The Youngstown State University Counseling Program prepares students for careers as professional counselors, school counselors, or college student affairs professionals.  The faculty is dedicated to providing a challenging and supportive environment in which students’ rights and responsibilities are respected.

It is our goal to promote a learning climate that is open, accepting, intellectually honest and personally affirming for students. We hope students experiences will promote not only their academic and professional development, but will lead to continued personal growth as well. Academically, we expect students take responsibility for their learning.  We expect a high degree of motivation of our students (beyond minimum requirements of the program), to evaluate learning as it relates to professional goals. This process involves not only a primary concern about practical and technical application of learning, but also on-going critical thinking, and where possible, empirical evaluation of theoretical assumptions and models.

Students are expected to demonstrate ethical behavior as defined by the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association, the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, and other relevant professional organizations in: completing coursework; in relationships with faculty, supervisors and other students; and, in relationships with clients or volunteers with whom you work in your clinical and field experiences.  Furthermore, we expect students to demonstrate a commitment to their own personal and professional growth. In classes emphasizing discussion, group process, or challenge of one's own interpersonal style or clinical skill, it is important that students are willing to give and receive feedback in non-defensive ways.  The faculty encourages students to consider participating in personal growth activities such as individual, group, and/or family counseling.  A personal “growth” experience is considered a critical component of Group Counseling, and Counseling Methods courses. The aforementioned experiences are required of all students and they provide an opportunity to better understand themselves in relation to a career as a helping professional.

Application Deadlines

Applications for Graduate Program Admission must be received in the School of Graduate Studies and Research by the following dates:

Fall semester:  June 15
Spring semester:  October 15
Summer semester:  March 15

Other Admission Policies

Readmission to Counseling Program

Students who have been admitted to the Counseling Program, but have not taken courses for more than two years must reapply to the Counseling Program.  Complete the Readmission Application (http://web.ysu.edu/gradschool/) and submit the required materials to the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Non-Degree Admission to Counseling Program

Occasionally individuals who already have a master's degree in counseling may want to take master’s level coursework that does not lead to another degree.  The following are types of situations for non-degree admission:

• An individual already holds a master’s degree in counseling in one program area and wants to be eligible for licensure in another area (e.g., an individual with a recent master’ degree in School Counseling may want to take coursework in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor; or an individual with a recent Masters Degree in Community/Clinical Mental Health Counseling may want to take coursework in School Counseling to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed School Counselor).
• A professional (Clinical Counselors, Chemical Dependency Counselors, College Counselors, School Counselors, and Student Affairs Professionals) enroll in counseling program courses for licensure requirements or professional development.
• A master’s student enrolled in another counseling program takes a YSU Counseling Program course that is not currently available at their institution.

Complete the Application for Graduate Program Admission (http://web.ysu.edu/gradschool/) and submit the required materials to the School of Graduate Studies and Research. 

Visiting Graduate Student Admission to Counseling Program

An individual may be completing graduate work as a counseling master’s student at another institution outside of the Youngstown area.  Occasionally, that student may desire for convenience or for the experience of YSU faculty to apply to take coursework within the YSU Counseling Program for credit at another university. Students may apply for visiting student status by completing the application available from the School of Graduate Studies and Research.