Athletic Counseling Concentration

Recent trends in the world of sport have highlighted the need for individuals who are sensitive to unique academic, social, and athletic challenges that athletes face at all levels. The Athletic Counseling program is designed to meet this need by offering students an interdisciplinary preparation in counseling, psychology, and the sport sciences that will enable them to offer specialized support services to athletes in a variety of settings.

Building on a foundation of general counseling competencies, students in the program are offered intensive study and research opportunities in the area of life span developmental factors that affect athletes. Classroom, laboratory, and fieldwork placements provide students with opportunities to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in providing support services to this unique population.

The basic program, leading to either a M.S. or a M.Ed. degree, is forty-eight credits. Students seeking further specialization in career development, life skills enhancement, sport psychology or counseling/ clinical areas may elect to take additional coursework. Students planning full time study must begin their program in September.

The supervised fieldwork/internship component of the program provides students with opportunities to work with athletes in a variety of settings. Sites range from competetive youth sports to Division I university programs, and give the students significant experience in preparation for professional careers. Participation in the Research Team is an option for the students to gain a better understanding of the research process. Students and faculty meet weekly to discuss recent student and faculty research.

Contact Person:
Dr. Judy VanRaalte
Telephone: (413) 748-3388
E-Mail: Jvanraal@springfieldcollege.edu

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration

Springfield College offers a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program which prepares the student to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). The program consists of a combination of the classes and internship required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to obtain the LMHC designation. Offering a Master’s Degrees (M.S. or M.Ed.), the program is designed for students at the beginning of their graduate career, professionals wishing to expand their current clinical and theoretical knowledge base, and professionals who need additional course work or internship to meet state licensing requirements. The program can also be designed to include course work required by other states for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program offers courses which provide the student with an opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of counseling theory, practice, and training in the skills necessary for providing counseling services in a variety of mental health settings including community mental health agencies, hospitals, crisis centers, forensic settings, and private practice.

The counseling practicum and internship component of the program provide the student with a solid base of practical skills and experience in a supervised setting with additional faculty supervision. Special consideration is given to the student’s area of interest in designing the fieldwork and internship experience. The faculty in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program offer support and assistance in finding internship sites that meet program standards and enhance the skills of the students.

Contact Person:

Ann Moriarty, Ph.D.
Telephone: (413) 748- 3322
E-Mail: amoriart@springfieldcollege.edu

Industrial/Organizational Psychology Concentration

The Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at Springfield College blends course work from the fields of human resource management, organizational psychology, and counseling psychology in applying the science of psychology to the solution of a wide array of human and organizational problems ranging from employee selection to team building and organizational development. The I/O Psychology program allows for flexibility in designing a course of study and fieldwork options for individual students.

Objectives:

The I/O Psychology program provides students with a variety of learning opportunities. Graduates of the program can expect to learn how to:

• Design, conduct, and evaluate organizational research projects.
• Conduct and translate psychological information into non-technical terms.
• Design and evaluate training programs.
• Assess the impact of motivation, job stress, leadership and other constructs of work behavior.
• Build effective work groups through job analysis, group development and worker participation.
• Analyze and design organizational change strategies.
• Effectively develop employee selection and job placement criteria.
• Effectively manage employee and organizational conflict.

Career Opportunities: Upon completion of graduate training in I/O Psychology, students will be prepared for careers in a wide variety of occupations. Graduates of the program have acquired positions within the areas of human resources management, training & development, consumer research, recruitment, organizational development, and management consulting, within business, non-profit and public settings.

The plan of study requires a minimum of 38 semester hours. Students are encouraged to work closely with the I/O Psychology Program Director while developing their overall plan of study. The I/O program at Springfield College follows a competency-based approach. The focus is on the outcomes of training, and on the knowledge, skills, behavior, and capabilities necessary to function as a master’s level I-O practitioner. The competency-based approach is advantageous for several reasons. It maintains a focus on what is to be taught and learned, provides desirable flexibility, and recognizes the multiple paths to developing most important skills. The student’s plan of study is intended to meet their personal and professional goals and culminate in a Masters of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.  

B. Undergraduate Prerequisites:

           There are no prerequisites for the program

Contact Person:
Michael Surrette, Ph.D.
Telephone: (413) 748-3091
E-Mail: msurrett@springfieldcollege.edu

Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration

Marriage and family therapy has been a rapidly growing field since its beginnings some fifty years ago. Therapists, counselors, educators, clergy and health care workers, among others, are becoming increasingly aware of the complexities of human interactions and are seeking new ways of conceptualizing and working with individuals, couples and families.

Offering a Master’s degree, the program is designed for students beginning their graduate careers; for individuals interested in expanding or enhancing their clinical and theoretical knowledge; or for individuals who need to take courses necessary to meet licensing/certification requirements. The program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis and courses are offered in the late afternoon or evening for those who work during the day.

The program offers courses which provide students an opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of family systems theory, exposure to the various schools of marriage and family therapy, and training in the skills necessary for provision of marriage and family therapy in a variety of settings. Fieldwork designed to help students integrate theory and practice is also an important part of the curriculum. Students will be able to apply the theoretical knowledge and clinical skills gained during the course of study to a wide range of personal, educational and clinical settings.

Contact Person:
Dr. Patricia Gorman 
Telephone: (413)748-3316
E-Mail: pgorman@springfieldcollege.edu

Undergraduate Prerequisites: None.

School Counseling Concentration

The School Counseling Program prepares students to meet Massachusetts State Licensure requirements for School Guidance Counselors and School Adjustment Counselors. Most students work toward a Master’s Degree (M.Ed.). Through their courses and fieldwork, students will come to: Understand the field of school counseling and the multifaceted roles of school counselors, develop skills to counsel and assess youth, learn to consult successfully with students, parents, school personnel, and members of the wider community, and learn to serve the needs of diverse students. The program is designed for students at the threshold of their graduate careers, as well as for seasoned professionals.

The School Counseling practicum experiences provide students with intensive supervised opportunities to integrate theory and practice, solidify their practical skills, and deepen their knowledge of youth and schools. Before beginning their practicum fieldwork, students are required to pass the Communications and Literacy portions of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).

The Master’s Degree for the School Guidance Counseling Licensure program is typically earned by completing 48 credits.  An additional 9-12 credits are required to complete the School Adjustment Counseling Licensure program.  Only students who have successfully completed the School Guidance Counseling program will be eligible to complete the School Adjustment Counseling program.  A minimum of 32 credits beyond the master’s degree is required for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.).  The course requirements for the Masters Degree (M.Ed.) are listed below.

The following program of study is subject to change.

Both the School Guidance Counseling and School Adjustment Counseling licensure programs are State of Massachusetts and NASDTEC approved and lead to the School Guidance Counselor license (Levels: PK-8, 5-12) and the School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor (Levels: All) licenses.

Contact Person:
Dr. Allison Cumming-McCann 
Telephone: (413) 748- 3025
E-Mail: acumming@springfieldcollege.edu

Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education Concentration

The Springfield College graduate preparation program in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education is an established program that provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in graduate study in a friendly small college environment. With fieldwork and internship experiences offered at both large and small local institutions, and with a number of degree options, the program offers a great deal of choice to future professionals based upon their own career needs.   The total number of credits for either an M.Ed or and M.S. degree in this progam is 48 credit hours.After completing core requirements, students develop individualized programs that reflect their personal and career goals. Course work, fieldwork, and assistantships provide students with a broad background of knowledge and skills in student development and student affairs in preparation for working with diverse college populations. Fieldwork is considered to be an essential component of the learning experience.

The student personnel administration program offers a broad curriculum of professional development in preparation for the following positions: orientation coordinators, academic support and advisement professionals, financial aid officers, admissions personnel, career development specialists and counselors, students activities coordinators, student center directors, residence life staff, deans of students and other student affairs positions. The program is designed to meet CAS guidelines for graduate programs and emphasizes counseling and student development in its curriculum. Students may elect to complete a portfolio, a thesis, or a research project. A strong network of Springfield College alumni/ae provides support to graduates of the program.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: None.

The candidate will be eligible for either a Master of Education or a Master of Science depending upon the selection made in consultation with the advisor.

Contact Person:
Dr. Delight Champagne
Telephone: (413) 748-3329
E-Mail: dchampag@springfieldcollege.edu

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study