Quality of Master’s © The Author(s) 2012 Education: A ...

434644 TCPXXX10.1177/0011000011434644Ja ckson and ScheelThe Counseling Psychologist ? The Author(s) 2012

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Quality of Master's Education: A Concern for Counseling Psychology?

The Counseling Psychologist XX(X) 1-31

? The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permission: journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0011000011434644



Margo A. Jackson1 and Michael J. Scheel2

Abstract

The authors offer an analysis of current challenges and opportunities regarding the long-standing issue about the quality and status of master's education relevant to training and practice in counseling psychology. Highlighted are historical context, controversies regarding licensure and accreditation (e.g., the 2009 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standard that bans counseling psychology faculty as core), and data on counseling master's programs in departments affiliated with American Psychological Association?accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology. In an effort to constructively address issues of concern, the authors propose recommendations to differentiate and integrate master's education with doctoral training by emphasizing the unique contributions of counseling psychology. Their recommendations build on the core values and synergistic potential of counseling psychology foundations both in counseling (e.g., in educational applications and service to multicultural communities) and in professional psychology (e.g., in extending benchmark competencies for training and using scientific research to inform value-added outcomes for effectively serving public mental health needs).

1Fordham University, New York, NY, USA 2University of Nebraska?Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

Corresponding Author: Margo A. Jackson, Graduate School of Education, Division of Psychological and Educational Services, LL 1008, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023 Email: mjackson@fordham.edu

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The Counseling Psychologist XX(X)

Keywords master's education, counseling psychology, accreditation, competencies

As scientist?practitioners, we approach the question of whether or not the quality of master's education should be of concern to counseling psychology by first considering the alternative hypothesis that the quality of master'slevel education and training is not an issue of concern for doctoral training and practice in the specialty of counseling psychology. Counseling psychologists are trained at the doctoral level, and most doctoral programs in counseling psychology are accredited by APA, the American Psychological Association (Society of Counseling Psychology, 2011). A high level of quality assurance can be claimed by APA-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology, including programs that admit students with master's degrees and/or provide prerequisite master's-level training en route to the doctorate. Therefore, one might conclude that the quality of master's training is not an issue of concern.

Although this argument may have been supported in the past, in this article we offer an analysis of current challenges to this position, including controversies regarding accreditation and licensure. One key controversy is that, historically, entry to practice at the doctoral (not master's) level was endorsed by APA, supported by APA accreditation, and predominant in licensure. Currently, however, master's-level practitioners in counseling-related professions can be licensed in all 50 U.S. states, and approximately half of the states require accreditation by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) or equivalent master's training for licensure (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2010b). Most APA-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology share faculty with affiliated counseling master's degree programs, and approximately one third of these master's programs are CACREP accredited (see Table 1). However, a new requirement in the 2009 CACREP standards effectively bans counseling psychology faculty as core faculty. In this article we present highlights of the historical context and review current data on counseling master's programs in departments affiliated with APA-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology. Finally, we propose recommendations to constructively address issues of concern about the quality of master's education for counseling psychology. Our perspectives are also informed by our experience on the board of the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP, 2011), an organization of training directors of APAaccredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology. CCPTP promotes

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Table 1. Counseling Psychology Doctoral Programs Accredited by the American Psychological Association and Counseling Master's Programs in Affiliated Departments

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Institution

U of Akron U of Albany, SUNY Arizona State U Auburn U Ball State U Boston College Brigham Young U U of Buffalo, SUNYa UC Santa Barbaraa Cleveland State U Colorado State U U of Denver U of Florida Florida State Ua Fordham U U of Georgia Georgia State U U of Houston Howard U U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ? Indiana State U Indiana U?Bloomington

Dept C/MHC SC PRO

PSY/ED C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHC

PSY

C/MHCf SC

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

ED

C/MHCf SCf

PSY

*f

*f

ED

C/MHC SC PRO

PSY

*f

*f

ED

C/MHCf

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHCf SCf

MCF MCFe,f

*f

COLLG COLLG

CPY CPY

REHAB

REHABd REHABd REHABd

REHABd REHABd

OTHER

Social Psy & MHC REHAB Onlined *Careerf Careerf Communityf

(continued)

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Table 1. (continued)

Institution

U of Iowa Iowa State U U of Kansas U of Kentucky Lehigh U U of Louisville Loyola U of Chicago Louisiana Tech U Marquette U U of MD College Park U of Memphis U of Miami U of Minnesota (Psy) U of Minnesota (Ed) U of Missouri?Columbia U of Missouri?KC U of Nebraska?Lincoln New Mexico State U New York U U of North Dakota U of North Texas ? Northeastern Ua U of Northern Colo

Dept C/MHC SC PRO

ED

SCf

PSY

ED

ED

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

PRO

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

SC PRO

ED

C/MHC SC

PSY/ED

SCf

ED

C/MHCf SCf

ED

C/MHC

PSY

ED

PRO

ED

SC

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

PROf

ED

C/MHC SC

ED

C/MHC SC

PSY

*f

*f

ED

SC

ED

C/MHCf SCf

MCF

MCF MCF MCFf

COLLG

COLLG

*f COLLG

CPY CPY CPY

CPY

CPY

REHAB

REHABd REHABd

REHAB REHABd

OTHER

REHAB & MHCd,f International Career & Sport Psy Gerontological Addiction

(continued)

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Table 1. (continued)

Institution

? U of Notre Dame U of Oklahoma Oklahoma State U U of Oregon Our Lady of the Lake ? Penn State U Purdue U Seton Hall U So. Illinois U?Carbondale U of So. Mississippi U of St.Thomas Teachers College, Columbia U ? Temple U U of Tennessee?Knoxville Tennessee State U TX A&M U?College Station U of Texas?Austin Texas Tech U Texas Woman's U Utah State Ua U of Utah VA Commonwealth U Washington State U

Dept

PSY ED ED ED PSYc ED ED ED PSY ED PSYb ED ED PSY ED ED ED PSY PSY ED ED PSY ED

C/MHC SC PRO MCF

C/MHC C/MHCf SCf

SCf SCf

SC PRO

*f

*f

MCFf MCF

MCFe *f

C/MHC

*f

*f

*

SC

*f

*f

*f

*f

SC

C/MHC SC *f

C/MHC SC

COLLG

COLLG *f

CPY

CPY

CPY CPY CPY CPY

CPY

REHAB REHABd

REHABd

OTHER

SC & Couns Online

(continued)

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