The University of Southern Maine (USM) Counselor Education program is committed to upholding academic excellence through our curriculum and our faculty, as well as through community engagement and professional development.
Our Master’s in Counseling program is fully accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).
As part of our accreditation and our commitment to excellence, we analyze program outcomes to ensure our program is fulfilling the standards, goals, and expectations of the University, the state, and our accrediting agency.
We are pleased to share a variety of program information:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling: The Community Counseling program was initially accredited by CACREP in April 1995 and has maintained its accreditation. It became a Mental Health Counseling program in March 2002 and finally a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in July 2010.
- Rehabilitation Counseling: The program was previously accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) since 1987 and became CACREP-accredited due to the merger on July 1, 2017.
- School Counseling: This program has been accredited through CACREP since 1987.
Our master’s program offers three concentrations, each of which qualify graduates to sit for the National Counselor Examination For Licensure and Certification (NCE) as well as other applicable exams in order to obtain professional credentials.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling:
- Graduates of this program meet the educational requirements for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).
- With additional coursework through the Substance Abuse specialty, graduates can also meet the requirements for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) and/or Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).
- Rehabilitation Counseling:
- Graduates of this program are qualified to sit for the certification examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) through The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
- Graduates of Clinical Track meet the educational requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and/or a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Maine.
- Students pursuing the Vocational Track may take an additional 6 credits and complete an additional 300 internship hours to qualify as an LPC and/or LCPC.
- School Counseling:
- Graduates of this program are qualified for Professional School Counselor Certification through the Maine Department of Education.
- Graduates of this program meet the educational requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Maine, levels K-12.
- With additional coursework and a clinical internship, graduates can also qualify to be a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).
Our master’s program provides graduates with the counseling knowledge and skills used in clinical mental health, clinical and vocational rehabilitation, and school settings. We prepare our students to be able to competently:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the core curriculum.
- Demonstrate an integration and application of their knowledge and skills in the specialty areas in counseling (Clinical Mental Health, Rehabilitation, and School).
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills in addressing issues of diversity.
- Apply individual and group counseling skills and techniques.
- Reflect on their personal and professional strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and challenges to identify professional development needs.
- Analyze and apply relevant technologies for the growth and practice of counseling and rehabilitation.
- Apply ethical decision-making in counseling situations.
- Articulate how their professional identity is grounded in their personal identification with the standards and ethical practices of the counseling profession.
We are committed to ensuring that our students receive a superior quality of education and that they graduate ready to serve the community. We evaluate our curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and overall program effectiveness through institutional measures as well as through student and alumni surveys.
The results of our assessments and surveys are indicative of our graduates’ success in our program and in their careers.
- Number of admitted students by academic concentration:
- 2019-2020:
- Clinical Mental Health: 32 students admitted.
- Rehabilitation: 9 students admitted.
- School: 12 students admitted.
- 2020-2021:
- Clinical Mental Health: 31 students admitted.
- Rehabilitation: 6 students admitted.
- School: 14 students admitted.
- 2019-2020:
- Current enrollment of matriculated students by academic concentration:
- Clinical Mental Health: 103 students enrolled.
- Rehabilitation: 37 students enrolled.
- School: 42 students enrolled.
- Retention rate: 95%
- Average GPA of enrolled students: 3.85
- Pass rate on Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE): 99% pass rate.
- Pass rate on National Counselor Examination For Licensure and Certification (NCE): 99% pass rate.
- Employment rate: Among our graduates, at least 98% are employed immediately upon graduation. Other graduates choose to continue their education.
Number of graduates and completion rate
| Academic Year | Clinical Mental Health | Rehabilitation | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 18 graduates. 99% completion rate. | 5 graduates. 98% completion rate. | 4 graduates. 99% completion rate. |
| 2020-2021 | 11 graduates. 99% completion rate. | 6 graduates. 98% completion rate. | 6 graduates. 99% completion rate. |
Number of licenses and certifications
| Academic Year | Clinical Mental Health | Rehabilitation | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | Of 18 graduates: 18 were certified as LCPC. | Of 5 graduates: 3 were certified as CRC. | Of 4 graduates: 2 were certified as LCPC; 4 were certified as Professional School Counselors. |
| 2020-2021 | Of 11 graduates: 11 were certified as LCPC. | Of 6 graduates: 5 were certified as CRC; 4 were certified as LCPC; 4 were certified as NCC. | Of 6 graduates: 1 was certified as LCPC; 5 were certified as Professional School Counselors. |
Job placement: by percentage of graduates who sought employment
| Academic Year | Clinical Mental Health | Rehabilitation | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 2020-2021 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Our faculty conducts outreach for the Counselor Education program in a number of ways:
- Providing program information through print material and through the Counselor Education website.
- Our recruitment materials, both print, and web-based include admission requirements, application instructions, and the deadlines for application submission.
- Information Sessions for prospective students.
- Open Houses, coordinated through the Office of Admissions and Office of Graduate Studies.
- Attending regional recruitment events and professional conferences.
The Counselor Education Program Recruitment Policy is available on page 8 of the Student Handbook.
The University of Southern Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities.
Applications for admission to Counselor Education from members of groups which are traditionally underrepresented in the counseling profession are encouraged and welcomed.