see how schools rank according to certain criteria but they can only do so much. Finding a highly ranked school is not the end of your search for a masters in counseling program but just the beginning. You have to look deeper.

Evaluating The Rankings

Program rankings are only helpful if the rankings are based on solid criteria and done by an impartial source. Before you trust any rankings, figure out who did the ranking, why they did it, and what criteria were used. Rankings are only as good as the people and the process that put them together.

Choosing A Specialty

If you wish to specialize in a specific area of counseling then these rankings may not do you any good even if they are legitimate. Not every school will offer the area of focus that you want so you need to investigate further. This is a case of knowing what you want.

Generic rankings will do you little good if you have any preferences at all about your educational experience. Different schools will offer different programs. You should look at the programs themselves more than any rankings that may have been done using different criteria than the ones you care about.

Schedule Flexibility

Many program rankings will not give a thought to how well a program can work around your schedule but this may be of the utmost important to you. If you already have a busy life and possibly other responsibilities that cannot be put on hold while you further your education then you will need a program that can accommodate your schedule. Again, program rankings will not be able to make up for you taking the time to learn about each program yourself.

Accreditation

No discussion of program rankings is complete without a mention of program accreditation. People looking for masters in counseling programs often take for granted that the programs that they look at will be accredited. Maybe they are and maybe they are not. If you want to be able to use your masters in the real world then you will want to find out for sure.

Masters in counseling program rankings have their place but they should not be used as your sole means of making any decisions. They can point you toward schools to investigate but that is only the start. From there you need to look at your own criteria and how well masters in counseling programs match up with your needs.

There is a wide variety of careers available to individuals with master's degrees in counseling. A holder of a masters in counseling can become a school counselor, rehabilitation counselor, career counselor, mental health counselor, substance abuse counselor, or marriage and family therapist, just to name a few of the options. Below is a list of accredited online universities offering master's degrees in counseling.

M.Ed. in School Counseling MA in Profes. Counseling MA in Pastoral Counseling	Liberty University: Liberty University's online counseling master's programs in school counseling, professional counseling, and pastoral counseling prepare students for state licensure and national certification, and ultimately for careers in mental health agencies and private practices. The program includes a focus on integrating faith with the career of counseling, as well as standard coursework in counseling theories and skills, legal issues, human development, and research methodology.
MS in Mental Health Cnsling MS in Forensic Counseling	Walden University: Walden University is one of only a few online colleges to offer a CACREP accredited MS degree in Mental Health Counseling and an MS in Forensic Counseling. The degrees are designed to allow students to use their knowledge immediately as professionals, even incorporating interactive simulations of real-world situations into the training and coursework.
MS in Counseling Studies MS in Addiction Counseling MS in Career Counseling MS in Mental Health Cnsling More Degrees...	Capella University: Capella University's online counseling programs in school counseling, career counseling, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, counseling studies, and psychology all offer well-rounded curriculums that include online coursework, residencies and field experiences to prepare students to be eligible for state licensure. Theory and practice come together in this program to ensure graduates will be able to assess and treat mental and emotional health issues.
MS in Family Therapy MS in Mental Health Cnsling MS in Rehab Counseling MS in School Counseling	University of Massachusetts: The University of Massachusetts offers MS degrees in family therapy, school counseling, mental health counseling, and rehabilitation counseling, in addition to specialized certificates in Autism and addiction treatment. The 60 unit degree programs meet the academic requirements for licensure in Massachusetts. Some clinical courses must be taken on campus and take place for two weeks during summers.
MS in Clinical Counseling	Bellevue University: Bellevue University offers a 60-credit clinical counseling master's program preparing students to get a provisional LMHP or equivalent licensure in other states. Graduates will have the opportunity to be supervised while treating major mental disorders. Applicants must have 6 credits in behavioral sciences and 3 credits in statistics to apply.
MS in Professional Counseling MS in Addiction Counseling	Grand Canyon University: Graduates from the Grand Canyon University MS in Professional Counseling and MS in Addiction Counseling programs will meet the requirements for licensure in Arizona, and if they do not live in Arizona, will be prepared to begin the process of certification in their own states. Students should check the requirements in their home states and make sure this program meets them.
MS in Rehab Counseling	Thomas University: Thomas University's MS in rehabilitation counseling program prepares students for the Licensed Associate Professional Counselor credential, and can be done completely online with no residency requirements. With a Masters degree in Rehabilitation, graduates can work in careers from vocational evaluation to independent living program coordination to marriage counseling among others.
MA in Psychology - Career Counseling	University of the Rockies: The MA in Psychology with specialization in Career Management and Counseling is a unique program in which students learn how psychological research influences job seeking and deciding on a career. Coursework allows students to assess the performances of job candidates, and use group dynamics to build effective teams of empowered professionals.
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