Our master’s degree in counseling psychology program implements a wide range of educational techniques, such as practical demonstrations, debates, and case discussions, to train professionals who can provide mental health counseling and improve the quality of life of others.
For a master’s degree in psychology, the mission of this program is to provide excellent training that integrates theory and practice and contributes to the development of counseling psychologists capable of carrying out interventions to improve the quality of life of people seeking assistance. Instruction in counseling psychology requires a curriculum that promotes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to address the complexities of human behavior and provide positive change. Counseling psychologists have a comprehensive approach to people, focusing on their strengths, the development of their life cycle, and vocational work within the cultural context of each individual.
Our MS in counseling psychology program distinguishes itself by offering courses with a reasonable student-teacher ratio in order to encourage active participation and interaction between peers and faculty.
Program Details
Credits
60 credits
Academic Level
Master's degree
Duration
2 ½ years
Request Information
Program Director:
Dra. Sonia L. Cepeda Hernández
787-725-6500, ext. 1517
scepeda@albizu.edu
PO Box 9023711
San Juan, PR 00902-3711
Program Highlights
- Albizu University (AU) promotes cross-program collaboration for masters degrees. Most of the fundamental psychology courses are offered in integrated formats, so our students can share their experiences with faculty members and students of other programs.
- Graduates of this Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program qualify to obtain a psychology license in Puerto Rico. This allows them to secure employment in places such as hospitals and community health services agencies, as well as public and private social services agencies that welcome vulnerable populations.
- Graduates achieving a Master of Science in counseling psychology may also find employment opportunities in institutions for the treatment of patients in acute or partial hospitalizations, treatment centers for people with substance disorders, colleges, universities, and institutions with private practices.
In Focus
- Our program is mainly offered on our Mayaguez campus. However, online and hybrid course modalities are available.
- This master's of science degree follows the Vail model, also known as the practitioner-scholar model, to train our students. This practice-oriented program focuses on professional service and direct practice, as well as the evaluation and continuous improvement of these services. From the beginning of the program, students will learn the theory and integrate it into practice.
- Our master’s degree in psychology program is taught by faculty members and supervisors with a doctoral degree, and almost all of them have a specialty in counseling psychology and are licensed for professional practice. Some of our faculty members’ topics of interest in research, certifications, and specialties are the promotion of well-being, emotional regulation, self-care, body image, social determinants of health, gender, masculinity, obesity, bariatric surgery, couple and family relationships, depersonalization, positive psychology, mindfulness, sexual abuse, trauma, and contextual therapies.
Join our student community!
- A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale of all degrees conferred.
- Albizu University (AU) reserves the right of admission to candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements and will take the following exceptional admission criteria into consideration: a minimum 2.5 GPA, as long as the cumulative general average is at least 3.0 in the specialization or concentration courses. A minimum 3.0 GPA for a master's degree can also be considered. Admitted applicants will have a semester to meet satisfactory academic progress applicable to their academic level, in order to remain as active students in the program for the rest of the course of study.
- Access the following link for more information.
- Present official credit transcripts from all institutions you have attended. Please send them to:
| ALBIZU UNIVERSITY |
| SAN JUAN CAMPUS |
| ADMISSIONS OFFICE |
| PO BOX 9023711 |
| SAN JUAN, PR 00902-3711 |
- Results of the Graduate Studies Admission Examination (EXADEP) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Only the scores from exams taken within the last five years will be accepted.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from a teacher, employer, or community leader (in accordance with AU format).
- Negative criminal record certificate, which can be requested online at https://servicios.pr.gov/cap.
- Original health certificate.
- Proof of hepatitis-B vaccination.
- Certificate of Vaccination of the Department of Health (PVAC-3, green form) with original signature of the issuing physician. Applies only to applicants who are 21 years of age or younger at the time of admission. Act No. 25 of 1983 (on immunization) requires that all students 21 years of age or younger, who wish to enter any educational institution in the country, provide an original copy of their PVAC-3 to show that they comply with the minimum immunization requirements. For more information, visit: http://www.salud.gov.pr/Dept-de-Salud/Pages/Unidades-Operacionales/Secretaria-Auxiliar-de-Salud-Familiar-y-Servicios-Integrados/Division-de-Inmunizacion-Vacunacion.aspx
- International students must present the evaluation of their academic credentials certified by a duly authorized agency.
Note: Albizu University reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.
PREPARATORY COURSES FOR PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Applicants who did not pursue a major in psychology must approve 15 credits (pass 5 courses of 3 credits each) in psychology to qualify for an admissions assessment for the selected program. These courses are as follows: experimental psychology (laboratory course), statistics, abnormal psychology, personality theories, and physiological psychology (laboratory course).
Albizu University grants students a maximum of one (1) year to pass the preparatory courses indicated in the admissions letter. Current institutional policy states that students will not be able to take these courses to improve their grade point average.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The approval of the preparatory courses does not guarantee that the applicants will have an admissions interview or that they will be admitted to a graduate program.
Albizu University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
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