Application Deadline: December 1, 2024

• Faculty will notify applicants in mid-January if they have been selected to attend Group Interview Day.
• Group Interview Day is held on the first Friday of February.

The Department of Counseling and Human Services faculty select a day and evening cohort of students that begin their academic program each year beginning in June.

Admission to the program is a selective process with limited enrollment. Please note that the admissions process for this program will be undergoing changes for the next admit term of Summer 2025. The program will no longer be offering an early admission cycle; therefore all applicants will be considered for the same admission term: Summer 2025.

1. Carefully read the program information and identify questions you have about the program.
   • Candidates are always welcome to schedule an advising meeting with Department of Counseling and Human Services faculty members anytime in the process. The goal of the meeting is to answer questions you have about the program, clarify the procedures for admission to the program, and determine your level of interest in and preparation for the program. Call (719) 255-4996 or education@uccs.edu to set up appointments/meetings.
      
2. Complete the UCCS Graduate application. Within the application you will need to: 
   • All applicants (international & domestic) pay the $60.00 application fee
   • Upload your “goals statement” to include a self-evaluation that addresses the following:
     • Level of self-awareness
     • Academic potential
     • Personal growth experience
     • Human relations skills
     • Why you decided to become a counselor
     • What you hope to do with your counseling degree
     • Volunteer work
   • Upload your curriculum vitae or professional résumé (please include relevant paid work and volunteer experience where applicable)
   • Complete the tuition classification form
   • List the name, title/organization, and email of one person who will serve as a reference for you. The person you identify will be emailed the Counseling recommendation form/instructions. Please request that your recommender add a written letter to the form. Preferred references include: 
     • Former instructor
     • Current supervisor
     • Professional colleague
     • Do not ask friends or family members to be references
        
3. In addition to the above materials that will be submitted with your online application, please email proof of your background check or proof of your current Colorado teaching licensure to the Student Resource Office at education@uccs.edu. *International applicants only complete the background check if they have lived in the United States for more than one year.
   • Visit the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's website.
   • Click on 'Individual'
   • Pay the $6.00 fee to receive the results
   • Print a copy of the background check and turn it in with your admissions materials.
     (Current CO school or agency employees who completed a background check for employment may provide a copy of their CO license or a copy of the results of the background check for employment).
      
4. Have one official transcript of all higher education course work ever completed to date (undergraduate and/or graduate GPA must be included on transcripts), sent from the institution you attended directly to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Office of Admissions (electronically or by postal services).
   • Postal Services:
     UCCS Office of Admissions
     1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
     Colorado Springs CO 80918-3733
   • Electronically: ugapp@uccs.edu
      
5.  Attend the on-campus group interview day. 
   • The group admissions interview day is held the first Friday in February. This day is designed to determine your interpersonal and professional fit for the counseling profession as well as to allow prospective students to analyze whether the Department of Counseling and Human Services is the best fit for their training and professional goals.
   • We prefer all prospective students to participate in the group process, however, exceptions can be made for students who live outside the local area. Students who qualify for an exception will substitute a virtual interview with faculty from the department.
      

Additional Items of Note for International Applicants:
English Proficiency must be demonstrated through providing evidence of an IELTS score of 6.5 or above, a TOEFL score of 550-(paper-based) or 80-(internet-based).

Applicants with any post-secondary course work from an international higher education institution that is recognized by their country’s Education Ministry must submit a course-by-course foreign degree evaluation by member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services http://www.naces.org/members), AACRAO (http://aacrao.matrixdev.net/) or World Education Services/WES https://www.wes.org/).

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities.

Admission to the Department of Counseling and Human Services is based on a combination of the following factors:

1. Past academic record, including GPA.
2. Written communication skills and ability to identify important personal characteristics as measured by the goals statement and admission interview.
3. Oral communication skills and personal qualities that are important for professional counselors as determined in the admissions interview and other application activities.
4. Experience in counseling and human services and related positions, paid or volunteer.
5. Commitment to your own personal growth in the program and the growth of your future clients/students.
6. Congruence of fit between your career/personal goals and the objectives of the program, as determined by your goals statement and admission interview.
7. Letter of recommendation (evaluated for relevance and strength).
8. Recent successful graduate coursework in counseling as an unclassified student or from another institution. A maximum of 9 hours of relevant and recent (completed within six years of your projected graduation from the Counseling and Human Services program) transfer credit may be considered.

The Department of Counseling and Human Services “Core Experience” is a six-course developmental training sequence beginning in the initial summer semester and lasting for one full academic year (summer, fall, and spring semesters). Students admitted to the program must commit to completing these Core courses in sequence during their first year in the program. Students planning to complete their program in two years must complete a 100-clock-hour practicum as part of their “Core” year. Students planning to complete their program in three years may choose to take a practicum in the spring semester of their second year in the program.

After the completion of the practicum, all students are required to complete a 600-clock-hour internship. The 700-clock-hour practicum and internship experience is necessary to complete the requirements for graduation from the program, and are completed in addition to required academic coursework and on-campus supervision groups. Applicants who anticipate problems in completing the 700-clock-hour clinical experience portion of the counselor training program (practicum and internship) should consider other options for their graduate study.

Time Limits
Students admitted to the Department of Counseling and Human Services Master’s degree program should plan to complete their degree within a three-year time period. Counseling faculty members recommend that students complete the program of study in two years if possible. Students who will need three years to complete the program may elect to postpone their counseling practicum until the second year and postpone internship and other required courses until the third year.

Transfer Credits
According to Graduate School Rules, students may transfer no more than twelve semester hours of recent and approved graduate credit or credit as an unclassified student to their Master’s degree program. Recent credit is defined as approved graduate coursework completed within six years of the date of graduation from the Department of Counseling and Human Services. Requests to transfer courses should be discussed with your academic adviser and then be submitted to the Student Resource Office who will forward the requests to the Chair, Department of Counseling and Human Services, for approval. Preference is given to courses completed at CACREP-accredited institutions.

All requests for transfer credits and credits for courses taken as an unclassified student must be approved by the student’s adviser, the CHS Department Chair, and the Dean of the College of Education as well as the Dean of Graduate School. Students must ensure that their transfer/unclassified credit hours meet the Graduate School requirements and are approved at all levels. Students should seek approval for these courses early in their degree program.

• All students will be required to successfully complete a nationally standardized comprehensive examination, the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), during their final semester in the program.
   
• As part of the comprehensive examination, each student will be required to successfully complete a departmental examination in their area of specialization: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) or School Counseling (SC).
   
• As part of the comprehensive examination, each student will be required to successfully complete an essay examination addressing their personal growth and development over the course of their academic program.
• Each school counseling student must successfully complete the Colorado-mandated PRAXIS Examination to be licensed as a school counselor.
   
• Each counseling student seeking recognition as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Colorado must successfully complete the National Counselor Examination (NCE). This examination will be offered on campus during the student’s final semester in the program.
   
• Students who plan to enter private practice and want to strengthen their credentials with managed care health insurance companies may elect to take the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE). For more information about the various licensing examinations, contact the National Board for Certified Counselors at www.nbcc.org.