Counseling Course Descriptions
COUN 6003: School Organization and Leadership for the Counselor
The course will examine how schools are organized and supported from the federal level to the local school. The concepts of leadership and its role at all levels will be a focal part of this study. Students will begin to examine their leadership style and dispositions.
COUN 6011: Instructional Leadership/Counseling
This course will focus on the "hard and soft" skills of instructional leadership, counseling, and micro-counseling. The teaching and learning process will be the focus of student work. Students will learn how to observe and coach for excellence in teaching and learning. The reflective practice model will serve as a basis for theory and skill development.
COUN 6012: Assessment and Appraisal
This course will focus on an in-depth study of norm reference and criterion reference assessments. Group, standardized assessment and individual assessment will be addressed. Student will study assessment techniques, instruments selection, analysis and interpreting assessment data, as well as appropriate ways to report data.
COUN 6113: Action Research and Data Analysis for High Performing Schools
This course will center on the analysis of data with emphasis on student achievement and whole school accountability. Data-driven decision making will be examined. Students will look at research methodologies with a focus on action research and the role of the leader in facilitating action research in the field.
COUN 6133: Principles of Curriculum Development
This course will focus on national, state, and local curriculum standards. Students will gain an understanding of the alignment issues of curriculum, instruction, and assessment as they prepare a curriculum artifact based on the principles of curriculum.
COUN 6143: Organizational Change/Role of School Counselor
This course will examine theories of change looking at research and case studies of first and second order change. Students will gain strategies as leaders of change as schools work to move closer to higher performance. Students will study a current change taking place in a school.
COUN 6152: Professional Portfolio
Students will develop a portfolio organized to provide evidences demonstrating proficiency supporting the standards for Arkansas licensure requirements for counselors. This professional portfolio will be a comprehensive collection of artifacts reflective of the program of study designed to meet the standards for school counselors.
COUN 6202: Ethics and Legal Issues for the School Counselor
This course will prepare school counselors to address the challenge of legal and ethical decisions, while keeping the students' welfare in mind, by abiding by the Code of Ethics set forth by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Ethical Standards, as well as the American Counseling Association (ACA) Ethical Standards. The students will gain knowledge of and an understanding for Arkansas school law in dealing with legal issues.
COUN 6213: Developmental Counseling: Theory and Application
This course provides an overview of the basic tenets of life span development and how they relate to school counseling. Developmental Counseling contains a balance of research, theoretical clarity, and practical application as students move through the stages of lifesaving development.
COUN 6224: Counseling Skill Development I
Students will examine basic skills and characteristics involved in becoming effective school counselors; will articulate, practice, and demonstrate basic mastery of these skills and characteristics; will develop a systematic approach to the counseling process; and will assess personal strengths and limitations related to becoming professional school counselors.
COUN 6233: School Counseling Programs
This course will review the basic concepts and principles of elementary, middle, and secondary school counseling programs. Specific focus will be on program accountability, development, and leadership of school-based counseling programs.
COUN 6243: Group Counseling Strategies in the Schools
Students will be expected to draw relationships among the concepts and principles of individual, family, and group counseling and apply that knowledge to a school setting.
COUN 6253: Career Development/Academic Advising
This course prepares school counselors to facilitate the public school's role in career development, through awareness to planning, and decision making within the educational context. A focus is placed on student academic development and advising, as well.
COUN 6263: Teaming, Collaboration, and Advocacy
This course emphasizes the values, knowledge, and skills required for effective advocacy and brokering of services through consultation and collaboration. Use of data to identify needs, remove barriers and mobilize resources from the school and the community in order to increase options for students are primary themes through the course. Special attention is placed on equal access of all students to rigorous educational experiences.
COUN 6302: School Counseling Internship
This course provides graduate students an opportunity to engage in supervised, on-the-job experiences in a school setting. The internship includes scheduled on-campus group supervision designed to provide guidance, analysis, and evaluation of this capstone field experience.
$100 internship fee.
COUN 6303: Counseling Skill Development II
Students will examine intermediate skills and characteristics involved in becoming effective school counselors. Students will articulate, practice, and demonstrate mastery of these skills and characteristics; will develop a systematic approach to the counseling process; and will further assess personal strengths and limitations related to becoming professional school counselors.
COUN 6304: Internship
This course provides graduate students an opportunity to engage in supervised, on-the-job experiences in a school setting. The internship includes scheduled on-campus group supervision designed to provide guidance, analysis, and evaluation of this capstone field experience.
$200 internship fee.
COUN 6891, 6892, 6893: Independent Study
Open to graduate students who wish to pursue individual study or investigation of some facet of knowledge which complements the purpose of the University's graduate program. Students will be required to plan their studies and prepare formal written reports of their findings.
Note: The selected topic may not constitute any duplication of study leading to the accomplishment of a thesis. May be repeated for a maximum of four (4) hours.