Master of Education (Counselling Psychology)

Important Notice
The Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) program has recently been revised to accommodate new curriculum and additional experiential components. The program is now longer and more comprehensive. To reflect these changes, a special program fee will be applied. We are currently accepting applications until March 1, 2023 for a Fall 2023 start.

Program Information

The Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) program is designed to prepare highly knowledgeable, skilled, dedicated, and ethical professional practitioners, who will endeavour to enhance human potential throughout the lifespan and who can effectively practice within a variety of educational and community settings. Completion of this program will enable graduates to meet the requirements of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotheraphy Association (CCPA) to be eligable to become Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC). Completion of this revised program will also enable graduates to become Registered Counselling Therapists, under the new regulations established by the incoming provincial college set forth by the Federation of Associations of Counselling Therapists in Newfoundland and Labrador (FACT-NL) under the Health Professions Act.

*Please note that these program requirements are pending Memorial University Board of Regents approval.

Program Requirements

Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) students shall be required to complete a minimum of:

  1. 62 credit hours (which includes an internship), plus a thesis; or
  2. 50 credit hours (which includes an internship) on the comprehensive-course route

Please note the following course requirements:

1. All students in the Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) program must complete:

  • ED6100 Research Designs and Methods in Education (3 credit hours) (prerequisite: ED2900)
  • ED6700 Ethical and Legal Issues in Counselling (3 credit hours)
  • ED6702 Counselling Individuals Across the Lifespan Theory (3 credit hours) (prerequisite ED3210)
  • ED6706 Career Education and Career Counselling (3 credit hours) (prerequisite ED3211)
  • One of the following:
    (a) ED6722 Assessment of Learning and Achievement for Counsellors (3 credit hours) and ED6724 Assessment of Learning and Achievement for Counsellors Lab (1.5 credit hours)
    OR
    (b) ED6725 Practice of Assessment for Counsellors Theory (3 credit hours) and ED6726 Practice of Assessment for Counsellors Lab (1.5 credit hours)
  • ED6708 Group Counselling Theory (3 credit hours) (prerequisite ED6702)
  • ED6720 Internship in Counselling Psychology (prerequisite ED6732 and completion of all course requirements (7.5 credit hours)
  • ED6721 Counselling Individuals Across the Lifespan Lab (1.5 credit hours) (ED6702 must be taken prior to or concurrently with ED6721)
  • ED6723 Group Counselling Lab (1.5 credit hours) (ED6708 must be taken prior to or concurrently with ED6723)
  • ED6727 Diverse and Intersecting Identities (3 credit hours)
  • ED6729 Counselling in Context (3 credit hours)
  • ED6730 Biological Basis of Behaviour and Trauma Informed Practice (3 credit hours)
  • ED6731 Contemplative and Ecological Perspectives in Counselling (3 credit hours)
  • ED6732 Pre-Internship in Counselling Psychology (1.5 credit hours)
  • ED6733 Advanced Individual Counselling Lab (1.5 credit hours) (prerequisite ED6708; ED6938 must be taken prior to or concurrently with ED6733)
  • ED6938 Advanced Individual Counselling Theory (2 credit hours) (prerequisite ED6708)

2. Students on the thesis route must complete the core courses listed above, plus three credit hours of electives, and a 12 credit-hour thesis for a total of 62 credit hours.

3. Students on the comprehensive-couse route must complete the core courses listed above plus three credit hours of electives for a total of 50 credit hours. Note: It is strongly encouraged that students planning to seek employment in the Newfoundland K-12 school system complete ED6709 as their elective option.

4. All students in the Counselling Psychology program must complete ED6732 (1.5 credit hours) and ED6720 (7.5 credit hours). The pre-internship (ED6732) consists of a 50-hour orientation placement where the student connects with a site supervisor during the first year of their program. The Internship (ED6720) may be fulfilled full-time or part-time and is comprised of 550 on-site hours with 240 hours of direct service with clients. The Internship (ED6720) is unpaid and cannot be completed as part of a student’s regular employment.

5. Electives are listed below:

  • ED6394 Biographical Explorations of Teaching and Learning
  • ED6705 Nature and Development of School Counselling Services
  • ED6709 Assessment of Intelligence and Learning Skills (3 credit hours) (prerequisite ED6722 and ED6724. Students will not enroll in this course until the latter part of their program). Students intending to pursue a career in the K-12 school system in Newfoundland and Labrador are urged to take this course and the prerequisites.
  • ED6710 Issues in Development and Implementation of Special Education Policy and Practices
  • ED6712 The Nature and Assessment of Behaviour Disorders in Children and Adolescents
  • ED6713 Educational Applications of Contemporary Cognitive Psychology
  • ED6714 Principles and Practices in Exceptionality
  • ED6716 Working with Families and Parents
  • ED6717 Counselling Adolescents
  • ED6718 Elementary School Counselling
  • ED6719 Cultural Issues in Counselling
  • ED6790 Research and Development Seminar in Counselling Psychology
  • ED6802 Adult Learning and Development

Notes:

  1. Student membership in the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) or other appropriate professional organizations is strongly recommended for all students in the program. The CCPA supports a student representative with program interest.
  2. The Counselling Psychology program at Memorial has made every attempt to provide a curriculum that will allow graduates to obtain the Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) certification upon graduation. Students planning to seek CCC certification should consult with their university supervisor and ensure their internship meets CCC requirements. Students should also know that the ultimate decision to grant CCC certification rests with the CCPA and that students should consult with the CCPA throughout their program to ensure their eligibility.
  3. Students who plan to work in the school system should be aware of the Department of Education regulations to be eligible to work as a school counsellor.

Application Deadline

The renewed Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) program will commence in the Fall 2023 semester and the deadline for application is March 1, 2023.

Admission/Application Information

Please visit the School of Graduate Studies Regulations to learn more about the Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) admission / application process. 

*Please note that for the Fall 2023 intake, students will be considered for admission under both the former and new admission requirements, as outlined below.

*Please note that these new requirements are pending Memorial University Board of Regents approval.

In addition to meeting the requirements in the School of Graduate Studies General Regulations:

  1. Students must have completed the following undergraduate prerequisite courses:
    1. ED3210 Introduction to Counselling (or equivalent);
    2. ED2900 Statistics (or equivalent);
    3. ED3211 Career Education (or equivalent);
    4. ED4240 Exceptionality (or equivalent); OR Abnormal Psychology 3640 or 3650 (or equivalent)
    5. Psychology 1000 Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent)
    6. Psychology 1001 Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent)

      Note: The Counselling Psychology program requires that all program prerequisites need to be completed or in progress at the time the application is submitted. Students recommended for admission whose prerequisites are in progress will be granted a conditional acceptance pending successful completion of the prerequisites. A deferral will not be granted for incomplete prerequisites.

  2. Students must have completed at least one year full-time (or the equivalent) school, health, community-based or related work/volunteer experience. Students are required to submit an official letter from past and/or present employers to verify work experience. This letter should indicate the total number of full-time days (or equivalent hours) to confirm that all relevant employment and/or experience has been completed. This information should be forwarded to the School of Graduate Studies by the deadline date.

  3. Students must submit a resume and a statement or letter that contains a well-articulated, thoughtful concise rationale for the application (600 words).

  4. Admission is selective and managed by a program admission’s committee. As part of the admission process an interview may be required.

  5. A Graduate Record Examination may be required.

  6. A criminal record check or other screening procedures are not required as a condition of admission to the Counselling Psychology program. Applicants should, however, be aware that such record checks or other screening procedures are required by schools, school districts, community agencies, health institutions, and other agencies that host counselling psychology interns. Such agencies will not accept a student without a clear criminal record and vulnerable sector check or other screening tools, which would prevent the student from completing a required component of the program. As a result, such a student may not be eligible for promotion or graduation. The Faculty of Education’s Counselling Psychology program requires a student to provide evidence of a clear criminal record and vulnerable sector check before participating in the pre-internship and internship experiences. The cost of the criminal record and vulnerable sector check is at the student's own expense. The screening procedures of any given agency may change from time to time and are beyond the control of the University.

    Please refer to the following for more information:
  • Deferral Requests. Students accepted to the Counselling Psychology program (because of the cap on enrollment), under extenuating circumstances only, may also be granted one deferral.
  • Educational Leave. If you are considering applying for educational leave in order to pursue a Master of Education program, you should first apply to the program. If you are not granted educational leave, but are accepted to the program, you can commence your studies on a part-time basis.

Program Cost

Please refer to Graduate Tuition and Fees for general information. More detailed information on tuition, special fee, and other program associated costs will be available in the coming weeks on the School of Graduate Studies Minimum Expense form.

Interested?

Students are required to apply online to have information formally assessed. Applications and official supporting documents are to be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the application deadline. Complete detailed application packages are expected by the deadline date. Applications may be submitted online by following the process outlined at School of Graduate Studies-Application Package.