60 / 272
Candidacy
Admission to candidacy in the M.A. in Counseling program is a checkpoint to ensure that students are progressing
appropriately in their professional skills, academic understanding, and personal and spiritual development in
order to continue toward internship and graduation. Details of the application process for candidacy are found in
the COC Student Handbook. All undergraduate psychology prerequisites need to be successfully completed and
credits transferred to CIU before candidacy can be granted. Students are responsible for submitting their
application to candidacy to the COC Director of Training and Internship.
Program Hours, Practicum, Internship
The M.A. in Counseling program requires 66 credit hours for graduation. This includes six hours of electives that
can be chosen from the following areas: addictions, children, church and mission health, crisis, family, marriage,
member care, and sexuality.
A practicum experience of 150 hours with a minimum of 40 hours of direct services and an internship of 600 hours
with a minimum of 240 hours of direct service are required as part of the 66 course credits. Students typically
complete the program over a three-year period.
Licensure
COC provides the requirements for the academic coursework and clinical training for licensure as a Professional
Counselor Intern (LPC/I) in the state of South Carolina. While the standards for licensure in South Carolina are
similar to other states, students desiring licensure from another state should research the requirements for the
state they intend to practice in. Any program changes must be approved by the student’s advisor and dean early in
the program. Most states require a minimum of two years postgraduate supervised practice before full licensure is
granted.
Time Limitation
The time limit for completion of all requirements is seven years, measured from the date a student begins
coursework in the M.A. in Counseling program.
Completion Requirements
Students must satisfy the following requirements in order to graduate:
•
Complete all practicum, candidacy, and internship requirements
•
Complete all required hours of specified coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no grade lower than a
“C”
•
Fulfill the course requirements of CNS 5001 Clinical Counseling Orientation each semester, including
chapel attendance
•
Satisfactory faculty recommendation based upon emotional, spiritual, and professional health and maturity
Course of Study (Foundational + Counseling + Postcandidacy + Electives)
66
Foundational Core
15
BIB 6310
Progress of Redemption
3
CNS 5305
Applied Biblical Foundations of Counseling
3
CNS 5306
Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
3
CNS 5313
Personal and Spiritual Development
3
CNS 5342
Foundations of Marriage and Family Counseling
3
Counseling Core
7
CNS 5001
Clinical Counseling Orientation
0
CNS 5075
Multicultural Counseling
3
CNS 5310
Counseling Theory
3
CNS 5330
Professional Orientation & Ethics
3
CNS 5410
Research, Statistics, and Evaluation
3
CNS 5420
Psychopathology
3
CNS 6310
Human Growth and Development
3
CNS 6410
Counseling Techniques
3
60| Columbia International University
College of Counseling