Overview
The Department of Human Development Counseling offers three concentrations accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP):
These concentrations allow graduates to provide counseling and consulting services at a professional level in a wide variety of environments. Career options for graduates in the clinical mental health and marriage, couple, and family counseling concentrations include counseling in mental health, correctional, social welfare, rehabilitative, and human relations agencies, institutions, and environments. The school counseling concentration is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and prepares candidates for a Professional Educator License with a School Counseling endorsement. Since opportunities for employment within each of these concentrations vary widely, prospective students should consult an HDC faculty advisor before choosing a concentration.
The Master’s Degree
Advising
Academic advising for HDC students is very important, and students should contact their advisors regularly. An advisor will be assigned by the department upon successful completion of the admissions process.
Grading Policy
HDC department majors must earn grades of B- or better in HDC 501, HDC 511, HDC 512, and HDC 513. If a C+ grade or lower is earned in any of these courses, the course must be retaken. HDC majors must also maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. In other courses, a maximum of six hours of C grades is allowed provided that a minimum GPA of 3.0 is reached at time of graduation and an approved Student Petition is on file in the Office of Records and Registration.
NOTE: Students also should refer to the campus policy on Grades Acceptable Toward Master’s Degrees section of this catalog.
Expected Professional Competencies
Before graduating, degree candidates must demonstrate competencies and dispositions related to personal development, such as the ability to communicate effectively with others; professional development, such as the ability to conceptualize client concerns and to provide appropriate intervention through an individual or group relationship; and social development, such as the ability to collaborate effectively within a treatment team context.
In addition to these general competencies, students are expected to develop and demonstrate specific CACREP core-related knowledge and skills necessary for the client populations with which, or for the settings in which, they intend to work. Such specialized knowledge may be obtained through projects designed to meet individual course requirements, as well as demonstration of skill throughout their clinical experience in practicum and internship.
Each department course may contain an applied or experiential component in addition to the didactic component, and some courses specifically emphasize experiential learning. These courses require application of professional skills in simulated and/or real settings. Students should, therefore, expect to demonstrate understanding of ethical behavior in the counseling profession as well as evidence of effective interaction skills with clients. All master’s candidates must be familiar with the HDC policy on clinical experience and should consult their advisors about satisfying its provisions. All degree candidates must demonstrate graduate-level performance in reading, writing, and speaking English.
Degree Requirements
All HDC majors must declare their concentration selection by completing a Change of Curriculum form and submitting it to the Office of Records and Registration.
Financial Resources
The major financial aid programs at UIS include grants, tuition waivers, assistantships, scholarships, loans, part-time employment and veterans’ benefits.
Federal or State Aid
General eligibility criteria for federal or state financial aid programs include: U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status; demonstrated financial need as determined by the federal government through the completion of a needs analysis form; full acceptance in a degree granting program; enrollment for at least six hours in the program; satisfactory progress toward a degree as defined by UIS; no default on a federally insured loan; registration with Selective Service; and aid granted from one institution at a time.
The Office of Financial Assistance at UIS will accept application materials throughout the year, but awards are made according to date of receipt. Applications submitted in February or March receive first consideration for the following academic year.
Specific types of loans, scholarships, and federal work-study programs are outlined in the UIS catalog. Detailed information and financial aid application materials are available at the Office of Financial Assistance.
Scholarships
In addition to Graduate Assistantships and Graduate Public Service Internships, a number of HDC Students pursue other funding opportunities, including scholarships.
General Funds
Human Development Counseling Program Fund
Dan Whitley Memorial Award Fund
M’Lou Burnett-Dixon Fund
Scholarship Funds
Human Development Minority Scholarship Fund
James J. Pancrazio Scholarship for Human Development Counseling Fund
In addition, the Financial Aid Office provides a Scholarship Database Search, where students can identify available scholarships for which they qualify.
Finally, the University Diversity Center provides links to a number of scholarships provided for minority students.