Career Counseling Psychology (MEd)

This degree is a Master of Education in the Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Career Counseling Psychology.

This degree is part of the counseling psychology program, housed in the Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology.

Career psychology provides the theoretical basis for this program. It prepares one to practice in a variety of settings, most notably college career or advising centers, other student affairs settings, or business settings where there might be opportunity for defining or developing career roles for students or employees.

The MU Career Center is where students practice what is learned in classes, making this a strong scientific-practitioner model of training. This program was designed to move one toward qualifying a student to meet most but not all of the state of Missouri’s curricular requirements for licensure as a professional counselor.

Degree Requirements

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a field not related to psychology will be required to complete 15 hours of prerequisite courses in the behavioral sciences (including an introductory statistics course) either prior to or concurrently with course work in the program. This prerequisite course work is over and above that required for the master’s degree itself and is not counted on the program of study for the master’s degree.

Career Counseling Psychology Master’s Planner

Accreditation, Certification & Licensing

The program leads to the granting of the master of education degree. Students obtaining this degree will also have most of the necessary courses to apply for a license as a professional counselor (Licensed Professional Counseling, or LPC) in Missouri, but most positions that our students gain following their master’s degree do not require licensure. However, if you are planning to apply your skills in a private practice or community mental health setting, such certification might be important to you. If so, contact the state of Missouri licensing committee at 573-751-0018.

Apply

Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission:

How to Apply

For Fall 2024 applicants, the department has decided to temporarily suspend the requirement of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Apply online by submitting the following documents using the MU Office of Graduate Studies application by Feb. 1 for the next fall cohort:

  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/resume
  • Unofficial academic transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work
    • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 from an accredited institution in psychology, education or a related major
  • Statement of purpose addressing the following:
    Describe (1) your previous experience serving in a helping or counseling role; (2) your interests and experiences working with people from diverse backgrounds (e.g., ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, religious, ability status, sexual orientation). How have these experiences influenced you?; (3) your interests and career objectives; (4) how these interests and career objectives have developed; (5) how these interests match those of specific program faculty; and (6) how being accepted into the Counseling Psychology Program would benefit your career aspirations and implement (or actualize) your beliefs, values, and goals? (1200 word maximum)
  • TOEFL for international students (preferred score of 580 for paper test, 92 iBT, IELTS 7 or higher)
    • Institution code: 6875

Resources

Professional Associations

Students are encouraged to join and become actively involved in the associations of the profession both on the state and national level. Depending on the eventual career path of the student, different organizations will serve them better. A discussion of the most helpful organizations given unique career paths should be initiated with the student’s adviser. Some typical organizations that students within the master’s in career counseling area join are:

  • American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • American College Personnel Association (ACPA)
  • National Career Development Association (NCDA)

Career Center and Library Resources

The Career Center at the University of Missouri is a major resource for master’s students in the career area. The center is one of the largest and most programmatically diverse centers of its kind in the world. The Career Center has a long history (founded in the early 1970s) on the MU campus and is nationally known for its paraprofessional program, its website, and its integration of research and practice. Many master’s students gain assistantships working in various aspects of the center, which provides excellent exposure to the center as well as providing the center with excellent staff.The university library system carries these major career counseling journals including:

  • Journal of Counseling and Development
  • Career Development Quarterly
  • Journal of Vocational Behavior
  • Journal of Career Assessment
  • Journal of Career Development