The Department of Counseling offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in School Counseling. The M.Ed. in School Counseling program is currently accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2009). The M.Ed. in School Counseling program prepares students with the professional competencies necessary to organize, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program in a K–12 school setting.
The Department of Counseling offers the 60 credit hour Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This clinical program emphasizes creativity, diversity, developmental and relational processes, ethics, and professional identity within Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students may earn credit toward a state license and/or certification to practice in clinical settings (i.e., Licensed Professional Counselor, etc.). The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is currently accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Applied Educational Psychology aims to prepare culturally competent scientist-practitioners and researchers to effectively contribute to the applied psychological development and well-being of children and adolescents.
The degree coursework provides students with a strong foundation in Educational Psychology theory and principles as well as the skills to apply this learning to relevant contexts (e.g., educational settings, clinic settings, community settings, industrial/organizational settings, home settings). Students who wish to complete an intensive research project have the option of completing a Master’s Thesis for 6 semester credit hours.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in School Psychology includes advanced coursework and field-based experiences related to psychological assessment, counseling, consultation, learning, development, child psychopathology, research, statistics, and professional issues. Students will also complete a full-time internship in a school setting. The program is designed to provide the academic and practical training necessary to become a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Graduates will also be eligible to apply for certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, which is a nationally-recognized professional certification granted by the National Association of School Psychologists. Due to the clinical nature of this program and the number of hours required, the degree does not have a Thesis option.
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Behavior Analysis aims to prepare graduate students to become scientist-practitioners trained to provide quality, impactful services for all populations benefitting from behavior analysis. This degree aims to provide students with a foundation in behavior analysis and prepare students to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Exam (BCBA®) to obtain national certification and state licensure as a Behavior Analyst. Students will obtain competency in the basic principles of learning with an emphasis on treating children, youth, and adults in community, clinic, hospital, and as consultants in educational settings. The degree program prepares graduates for eligibility to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®) through approved coursework and practicum opportunities.
The M.S. in Behavior Analysis has two areas of concentration, and students choose their concentration based on their academic and professional goals and interests. The curriculum for each concentration will be presented separately.
The Comprehensive concentration is designed to provide the research, academic, and practical training necessary for students to become certified as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and licensed as a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Texas. The program includes research training, coursework and field-based experiences related to behavior assessment, intervention, and professional issues. It contains all of the coursework required by the Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board. It also embeds the 2,000 experience hours through fieldwork, practice, and research experiences supervised by UTSA faculty. Students completing the comprehensive option will complete their hours at UTSA partner sites. This program prepares students to work in a variety of settings (e.g., clinical, home, community based, and schools), with a focus on serving people of all ages with developmental disabilities (e.g., autism spectrum disorder).
The Focused concentration also contains all of the coursework required by the Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board. However, this concentration embeds flexibility by allowing students to select up to 15 hours of elective coursework. The Focused concentration does not have any research or practical (e.g., fieldwork or practicum) requirements. Students in this sequence may also complete their experience hours during their program, however the site is typically chosen by the student. Although, the focused concentration does not have any research requirements, students are encouraged to discuss with their advisor if they are interested in research. Once students have begun coursework in the Focused concentration, they cannot transfer to the Comprehensive Program without approval by the ABA program coordinator. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
