Master of Counselling Online

Contents

Overview of Program Application Information Admission Criteria and Requirements Application Procedure Request for Advanced Credit Transferring from Online Program to On-Campus Program Computer Requirements Current and Projected Program Fees Select Your Courses Program Plan for Students Admitted Before January 2008 Program Plan for Students Admitted in January 2008 Program Plan for Students Admitted On or After September 2008

Elective Courses Counselling Psychology Specialization Courses Career Counselling Specialization Courses School Counselling Specialization Courses Practicum Requirements Set Up Your Practicum (For students currently in program) Final Project Completing Your Final Project (For students currently in program) Summer Institute Accommodation Prepare to Graduate Announcements FAQ's Additional Information

Overview of Program

The course-based Master of Counselling program is a 36-credit (12 half courses) program designed to be completed in 3 years. In Stage 1, the focus is on the fundamentals of counselling theory and practice. In Stage 2 the focus is on working directly with clients and specializing in an area of counselling, such as: school counselling, career counselling, or counselling psychology.

Application Information

Application to all programs in the Division of Applied Psychology is done on-line via the Faculty of Graduate Studies web site.

The next application deadline is December 15.

Master of Counselling program prospectus.  This is an overview of the program.

Admission Criteria

Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to the MC program include:

1. A four-year undergraduate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 over the courses taken during the last two years of study.
2. Completion of prerequisite courses in learning theory, developmental psychology and communication skills;  Must be completed prior to application date of December 15th.
3. A completed application form
4. A typewritten resume and concise rationale for why you want to do a graduate degree in counseling at this point in your life (500 words or less)
5. Two letters of reference.

Prerequistes must be complete prior to application deadline December 15th.  Official  marks are to be submitted  upon successfully completing the course to the Graduate Program Advisor for final submission of application for the Selection Review Committee. These include, but are not limited to, to one of each in the following area of study:

Area of Study	University of Calgary	University of Lethbridge	Athabasca University
Learning Theory	APSY 411 - Cognition and Learning in Applied Psychology APSY 415 - Applied Psychology of Motivation PSYC 363 – Motivation PSYC 461- Learning: Theory and Research PSYC 465- Human Learning and Memory	PSYC 3720- Learning ED 3502 - Educational Psychology	PSYC 387- Learning PSYC 355- Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology	APSY 311 - Applied Developmental Psychology: Children APSY 313 - Applied Developmental Psychology: Adolescence APSY 315 - Applied Developmental Psychology: Children PSYC 351- Developmental Psychology PSYC 353- Psychology of Aging PSYC 355- Adolescence	PSYC 3110- Child Development ED 3602 - Atypical Children in Regular Classrooms	PSYC 323- Developmental Psychology PSYC 381- Psychology of Adult Development PSYC 350- Adolescent Development
Interpersonal Communication Skills	APSY 419 - Communication Skills in Guidance and Counselling	PSYC 3000- Interviewing Skills for Counsellor	PSYC 405 or CADE 400- Creating a Working Alliance

Application Procedure

The application deadline is December 15th for programs beginning the following September.

The applicant is responsible for collecting and forwarding all application documents together in one package to the Division of Applied Psychology by the application deadline date.

The application package must include the following:

1. Completed Faculty of Graduate Studies Online Application, located at: www.gradapplication.ucalgary.ca/account/instructions.asp.
2. Application Fee ($100 for Canadian citizens/permanent residents or $130 for international students who will attend on a study permit). Cheques or money orders must be made payable to the University of Calgary.
3. One copy of official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended, regardless of the number of courses taken or the amount of time spent there. To be considered official, these documents must be received in envelopes that have been sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution.
   • Transcripts and degree certificates issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified, word-for-word English translations.
   • For program or course work completed at the University of Calgary, the Graduate Program Administrator will print and certify an Infonet transcript for an applicant upon email request. This will be accepted in place of an official University of Calgary transcript. Infonet transcripts printed by the applicant will not be accepted.

4. Two letters of reference dated within the previous twelve months of the date that the application is submitted.

• Referees must complete the Faculty of Graduate Studies Reference Form, available here. Each Reference Form must be in a sealed envelope with the referee’s signature across the seal. Letters accompanying the Reference Form must bear the referee’s original signature on each page. Facsimiles or photocopies are not considered official.
• An appropriate reference is one written by an independent individual to provide an objective assessment of the applicant's background and capabilities with respect to the program to which admission is sought. A reference from a non-academic source must come from a person who has had direct supervisory experience of the applicant. Letters from friends, family members, colleagues, or general letters addressed "To Whom it May Concern" are not acceptable. An applicant currently registered in a graduate degree program, or who has recently completed a graduate degree program, must submit one of the three letters of reference from their program supervisor.
• In compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), if the applicant and the referee reside in Alberta, the applicant is required to fill out a Reference Letter Request Form. This form is an agreement between the applicant and the referee recognizing that the reference is supplied in confidence. The Reference Letter Request Form is to be kept by the referee.

5. CV/personal resume documenting professional experience included in package.

Download a printable Adobe Acrobat PDF of our Program Prospectus.

Request For Advance Credit

You may request advance credit towards your degree for up to 4 graduate level half-courses, provided these courses are not part of any other credit program and provided they have not been used to bring your GPA to an acceptable level or to meet any other entrance requirements. If you are intending to request advance credit for any graduate level courses, you need to do this at the time of the application process. You will need to submit a letter addressed to the Admissions Committee, Division of Applied Psychology, listing the courses that for which you are requesting advance credit, and providing any supporting documentation needed to make the case that these courses are similar to other courses that would be part of your program if you were admitted.

Transferring from Online Program to On-Campus Program

During the program, students are permitted to apply for transfer credit for up to four half courses (12 credits) from other approved post-secondary institutions. Any advance credit awarded to students upon admission to the program is counted toward the transfer credit maximums. Students in the Masters of Counselling Program must take the following courses within the CAAP program. No advance or transfer credit is permitted and students cannot take the University of Calgary "APSY" equivalent courses:

* CAAP 605: Developing a Working Alliance
* CAAP 611: General Counselling Practicum
* CAAP 619: Specialized Practicum
* CAAP 615: Intervening to Facilitate Client Change

Students in the Masters of Counselling distributed learning program (MC) cannot transfer to the on-campus Masters of Science in Counselling Psychology Program (MSc in Counselling Psychology). If MC students want to change to the MSc Counselling Psychology program they must make a formal application to this program and the admissions process is very competitive.

Computer Requirements

To participate in the program, each student must own or have continuous access to the following minimum computer hardware and software. Students who do not meet these minimum requirements may have difficulty successfully participating in or completing certain components of the program. It is possible to participate in the program using a Mac or Windows platform.

Minimum Hardware Requirements
	Windows	Mac
Processor	Pentium III at 500MHz or higher	Power PC G4 (or higher)
Operating System	Windows XP or VISTA	Mac OS 10.3 or higher
Memory (RAM)	512MB or more (1GB recommended)	512 MB or more (1GB recommended)
Storage	1 GB free disk space	1 GB free disk space
CD-ROM	36 speed or higher	36 speed or higher
Audio/Video	Colour monitor with 600 x 800 screen resolution	Colour monitor with 600 x 800 screen resolution
	Sound Blaster or equivalent sound card and speakers	Sound card included with Mac models
Internet access	Cable / DSL high speed access	Cable / DSL high speed access
Peripherals	Mouse	Mouse
	Web cam, headset with microphone or table microphone and computer speakers may be necessary to participate in live meetings in some courses	Web cam, headset with microphone or table microphone and computer speakers may be necessary to participate in live meetings in some courses
	Printer	Printer
Minimum Software Requirements
Word processing, presentation, etc.	MSOffice 2000 or more recent	MSOffice 2004 or more recent
Browser*	Internet Explorer, Firefox	Firefox, Safari
	* Most recent version is available free of charge to U of C students from http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/software/downloads
Mail*	Thunderbird, Outlook	Thunderbird, Apple Mail
	* Most recent version is available free of charge to U of C students from http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/software/downloads
Anti Virus*	* Most recent version available free of charge to U of C from http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/security/antivirus/downloads
Video	Quick Time Player, available free of charge from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
pdf	Acrobat Reader needs to be installed in your computer to be able to access pdf files, available free of charge from http://www.adobe.com/

Students are responsible for all computer communication charges in the form of long distance telephone charges, subscription to an Internet, or any other communications service requirement.

Students are expected to be able to use computer-mediated communications for: instructor-student and student-student interaction in computer conferences.

For some types of interaction, you must install JAVA in your computer.

For Windows users, visit http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_ie.jsp

For Mac users, use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.

Current and Projected Program Fees

The following fee payment schedule applies to students in the Master of Counselling online program, as well as the Post-Graduate and Post-Masters Certificates in Counselling.

Students continue to pay a program fee (pro-rated each semester) as long as they remain in the program. The course fee is paid only as students register in each course. So if you take only 3 courses a year, you will only pay for those three courses.

All numbers have been rounded to the nearest dollar in this table. To calculate your fees on a given semester, simply multiply the per course by the number of courses you plan to take and add the other fees noted on that line of the table below:

May 1st 2009 to May 1st, 2010	Program Fee	Per Course Fee	Due Date
Installment 1*	$504.00	$1,150.00	September
Installment 2	$504.00	$1,150.00	January
Installment 3	$504.00	$1,150.00	May

*Less $500 deposit for new students who paid this amount before starting the program

Note:
These costs are subject to change without notification. Fee increases come into effect each May. We anticipate that per course tuition and program fees will increase by at least 4.1 % per annum.

Select Your Courses

This section is designed to provide you with the information you will need to make informed choices in planning your courses. A list of all Campus Alberta Applied Psychology (CAAP) courses is provided, along with a review of the standard program plans for students in each of the e-learning counselling programs. CAAP courses are created with the distance student in mind and are offered primarily online, in summer institutes, or as field placements with weekend seminars. CAAP courses are all offered in a paced delivery model (fixed start and end dates) to provide opportunities for shared learning and interaction. Innovative learning technologies are employed to facilitate discussion, collaborative projects, presentations of student work, and so on. Work-based assignments are encouraged, particularly in the three option courses, to facilitate the integration of theory and practice. The mode of delivery of these courses depends on the areas of specialization. All are designed to accommodate distance learning, although some additional institute or weekend seminars may be involved. In order to be successful in the program, you must meet the basic Computer Requirements.

Students are responsible for making sure that their course work complies with the normal program plans. Students also are permitted to take CAAP courses at the University of Lethbridge or Athabasca University, on a space available basis, for full transfer credit to their programs at the University of Calgary. However, if the same course is offered at the U of C at the same time, students are required to take the U of C course and will not be allowed to take it at another university. For students with a large appetite for work and few outside commitments, it is possible to complete the program more quickly, by taking their elective courses early and completing their final project in advance of their practicums. However the workload involved is such a plan is extremely heavy and very few students are able to handle the demands. Students in this program have priority registration in CAAP courses and are encouraged to register in their courses one month before courses begin.

After this date, courses are open for registration for non-program students and we cannot guarantee registration in the courses.

Students are encouraged to consult the appropriate university calendar and timetable for scheduling information and course pre-requisites. To view a brief description of all CAAP courses you should click here.

During the program, students are permitted to apply for transfer credit for up to four half courses (12 credits) from other approvedpost-secondary institutions. Any advance credit awarded to students uponadmission to the program is counted toward the transfer credit maximums.
The following courses must be taken within the CAAP program. No advance or transfer credit is permitted:

• CAAP 605: Developing a Working Alliance
• CAAP 611: General Counselling Practicum
• CAAP 619: Specialized Practicum
• CAAP 615: Intervening to Facilitate Client Change

For a schedule of elective courses, please consult the University of Calgary Time Table.

Course materials are ordered through the University of Calgary bookstore. The bookstore is equipped to deal with distance students and facilitate getting course materials to them.

Program Plan for Students admitted before January, 2008

Students who registered in the CAAP program prior to January, 2008 should click here for your standard program plan.

Program Plan for Students Admitted in January, 2008

Students who registered in the CAAP program in January, 2008 should click here for your standard program plan.

Program Plan for Students admitted on or after September, 2008

Year	Semester	3-Year Program Plan
Year 1	Fall	CAAP 601: Theories of Counselling and Client Change (Online)
	Winter	CAAP 603: Professional Ethics CAAP 607: Equity and Diversity Issues in Counselling (Online)
	Spring/Summer	CAAP 605: Developing a Working Alliance (Online + Summer Institute)
Year II	Fall	CAAP 617: Methods of Inquiry (Online) Specialization Option 1 (Variety of delivery formats)
	Winter	Specialization Option 2 (Variety of delivery formats) Specialization Option 3 (Variety of delivery formats)
	Spring/Summer	CAAP 615: Interventions CAAP 613: Assessment
Year III	Fall	CAAP 611: General Counselling Practicum (Field placement + 2 weekend schools)
	Winter	CAAP 619: Specialized Practicum (Field placement + weekend schools)                          Final Project Exit Procedure portfolio course

Elective courses

Students may take some U of C APSY courses as electives or courses from the University of Lethbridge or Athabasca University, on a space available basis. Students are encouraged to consult the appropriate university calendar and timetable for scheduling and pre-requisite information.

• CAAP 621: Career Counselling Theory and Practice
• CAAP 623: Processes and Resources for Facilitating Career-Life Transitions
• CAAP 625: Systemic Community Change
• CAAP 627: Career Development in Organizational Settings
• CAAP 629: Multicultural Issues in Career Development
• CAAP 631: Learning Processes
• CAAP 633: Human Development
• CAAP 635: Health Psychology
• CAAP 637: Group Process
• CAAP 639: Introductory Data Analysis

Counselling Psychology Specialization Courses

Three of the following options:

• CAAP 631: Learning Processes
• CAAP 633: Human Development
• CAAP 635: Health Psychology
• CAAP 637: Group Process
• CAAP 639: Introductory Data Analysis

Career Counselling Specialization

Three of the following options:

• CAAP 621: Career Counselling Theory and Practice (Required for this Specialization)
• CAAP 623: Processes and Resources for Facilitating Career-Life Transitions
• CAAP 625: Systemic Community Change
• CAAP 627: Career Development in Organizational Settings
• CAAP 637: Group Process
• CAAP 629: Multicultural Issues in Career Development

School Counselling Specialization Courses

Three of the following options:

• CAAP 621: Career Counselling Theory and Practice
• CAAP 625: Systemic Community Change
• CAAP 631: Learning Processes
• CAAP 633: Human Development
• CAAP 637: Group Process
• CAAP 641: Exceptional Children (not yet developed)

Practicum Requirements

Students in the Master of Counselling program are required to complete two practicums: a general counselling practicum and a specialized practicum. Normally students will complete their practicums as the last two courses in their programs and they will use the same setting for both practicums. Under special circumstances some variation in the normal plan is possible, but the guiding principle is that practicum courses provide an opportunity for students to integrate all of the learning that has occurred in their programs, and so the practicums come at their end of their course work.

Students in the Post-Graduate Certificate will not normally complete a practicum. Students in the Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling can under special circumstances arrange for a practicum to be part of their certificate program, provided they have special permission from the Coordinator of Distributed Learning for Counselling. Students are responsible for setting up their own practicum placement, although we will list potential sites and provide guidance in getting your practicum established.

Set Up Your Practicum (For students currently in program)

To view "Set up your practicum" online, click here. 

Final Project

Master of Counselling students are required to complete the portfolio Final Project Exit Procedure as part of their degree requirements. This is an online course (13 weeks) that will be offered annually in the Winter semester for students who have completed all the course requirements or for students who are completing CAAP 619 (the final practicum) concurrently.

The Final Project Exit Procedure is designed to provide an online learning process in an action research project that will focus on the professional counsellor that each student is becoming. Utilizing this action research approach to learning, students will participate in a reflective process to demonstrate their evolving career development and plans for future development. Correspondingly, this course provides a forum for integrating and extending students' theoretical and practical knowledge. There is also an emphasis on demonstrating individualized readiness for assuming a role as novice professional counsellor based upon students' chosen models of practice.

At the conclusion of the course, students will possess a record and samples of their Masters of Counselling work that is integrated by a reflective self-statement demonstrating their personal achievements of the knowledge and competencies acquired during the program. They will also have an up to date Curriculum Vitae that summarizes the portfolio, including their experience and knowledge to date.

Completing Your Final Project (For students currently in program)

To view "Completing Your Final Project" online, click here. 

Summer Institute

A Summer Institute is held in Calgary each summer to provide students with face-to-face training in applied professional practice areas. This is a great opportunity to meet your instructors and fellow students and to spend some focused time developing the skills required to be an effective counsellor.

Summer Institute for First Year Students

The U of C Program in Counselling Summer Institute is usually offered in the first two weeks of July. It will be held in Calgary at the University of Calgary Campus. A map and general information about the City of Calgary are found at: http://www.calgary.ca .

First-Year Students admitted in Fall, 2008 will be taking one course during the summer institute:

• CAAP 605: Developing a Working Alliance

This course will have a five-week online session that usually runs from mid - May to mid - June. You will then have some course assignments and readings to complete prior to the summer institute.

Summer Institute for Second-Year Students

The Summer Institute for Second-Years Students will be helpf for one-week in July. This institute will also be held at University of Calgary Campus. During this summer institute, you will be take the face-to-face components associated with the following two courses:

• CAAP 613: Assessment
• CAAP 615: Intervening to Facilitate Client Change

A registration form for Modules 613 and 615 will be circulated. Students who do not wish to attend a second summer institute will be able to complete the required course modules in an online format. However, the range of options will be more limited.

Summer Institute for Third-Year Students

The CAAP 637 course will involve both on-line study and a one-week equivalent face-toface- instruction offered at summer institute ( summer term) OR weekend seminars ( winter term). Please see the Summer Institute Schedule for more information on course times.

Accommodation

There are a number of 4 bedroom units held for the Summer Institute at University of Calgary. You are responsible for contacting the Conference Housing to make your arrangements. Please be sure to book by the end of April to ensure your space. Find attached the reservation form.

Conference Housing, University of Calgary
104 Cascade Hall
3456 24th Avenue NW
Calgary, AB T2N 4V5

(T) 403 220-3203
Toll Free: 1 -877-498-3203

email: confserv@ucalgary.ca
www.ucalgary.ca/residence/guestaccommodation

Prepare to Graduate

Once you have completed all steps in the final project adjudication, you must be sure to complete the Application to Graduate through your Student Centre page on myUofC. You can complete this step any time after the Notice of Assessment has been submitted.

Once you have logged in to your myUofC page click on the Student Centre link. Under Academics there should be a link “Apply to Graduate”. It may be in the drop-down menu of the Academics section. Please click on the “Apply to Graduate” link and complete the form. Further information on graduation can be found here: http://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/grad.

Announcements

All program announcements and other matters of interest to students in program are posted on the CAAP Final Project Discussion Area in Blackboard. You access the site through My UofC as you do other courses in which you are registered. All students enrolled in CAAP courses are automatically enrolled in the CAAP Final Project Discussion Area in Blackboard. Students are encouraged to consult this site regularly, so they stay up to date on recent program developments.

Further Information

Graduate students in the Graduate Division of Applied Psychology are subject to the rules and regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which take precedence in any case of dispute. For additional information please refer to the Policies and Procedures page on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website or to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar available at www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar.

For further information contact:

Merrit Penny, Graduate Program
Division of Applied Psychology
Faculty of Education,
University of Calgary
Education Tower Third Floor,
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
Phone: 403.210.9634
Email: mconline@ucalgary.ca

The APSY office will not issue confirmation of receipt of application package. You will receive notification in writing from APSY when a decision regarding admissibility is reached.