Course Descriptions
EDSC 511 Introduction to School Counseling - 3 units
This course provides an introduction and overview of basic counseling skills and interpersonal relations concepts. The course will orient students to theory, roles, functions, and current issues of school counseling. The course will focus on basic introductory skills needed by today's school counselors to work with diverse populations in educational and professional settings.
EDSC 515 Leadership: Intervention, Consultation, Collaboration - 3 units
This course is designed to provide foundations and dimensions for the school counselor in relation to principles, practices, needs assessment within the framework of a school based counseling program. An overall understanding of the school as an organization and how the school counselor works within the organization will be emphasized. Students develop skills essential to the consulting process and collaboration among professionals, parents, and students.
EDSC 520 Educational Assessment - 3 units
This course is designed to provide the student with skills in administering academic achievement tests and a variety of education assessments. Use of standardized academic tests, scoring, and understanding of how to use test manuals will be emphasized. Additionally, an understanding the diverse populations and settings that may be encountered in providing quality educational assessment will be incorporated.
EDSC 522 Theories of Counseling - 3 units
This course provides an overview of the major theories and techniques of counseling and psychotherapy. The history, prominent figures, and current application of these theories are explored. Current best practices in school counseling, diverse settings and critical examination of major theories in the guided formation of their own personal style and approach to school counseling are emphasized.
EDSC 531 Human Communication: Group Process - 3 units
Students in this course learn and apply principles of interpersonal communication. Emphasis is on psychological, social, cultural, and linguistic factors which affect person-to-person interaction. Group leadership, purpose, development, dynamics, and methods will be investigated.
EDSC 535 Counseling Exceptional Children - 3 units
This course will examine the needs of students in special education programs. Students will be introduced to the wide range of learning disorders, handicaps, and emotional needs of the school population. Health, ethical and legal issues will be considered in the counseling and intervention process. The definition, identification, education, and vocational preparation of students with disabilities are also examined.
EDSC 541 Psychopathology - 3 units
This course will examine the wide range of clinical disorders, social and emotional disorders, and behavioral disorders which may add to psychological problems impairing the academic success of children and adolescents. Students will review research, case studies, assessment tools, and school-base interventions to help in their development as a school counselor.
EDSC 550 Counseling Diverse Populations - 3 units
This course is designed to examine the influence of cultural and ethnic differences of counselor and client in counseling. General cross-cultural dynamics as well as specific target populations are studied. The course includes ethical treatment of clients, multicultural awareness, and counselor self-awareness in the context of skills needed for effective practice in increasingly diverse schools.
EDSC 551 Legal and Ethical Issues - 3 units
This course introduces legal and ethical practices and principles for the school counselor. Emphasis will be placed on the legal and ethical issues school counselors will encounter with their diverse populations such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Individual Education Programs (IEPs), 504 plans, mediation, consultation and collaboration, due process, confidentiality laws, family and student rights, counseling Code of Ethics, and Federal and State laws.
EDSC 561 Crises Response, Interventions, and Management - 3 units
This course is designed to prepare the school counselor for an effective response when faced with crisis in the school setting. Students will be introduced to a variety of response approaches to assess and address the needs of students. Focus will be given to intervention and management skills needed when working with students at-risk for academic failure due to family stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, traumatic events, natural disaster, and terrorist events.
EDSC 562 Career Counseling and Development - 3 units
This course provides an overview of the major career development theories. Vocational guidance and occupational/educational information sources and systems are studied. Career development program planning, resources, computerized information systems, and evaluation will be included. Emphasis will be placed on how career counseling and vocational guidance are practiced by the school counselor.
EDSC 580 Educational Research: Methods and Analysis - 3 units
The purpose of this course is to examine the field of educational research by exploring research methods, analyze research articles, and apply measurement and statistical techniques to problems of educational research. Students will learn essentials needed to carry out the entire research process and develop and implement an action research plan for a school setting.
EDSC 590 Practicum - 3 units
This course provides opportunities for school counseling students to explore the role of school counselors. The school counseling practicum connects the theory of the coursework to authentic situations in school settings. In addition to the practicum course, students will accumulate one hundred (100) clock hours of practicum experience through course assignments, seminars, diverse environments and work in schools. *Practicum hours must be completed prior to field experience.
EDSC 591 Field Experience / Internship - 3 units
This course is designed to give the school counseling candidate supervised fieldwork experience leading to competencies in the following areas: educational assessment, diversity, personal and social counseling, academic and career counseling, program development and coordination, supervision and consultation, and laws and ethics as they pertain to the school counselor. In addition, students will participate in on-campus group supervision. Students are expected to gain six hundred (600) clock hours of documented field experience with satisfactory evaluations by the university and on-site supervisors.
EDSC 605 Capstone: Action Research - 3 units
This course will help the school counselor candidate research by exploring research models, analyzing research articles, and applying measurement and statistical techniques to problems of educational research or counseling in the schools. Each candidate, working individually or in a cooperative group, will present their action research project that will impact teaching, counseling, and learning to enhance the educational program at the school site. Majority of course work should be completed before enrollment. *Internship students will use their school site for the research project.