Course Listing

• MCC 500 Helping Relationships

  This course guides students through the core elements of the helping relationship process. The major focus of this course is on the attending behaviors and interviewing skills utilized in the helping relationship. This course will also orient you to the graduate school process as well as encourage the development of a professional mindset, counselor characteristics, and an attitude of lifelong learning as a human service professional.

• MCC 505 Counseling Practicum

  In the counseling practicum, students demonstrate knowledge of and skills in personal/social, academic, and career development domain assessments and individual and group interventions appropriate to a variety of adult counseling settings. Course includes a minimum of 100 clock hours of practicum. At least 40 hours of the practicum experience involved direct client contact. Prerequisites: Foundation Courses.

• MCC 510 Research Methods

  In this course students will explore research models in the human services. Standard research design issues and procedures will be addressed including experimental, program evaluation, quasi-experimental, qualitative, and case study designs. Skills in reading empirical reports, evaluating the quality of such reports, and integrating research evidence into practice will be emphasized.

• MCC 512 Program Evaluation

  An introduction to the basic concepts and models of program evaluation as applied to the human services. Topics include: planning an evaluation, evaluation designs, selecting criteria and setting standards, basic measurement principles and tools, ethical considerations in conducting a program evaluation, and preparation of a program evaluation proposal. (MSFYS degree only)

• MCC 513 Theories of Psychopathology

  This course will explore evidence-based conceptualizations of both normal and disordered mental states, together with an examination of the etiology, development, manifestation, and potential treatment of mental disorders in infants, children, adolescents, and adults.

• MCC 515 Professional Orientation, Ethics and Legal Issues

  This course provides an opportunity for students to consider theoretical and practical ethical standards for working with individuals in a variety of human service settings. Students will self-assess their values and professionalism and prepare for future professional growth in a variety of counselor roles including supervision, advocacy, and crisis response. Emphasis will be on ethical codes of professional organizations and credentialing bodies relevant to mental health counseling.

• MCC 516 DSM Diagnosis for Children, Adolescents and Adults

  The taxonomy and nosology of psychopathology will be reviewed using the structure of the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); examining the disorders of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Normal, developmental, stress induced, and pathological states will be explored. The emphasis will be placed upon the process of differential diagnosis for the purposes of case formulation, treatment planning, and/or referral along the continuum of care using the multiaxial model. Prerequisite: Foundation Courses.

• MCC 521 Human Growth and Development

  This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all the developmental levels and in multicultural contexts. Individual and family developmental theories and transitions, as well as theories of learning and personality development, including knowledge about neurobiological behavior will be emphasized. Knowledge about human behavior as it relates to developmental crises, trauma causing events, psychopathology, disability, and other factors that influence normal and abnormal behavior will be presented. Theories and etiology of addictions, knowledge about assisting optimal development and wellness, and resilience across the life span will be explored. A framework for understanding and developing interventions for extraordinary capabilities will be introduced.

• MCC 524 Group Process and Facilitation

  This course is an experiential study of group dynamics, processes, and application within a legal and ethical framework. Group stages, tasks and skills of group members and leaders, and the importance of developing an understanding of the therapeutic value of group, are covered. This course involves role-played participation in a group designed to closely resemble a real-life group experience as leaders and group members. Prerequisite: Foundation Courses

• MCC 528 Applied Counseling Theory

  This course focuses on learning to integrate insights and principles from counseling theories to clinical applications commonly encountered in human services roles. Content includes major traditional counseling theories, including psychoanalytic, cognitive/behavioral, humanistic/ existential, and family systems. Contemporary approaches include Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. Students learn to evaluate selected research that supports and enhances the validity and application of each theory, and they gain insights into how to apply each theory in a manner appropriate to the complexity of problems presented by clients. Multi- and cross-cultural implications and adaptations are addressed, as well as ethical and risk assessment methods.

• MCC 531 Assessment

  Introduces the development of standardized and non-standardized assessment, including behavioral observation, clinical interviewing, and a variety of referenced instrumentation. Students will learn the basics of statistics applied to testing and measurement theory and applications. Special attention will be given to issues of validity and reliability, paying special attention to concerns regarding ethics and applications to multicultural populations. Learning will focus on the use and interpretation of common assessment methods. Prerequisite: Foundation Courses.

• MCC 536 Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Alcohol/Drug Use

  This course addresses the physiological, psychological, and sociological impact of alcohol/drug use, abuse and dependence including signs, symptoms, and behavior patterns. The basic classifications and pharmalogical action of drugs on human body systems will be covered as well as the etiological, behavioral, cultural, and demographic aspects and belief systems associated with alcohol/drug use. Prerequisite: Foundation, Framework, and Professional Practice Courses.

• MCC 538 Social and Cultural Diversity

  This course addresses cultural, social, religious, and economic factors applicable to cultural, ethnic, and minority populations; both from the perspective of the culturally diverse client, and the counselor. Experiential methods of learning will be emphasized, including the development of self-awareness in the counselor. Traditional counseling theories, as well as more recent approaches to counseling diverse groups, will be analyzed for ethical and practical implications. The counselor’s role in addressing advocacy and justice will be explored. Prerequisite for MSCC: Foundation Courses. Prerequisite for MSCC & MSFYS: Foundation Courses

• MCC 546 Family Therapy

  The goal of this course is to help students comprehend the theoretical concepts and intervention techniques in the field of family therapy. Patterns of developmental and societal changes that impact families will also be studied, including addictions and trauma-causing events. Theories and models of couple and family resilience, as well as optimal development and wellness over the family life span will be introduced. Knowledge of a systems perspective which will provide an understanding of family and other systems theories and models of family and related interventions will be emphasized. Prerequisite: Foundation Courses.

• MCC 549 Applied Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology

  This overview and introduction to the role and function of the Central Nervous System in psychopathology, and its pharmaceutical treatment, will prepare the mental health professional to both have a basic understanding of psychopharmacology, and to work with prescribing physicians to maximize the effectiveness of medication, and to quickly detect adverse effects. Prerequisite: Foundation, Framework, and Professional Practice Courses.

• MCC 560 Internship Fieldwork

  This internship course is designed for the Master of Arts in Human Services 36-credit hour program (or for students from previous catalogs in the 36-credit MS programs). Students apply their knowledge in a supervised human services context. The supervisor for the 300 clock hours required need not be licensed or certified; however, the supervisor must have appropriate professional skills and be approved by the University. The setting need not involve a comprehensive service program or a clinical practice setting.

• MCC 585 Career Development

  This course introduces students to the theories of career development as well as the assessment tools and counselor practices associated with helping clients achieve congruence in their career development pattern. Students will explore interrelationships between factors such as age, gender, family, life roles, and multicultural issues as they relate to career and educational planning. Prerequisite: Foundation and Framework Courses.

• MCC 612 Counseling Practices and Psychotherapy

  Integration of the knowledge and skills needed for effective counseling including interviewing, clinical data gathering, diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and clinical recording will be covered in this course. Self-awareness and self-assessment will be emphasized as a basis for professional growth and ethical practice. Knowledge and skills are directly applied to evidence-based counseling methods in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of adult mental health disorders. Prerequisite: Foundation and Framework Courses

• MCC 615 Clinical Internship

  The internship is an arranged, supervised opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed clinical mental health counselor would be expected to perform. The internship requires a minimum of 300 clock hours on site each semester with a minimum of 180 clock hours in direct service work. Direct service work includes: (a) individual counseling, (b) group counseling, (c) family counseling, (d) psycho-educational groups, and (e) consultation. Prerequisites: Foundation and Framework Courses with a grade of B or higher; students must provide proof of professional liability insurance.

• MCC 620 Advanced Clinical Internship

  The internship is an arranged, supervised opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed clinical mental health counselor would be expected to perform. The internship requires a minimum of 300 clock hours on site each semester with a minimum of 180 clock hours in direct service work. Direct service work includes: (a) individual counseling, (b) group counseling, (c) family counseling, (d) psycho-educational groups, and (e) consultation. Prerequisites: MCC 615 with a grade of B or higher; students must provide proof of professional liability insurance; and permission of instructor required.

• MCC 625 Advanced Clinical Mental Health Internship

  The internship is an arranged, supervised opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed clinical mental health counselor would be expected to perform. The internship requires a minimum of 300 clock hours on site each semester with a minimum of 180 clock hours in direct service work. Direct service work includes: (a) individual counseling, (b) group counseling, (c) family counseling, (d) psycho-educational groups, and (e) consultation. Prerequisites: MCC 620 with a grade of B or higher; students must provide proof of professional liability insurance; and permission of instructor required.

• MCC 628 Sustainable Funding

  Ensuring sustainable funding is necessary for successful non-profit/human service (NP/HS) organizations will be the focus of this course. This course presents a number of ways to ensure funding from public and private sources. Areas of emphasis include researching public policy, industry trends; grant writing incorporating legal and ethical considerations.

• MCC 630 Treatment of Child and Adolescent Disorders

  Treatment methods for children and adolescents, both historical and those that are well established and/or based upon evidentiary support are reviewed. The applications of specific techniques are examined with respect to specific diagnoses, and practice in their application is provided. Included are cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior modification, token economy programs, habit reversal and control, parent training programs, and play therapy. The pros and cons of “manualized treatment” for children and adolescents will be examined, as will be concerns regarding ethics and multicultural issues with respect to children and adolescents. Prerequisite: Foundation, Framework and Professional Practice Courses.

• MCC 635 Non-Profit Administration

  This course introduces non-profit administrative theories, principles, and required knowledge and skills. The course includes research and analysis of financial, human resources and project management constructs in non-profit/human services (NP/HS) administration. Compliance with federal, state and local regulations is incorporated.