The University of Wisconsin-Superior, through the Counselor Education Program of the Department of Counselor Education, offers professional training which leads to a Master of Science in Education Degree (M.S.E.) in Counseling. The program is designed for those individuals who seek advanced professional training in various occupations in the fields of Counseling. Three programs provide a path towards licensure in the State of Wisconsin (LPC, MFT, and School).1 There are four tracks within the program, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy and Helping Foundations. Each track is an integration of academic foundations and professional skills training and is directed at developing a qualified and specialized professional.
Notice: Due to on-going and/or pending licensure program approvals by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (https://dpi.wi.gov/) (DPI) and Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/Home.aspx) (DSPS), program requirements are subject to change for students year to year. Students affected by any approved changes which occur in the catalog will be formally notified by the UW-Superior Educator Preparation Program and Counseling Program.
1 UW-Superior education programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to fulfill licensure requirements of the state of Wisconsin. If you seek licensure in a state other than Wisconsin, please see the UW-Superior Institutional Certification Office FAQs-UW Superior web page for further information and assistance.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Counseling Programs begins with application for admission to Graduate Studies online at https://www.uwsuper.edu/academics/graduate-programs/.
For information call 715-394-8295. In addition to the application to the Office of Graduate Studies, the application for admission to the Counseling Program must contain:
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Resume and Letter of Intent addressing:
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Service to community
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Volunteer work
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Commitment to others
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Work and professional goals
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Areas which the application considers to be their strengths or weaknesses.
2. Three letters of reference that speak to the candidate's ability to succeed in graduate school.
3. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work with a cumulative GPA of 2.75/4.0 or higher, for full (non-conditional) admission.
4. An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a GPA of 2.75/4.0 or higher. Students admitted as probationary must complete nine semester credits of introductory Counseling courses at the Graduate level with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher to gain unconditional admittance to the program. There is no conditional admission to the School Counseling Program.
5. Pass a Criminal Background Check.
6. The Counseling program may conduct interviews with students who meet review requirements of above materials.
7. All candidates will be evaluated throughout the program on their professional dispositions, including the counseling ethical codes and Wisconsin and Minnesota State licensure laws, expectations and requirements.
Master of Science in Education - Counseling
Counseling M.S.E. Requirements
The M.S.E. in Counseling is designed for individuals who seek to provide direct human service in a variety of settings within a pluralistic society. Central to the Counseling program is the preparation of professionals in three major counseling functions, which include:
- Prevention of personal and interpersonal problems;
- Fostering of optimal human development; and,
- Remediation of existing social-emotional-developmental concerns.
The Counseling degree is comprised of a minimum of 60 graduate semester credits of prescribed graduate-level courses, specific to the student's area of specialization. Students are required to take a clinical concentration in one of the following: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, School Counseling. Because these courses are aligned with a state licensure program, modifications can occur at any time to maintain alignment with state law and accreditation standards. The counseling program also offers a non-clinical 30 graduate semester credit M.S.E. in Counseling with a focus on Helping Foundations. Up-to-date information will be provided on request.
A professional portfolio is required for graduation. The portfolio is introduced in the COUN 704 Introduction to Counseling or COUN 708 Introduction to Professional School Counseling courses and culminates in the COUN 756 Internship- School (preK-12) and COUN 758 Internship -Clinical/MCF/Helping Foundations. For School Counseling students, passing scores on the "Praxis: Professional School Counselor 5422" are required for graduation and Wisconsin licensure.
The Counseling program is designed to meet State of Wisconsin Licensure requirements. Students considering work in other states are encouraged to get the specifics of that particular state. The Counseling program is aligned with state and national accreditation standards and prepares students for licensure eligibility. For additional information, visit Counseling program.
Full time status at the graduate level, for the online intensive programs only (currently the M.S.E. in Educational Administration, the M.S.E. in Instruction, M.S.E. in Special Education, M.S.E. in School Counseling, M.S.E. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S.E. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and Ed.S. in Educational Administration - Superintendent/District Administrator), is defined as 6+ credits per semester. Correspondingly, 4.5-5.5 credits is ¾ time and 3-4 credits equates to ½ time.
60 (63 for Marriage and Family Therapy track) total credits are required for this major, depending on the specific track chosen.
Counseling core course requirements (36 credits required plus one of the tracks listed below):
Clinical Mental Health Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| COUN 704 | Introduction to Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 734 | Chemical Dependency and the Family | 3.00 |
| COUN 744 | Clinical Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | 3.00 |
| COUN 750 | Practicum/Internship* 1 | 1.50-3.00 |
| COUN 758 | Internship-Clinical/MCF/Helping Foundations | 1.50-6.00 |
| Family Group Systems | |
| Couple and Marital Counseling | |
| Play Therapy | |
| Counseling Children and Adolescents | |
| Behavior Modification | |
| Counseling and Human Sexuality | |
| Total Hours | 18.00-24.00 |
Marriage and Family Therapy Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| COUN 704 | Introduction to Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 714 | Family Group Systems | 3.00 |
| COUN 716 | Couple and Marital Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 734 | Chemical Dependency and the Family | 3.00 |
| COUN 740 | Counseling and Human Sexuality | 3.00 |
| COUN 744 | Clinical Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | 3.00 |
| COUN 750 | Practicum/Internship* 1 | 1.50-3.00 |
| COUN 758 | Internship-Clinical/MCF/Helping Foundations | 1.50-6.00 |
| Total Hours | 21.00-27.00 |
School Counseling Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| COUN 708 | Introduction to Professional School Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 720 | Play Therapy | 3.00 |
| COUN 722 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3.00 |
| COUN 724 | Behavior Modification | 3.00 |
| COUN 726 | Developmental Counseling and Comprehensive Programming | 3.00 |
| COUN 751 | Practicum (School Counseling) | 1.50-6.00 |
| COUN 756 | Internship-School (preK-12) | 1.50-6.00 |
| Total Hours | 18.00-27.00 |
There is no conditional admission to the Department of Counseling program. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate and graduate coursework is measured for program completion for Wisconsin licensure.
Human Relations Track
The Human Relations Track is designed for individuals who seek to work in non-clinical human services setting such as higher education, criminal justice, business, health care, and administration. Most students in Human Relations already are engaged in careers but want to upgrade their skills, explore other interests, or need an additional degree to reach the next level at their place of employment. Students gain an understanding of human behavior, group processes, organizational/developmental dynamics, and effective methods of communication through counseling core courses. Before the end of their second semester, Human Relations students develop a plan of study with their advisor. The plan maps out and explains how the set of courses will prepare the student for her or his intended professional focus. The Internship course is taken during the student's last semester of study. 30 credits are required for the Human Relations degree. This is a non-practitioner degree; it does not prepare the student for certification, licensure, or the title of counselor.
Prescribed courses for the Human Relations track are as follows (30 credits total):
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| COUN 702 | Counseling Theories | 3.00 |
| COUN 704 | Introduction to Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 706 | Pre-practicum | 3.00 |
| COUN 712 | Family Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 738 | Multicultural Counseling | 3.00 |
| COUN 758 | Internship-Clinical/MCF/Helping Foundations 2 | 6.00 |
| Family Group Systems | |
| Couple and Marital Counseling | |
| Crisis Intervention and Family Trauma | |
| Play Therapy | |
| Counseling Children and Adolescents | |
| Behavior Modification | |
| Developmental Counseling and Comprehensive Programming | |
| Career Counseling | |
| Human Growth and Development | |
| Chemical Dependency and the Family | |
| Counseling and Human Sexuality | |
| Psychopathology | |
| Clinical Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | |
| Ethics in Professional Counseling | |
| Group Practicum | |
| Introduction to Assessment | |
| Research and Program Evaluation | |
| Total Hours | 30.00 |
Clinical Mental Health Licensure Add-on for School Counselors
Students who already have or are currently seeking a master's degree in school counseling are eligible to complete coursework to be licensure-eligible for a clinical mental health license. Students may request to add coursework to complete both licensure areas while enrolled or apply to be a non-degree seeking student. Students are required to work with their advisor to review previous coursework and develop a plan of study.
