Mission:

The mission of the Professional Counseling Program at Texas A&M University-Victoria is to educate, train, and mentor students from diverse backgrounds to equip them to be highly qualified counselors who are competent to practice in a culturally sustaining and responsive manner within a multicultural and global society.

The Master of Science in Professional School Counseling (formerly School Counseling/Counselor Education) at the Texas A&M University-Victoria was accredited in July 2010 and reaccredited in 2018 by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

What is CACREP Accreditation?

The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes specialized accrediting bodies that examine professional preparation programs with institutions of higher learning. CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) is a specialized accrediting body that grants accredited status to graduate-level programs in the professional counseling field.

CACREP was formed in 1981 in cooperation with the American Counseling Association (ACA) to promote the advancement of quality in counselor education programs. For a program to receive accreditation, it hosts a CACREP survey team of counselor educators who review the program to see that it meets national standards in eight core areas of counseling: human growth and development, social/cultural foundations, the helping relationship, group dynamics/ counseling, career development, appraisal, research, and professional orientation/issues. In addition to the core areas, the team reviews additional standards of instruction and supervised clinical experiences for the counseling specialty training offered by that program.

In addition, students graduating from a CACREP accredited program qualify to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE), used by states for LPC licensure. Advantages of attending CACREP accredited programs include: the highest counselor training standards, exclusive job opportunities, licensure portability (ability to move to other states), and doctoral program admission preference.

Why is CACREP Accreditation important for students?

Students have many options when it comes to choosing where to pursue an advanced degree. Selecting to enroll in a CACREP accredited program ensures students will receive quality instruction and clinical experiences in various contexts from a distinct professional identity as a counselor.

In addition, students graduating from a CACREP accredited program qualify to take the National Counselor Exam, used by most states for LPC licensure. For students pursuing a doctoral degree, graduation from a CACREP accredited program will meet application preferences in doctoral programs in counseling and counselor education.

Admission Requirements

The Professional Counseling Program is utilizes a cohort model and students are only admitted in the fall semester.

The Professional Counseling Program within the College of Education & Health Professions follows specific admission procedures for the Master of Science degree in Professional School Counseling. The GRE is not required. Admissions requirements are based on an evaluation by the program’s admission committee of the following information:

1. Application: Completed on-line application for graduate admission. Complete online at Apply Texas.

2. Official Transcripts: Official transcripts of all non- A&M-Victoria coursework and degrees conferred. Send transcripts directly to:

Texas A&M University-Victoria

Attn: Admissions Processing

3007 N. Ben Wilson St.

Victoria, TX 77901

Transcripts can also be emailed to admissions@tamuv.edu.

3. Criminal Background Check: Completion of a background check. The Graduate Professional Counseling Criminal Background Check Form should be completed and mailed to:

Texas Department of Public Safety

Crime Records Service

P.O. Box 15999

Austin, Texas 78761

4. Statement of Purpose: The statement of purpose must be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-pt font. The length of the statement should be 1-2 pages maximum (250-500 words) and should address the following criteria:

1. Your professional goals and the reason you are pursuing education and training in professional counseling, rather than in another mental health discipline (such as psychology, social work, or counseling psychology). Header: “Professional Goals”

              a. Describe any significant life events and how they have contributed to the development of your professional goals.

    2. Your major strengths and weaknesses with respect to being admitted into this program. Header: “Strengths & Weaknesses”

    3. Your perspective on diversity including a) how would you contribute to and benefit from the richness of our Professional Counseling Program, and b) how would you increase inclusion of diversity in the counseling profession. Header: “Diversity”

Applicants must upload all materials in the application portal.

5. Recommendation Forms/Letters: Submission of (3) three different recommendation forms and each form must be completed it its’ entirety. Forms should be from an academic source, preferably a professor or academic official who is familiar with your academic history and achievement. If you have been out of school for several years, recommendations may come from your employer or supervisor.

All materials must be submitted through the application portal. Materials submitted through any other means will not be considered.

All applications must be complete by December 31 to be considered for admission, including submission of transcripts. If application materials are deemed satisfactory, applicants will be invited to submit written responses to the admissions interview committee.

6. Written response to program questions: Applicants who have submitted all application materials prior to the December 31 deadline will be considered for moving forward in the process, which is to provide written responses to a set of questions that will be emailed to the applicant.

7. Program Interview: A program group interview with A&M-Victoria graduate faculty in professional counseling. The purpose of the interview is:

(1) to assess personal qualities useful for graduate and eventual professional work as a counselor; 2)assess group dynamics and collaborative approach to completing a task (3) provide information about the format and expectations of the program

All applications must be complete to be considered for admission. All students must gain entry to the Professional Counseling Program and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree. Graduate admission to A&M-Victoria does not ensure students will be admitted to the Professional Counseling Program.

Program Application and Interview Schedule:

Term of Admission: Fall

Application Deadline: December 31

Program Interviews: February

Registration Opens: April

Due to adherence to faculty-to-student ratios, applicants may be accepted and waitlisted for spring or summer admission. Registration timelines are set by the A&M-Victoria Registrar’s Office and are subject to change. We encourage you to explore our website. You may contact any of our faculty to inquire about the M.S. in Professional School Counseling.

Transfer Applicants

For applicants who have taken counseling courses in another program and are considering transferring to Texas A&M Victoria, contact Dr. Le’Ann Solmonson (SolmonsonL@tamuv.edu) with questions. Any courses considered for transfer will be evaluated to ensure the curriculum meets CACREP Standards. A maximum of 15 hours will be accepted for transfer. Skills-based courses will not be considered for transfer.

Transfer students may be eligible to begin in the spring or summer semester, depending on the ability to merge with the current cohort schedule.

A&M-Victoria-Professional Counseling Evaluation, Remediation, and Retention Policy

The Professional Counseling faculty members participate in an ongoing review of student progress in order to make decisions about student retention in the program. This review process helps to ensure that students, a) are completing program requirements successfully and making reasonable progress toward graduation, and b) have achieved an adequate level of professional and personal development in keeping with their future role as professional counselors. Faculty recourse to student’s failure to meet the academic or professional expectations may be either remediation or removal from the program. More detailed information is available from the faculty advisor or in the Professional Counseling Student Handbook.