Upon completion of Counselor Education programs at St. Bonaventure University, graduates:

• will understand aspects of professional functioning including history, roles & responsibilities, professional credentialing, advocacy and ethical standards;
• will understand and be able to demonstrate counseling skills including individual & group counseling, approaches to prevention and intervention, and crisis intervention;
• will understand and demonstrate multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, advocacy, and opportunity;
• will understand and demonstrate skills associated with multiple factors that may affect the personal, social and intellectual functioning of individuals and groups.
• will be able to critically evaluate research relevant to the practice of counseling, develop measurable outcomes for their interventions, and analyze and use data to improve the efficacy of their programs;
• will know and be able to demonstrate strategies to promote, develop and enhance effective teamwork within institutions and communities. 

Students are expected to complete an initial Practicum field experience of 100 hours after the first year. They are then required, in the second year, to complete two clinical mental health counseling internships, each involving 300 clock hours.

Site supervisors must have at least three years of experience, and hold the qualifications as dictated by the Office of Professions. The placement process is a collaborative effort between students and the director of Program Administration.

Note that while some fieldwork sites offer evening or weekend opportunities, the majority of fieldwork (practicums) is completed during the weekday.

When you select SBU for your program of study, you are selecting a New York state registered program.  Students who have successfully completed the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program are eligible to apply for their Mental Health Counselor license. Specific requirements for the Mental Health Counselor license are specified on this NYSED website.  

The director of Program Administration assists students with information about licensing, however, specific information needs to be obtained by state government agencies.

The School and Clinical Mental Health Counselor Education programs are offered in a traditional late afternoon/evening format on the Olean Campus. Both programs are also available in an asynchronous online format: School Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

These programs require practical experiences. Please note that while some practicum and internship sites offer evening or weekend opportunities, the majority of fieldwork (practicums) is completed during weekday hours.

Our Counselor Education Program Handbookprovides additional information.

Information on program costs is available on our graduate program Tuition and Fees page, from which additional links are provided regarding information on financial aid, scholarships and assistantships, loans and other aid.*  Financial aid programs for on-campus study include the Dean's Scholarship (20% tuition reduction) and Franciscan Mission Grant (30% tuition reduction, for employees of Catholic organizations).

*Information provided in compliance with the federal government's Gainful Employment Program aimed at providing students with the information they need to make informed educational choices, including program costs and career outlooks.

For more information, visit our Graduate Tuition and Financial Aid page in Graduate Admissions & Aid.

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