Counselor Education Admissions Procedures
Admission to
graduate study in counseling must be initiated through the Graduate
School and all required materials are to be submitted per specified
instructions delineated by the Graduate School. Only after the Graduate
School has received and reviewed the veracity of all required materials,
the application portfolio is forwarded to the Counselor Education
Program for review, evaluation, and processing.
You may
apply online to the UAB Graduate School. Other requests and
application submissions may be directed to the following:
The Graduate School
University of Alabama at Birmingham
511 University Center
Birmingham, AL 35294-1150
Telephone: (205) 934-8227
Fax: (205) 934-8413
Again, it is important to note that only after the
Graduate School has deemed the applicant's materials to be sufficient,
is the student's application packet forwarded to the Counselor Education
Program. Please note the application deadlines posted by the Graduate
School.
Each applicant seeking admission to a counseling program specialty must
include with the other required materials, a typewritten statement of
professional purpose that reflects the applicant’s background
development, pertinent work-related experience, professional career
objectives and specified ways that completion of this program will
contribute to his/her goal for becoming a professional counselor.
Examinations/Grade Point Average:
The
application portfolio is reviewed by Counseling faculty and candidates
with a) acceptable scores on either the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) or Miller's Analogy Test (MAT) and b) acceptable Undergraduate
Grade Point Average (GPA) are contacted for an onsite interview.
Applicants or potential applicants are encouraged hold themselves to
professional standards and refrain from inquiries about acceptance of
their scores prior to official faculty review of applications. Following
the review, each applicant will receive a formal letter from Counseling
Program faculty. Applicants will either receive a letter of acceptance
for an admissions interview or letter of denial of admission. Applicants
should not infer they have been admitted into the program if granted an
admissions interview.
Interviews:
Applicants
deemed to have acceptable scores and grades are required to participate
in a group admission interview. Candidates participating in the
interview may be given one of three evaluations a) admit, b) admit on
probation, or c) denied. Students are notified of their admission status
by mail within two weeks of the completion of the interview.
Admitted Students:
When Counseling Faculty conclude a student is to be admitted to the program, an official letter will be mailed informing the student of the faculty decision along with further instructions.
Program Advisors:
Students
admitted to the program will be assigned a Program Advisor according to
specialty area (Community, School, Substance Abuse, or Rehabilitation).
The student should make an appointment with the assigned advisor as soon
as possible to draft a program outline.
Coursework:
The student
must enroll for the required pre-candidacy courses in Area I upon being
admitted to graduate study in the program. Students may choose to enroll
in the Area II pre-candidacy courses at their own discretion. To be
entitled to continue with the post-candidacy course work leading to the
degree, the student must be formally "Admitted to Candidacy" for the
master’s degree. This occurs when the student successfully passes the
Comprehensive Examinations and is recommended by the faculty to proceed
in the program.
Admission Denial:
When
Counseling Faculty conclude a student is not to be admitted to the
program, an official letter will be mailed informing the student of the
faculty decision.
Enrollment Prior to Admission:
Potential students may take classes prior to admission to the Counselor Education Program as "non-degree seeking" students. However, non-degree seeking students are limited to enrollment in 12 hours of coursework. Non-degree seeking students may enroll in elective courses and/or ECG 607 & 608 and EPR 614. Non-degree seeking students are not permitted to take "core" counseling courses (see Policy and Procedure manual for the list of core counseling course) prior to admission. There are no exceptions. It is also important to note that student's take coursework as a non-degree seeking student at their own risk. Enrolling and passing non-degree seeking coursework does not guarantee the student admission to the program as admission criteria (e.g., test scores, undergraduate GPA, and interview) are the primary factors considered when reviewing student suitability for the program.
Admission to
Candidacy for the master’s degree requires that the student complete the
following steps:
1. Meet with the assigned program advisor upon admission to discuss the
goals of the program and to draft a program plan of study so that all
prerequisites will be met appropriately.
2. Complete the pre-candidacy blocks of course work (Areas I & II) by
demonstrating seriousness of purpose and the ability to perform
academically at the graduate level.
3. Successfully write the qualifying comprehensive examination to
demonstrate knowledge of the core content.
4. Demonstrate to the advisor and other counseling faculty that the
chosen program is an appropriate one for the student to pursue
professionally.
* The Admission to Candidacy decision represents the program
faculty’s commitment to supporting and assisting the student in his/her
pursuit of the master’s degree in the field of professional counseling.
Application Deadlines:
Students are
admitted to the Counselor Education Program three times per year.
Students will be considered for admission only when all required
materials have been received by the Counselor Education Program from the
Graduate School by the dates listed below. Students are strongly
encouraged to submit materials to the Graduate School at least one month
in advance of the dates below to ensure the completed packet is
forwarded to the Counselor Education Program prior to the deadline.
Packets received by the Counseling Program after the deadlines will be
considered for the following term.
Admission for Materials must be received by:
Fall Term, July 1
Spring term, October 1
Summer term, April 1