Clinical Experience

Clinical experience includes supervised practica and internships completed within a student’s program of study. Practicum and internship requirements are considered to be the most critical experience elements in the program.

Practicum
Practical experience in a counseling setting is an essential part of the curriculum. Student practicum experience is obtained on-site in the Counselor Education Clinic. The practicum experiences are gained during the semester(s) the student is enrolled in a specific practicum. Students are required to complete supervised practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 clock hours. It includes a minimum of 40 hours of direct service with clients, a minimum of one hour per week of individual supervision, a minimum of one and one-half hours per week of group supervision with other students, and formal evaluation at the completion of the practicum.

* Go to Application for Practicum

Internship
The internship experience is an in-depth, on-the-job experience geared to a specific interest and career objective of the student. The internship experience is planned to meet certification and licensure requirements. Students must complete a supervised internship of 600 clock hours with a minimum of 240 hours of direct service with clients, a minimum of one hour per week of individual supervision, a minimum of one and one-half hours per week of group supervision, and formal evaluation at the completion of the internship. The internship is carried out at school internship sites where supervision by a certified school counselor is available. It is possible to complete the internship while employed as a teacher, but many students choose to take a semester leave of absence in order to complete the internship on a full time basis. Other students continue to teach one-half time and extend the internship over a full academic year.