Rossey Building, Room 536
(201) 200-3400

Dr. Susan Phifer, Chairperson
Dr. Jane Webber, Counseling Program Coordinator

Faculty

Department Announcements

• M.A. in Urban Education with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision
• 12-credit sequence leading to a supervisor’s certificate
• Post-master’s 30-credit accelerated program (NJ LEAD)
• M.A. in Counseling
• M.A. in Counseling with School Counselor Certification

Educational Leadership

The Educational Leadership program is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) and the Educational Leadership Consortium Council (ELCC), offers a Master of Arts in Urban Education with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision. Candidates have three options in educational leadership: one option is to take a 12-credit sequence leading to a super-visor’s certificate, the second option is to complete the 36-credit Master of Arts in Urban Education degree program with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision, and the third option is a post-master's 30-credit accelerated program called NJ LEAD.  Both the 36-credit program and the LEAD program are designed to prepare candidates for two areas of certification: principal and supervisor.

The mission of the New Jersey City University Educational Leadership graduate program is to improve teaching, learning, and human development in a diverse, rapidly changing, and increasingly technological society. The program  is designed to educate tomorrow’s educational leaders for urban settings with the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions to lead changing schools, to be able to work with diverse groups, and to integrate ideas to solve a continuous flow of problems in the educational P-12 setting.

Applicants and continuing students should be aware that programs may be revised in response to changes in state certification requirements and/or changes in accrediting agency standards.  Substitutions of courses should only be done with the approval of the student’s officially assigned graduate advisor and/or department chair.  Please contact the department for current information and requirements.

The Master of Arts in Urban Education with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision
The Master of Arts in Urban Education with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision is designed for teachers who desire to become principals or supervisors. A principal’s certificate requires this master’s degree, a passing grade on the School Leadership Licensure Assessment and any additional requirements established by the New Jersey State Education Department. Leadership candidates who desire to become a supervisor must hold a standard instructional and/or educational services certificate, have three years of teaching and/or educational services experience under their certificate, a master’s degree in an educational field, and have completed the required 12 credits within the Educational Leadership program.

Required Courses
Masters in Urban Education with a specialization in Educational Administration and Supervision - 36 credits
Phase I - 12 credits

Program Requirements for the Supervisor’s Certificate - 12 credits
The four approved courses needed for certification as a supervisor are:

NJ LEAD - Principal Cohort Certification Eligibility Program  - 30 credits
This Fast Track Principal Certification Cohort Program is designed for teachers with at least five years of successful teaching experience who hold a valid master’s degree in an educational field.  This is an intensive, one full year 30 credit program offered primarily online with limited class meetings. The program features a full year internship experience. In addition to the five years teaching experience and master’s degree, candidates must be recommended by two supervisors and pass a written essay assessment on leadership. At the completion of the program, candidates must pass the School Leadership Licensure Assessment and meet any additional requirements established by the New Jersey State Department of Education to qualify for licensure as a principal. Candidates also qualify for the supervisor’s certificate.

Program Requirements for NJ LEAD - 30 credits

For information contact: Dr. Jane Webber, Coordinator, M.A. in Counseling Program
NJCU’s Counseling program trains culturally competent, caring counselors who serve a diverse, multilingual urban community. Professional counselors empower individuals and families to resolve personal, educational, career, and relationship concerns and promote optimum wellness. Faculty and students are committed to social justice advocacy to remove barriers to education and personal growth, and promote equity and optimal development for all persons and groups. For more information about the counseling profession, go to http://www.counseling.org.

Counseling faculty and students identify with the counseling profession through the American Counseling Association (ACA) and its divisions such as the American School Counselor Association, The Association for Multicultural Development, and the Association for Specialists in Group Work. Students may join the ACA Graduate Student Association, NJCU Graduate Student Counseling Association; and Chi Sigma Iota, Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International. NJCU has been approved as a Graduate Student site for the National Counselor Examination (NCE).

Counseling Program Options
The Counseling program has two options: 

• The M.A. in Counseling prepares counselors for positions in community agencies, or
• The M.A. in Counseling with School Counselor prepares students for school counselor positions in K-12 schools.

Additional elective courses can be taken to meet licensure requirements.

CACREP Standards
The Counseling Program is preparing for the accreditation process by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Core Courses integrate knowledge (content), skills (practice), and dispositions (personal awareness and development). The Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the ACA Multicultural Counseling Competencies and Standards are infused in all courses. Students achieve competencies in eight CACREP core areas:

• Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
• Social and Cultural Diversity
• Human Growth and Development
• Career Development
• Helping Relationships
• Assessment
• Research and Program Evaluation

Programs may be revised in response to changes in requirements for certification, licensure, or accreditation. Prospective applicants and current graduate students should check this page for updated program information.

Admission Requirements
In addition to fulfilling the general graduate studies admission requirements in the NJCU graduate catalog, admission, and matriculation requirements consist of:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, General Test only.
• A baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA.
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of six undergraduate or graduate credits in Counseling or Psychology. Additional graduate and/or undergraduate work may be considered necessary for admission. In such cases, the student must plan an individual program in consultation with an assigned graduate advisor.
• 500-word essay, reflective of the candidate’s personal counseling philosophy and counselor dispositions, including the candidate’s future role as a counseling professional in an urban environment.
• 2 letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate’s potential for graduate study in Counseling such as letters from professors or supervisors.
• After a review of the candidate’s credentials and a successful interview with the Graduate Counseling Committee and the Coordinator of the M.A. in Counseling Program, the candidate may be recommended for matriculation.

Program Exit Requirements
In addition to general graduate studies requirements in the graduate catalog

• Completion of all 48-credit Program requirements
• Minimum 3.00 GPA

Master of Arts in Counseling (48 Credits) 
The M.A. in Counseling prepares counselors for positions in community mental health and human service agencies, schools, universities, hospitals, government, business, and industry; and provides core courses toward licensure. Additional course electives can be taken to meet licensure requirements. To learn more about counseling, go to http://www.counseling.org.

Program Learning Outcomes
Program graduates will be able to:

• Provide counseling and consultation for individuals, families, and groups
• Deliver the continuum of community counseling services including prevention, intervention, outreach, crisis and disaster response
• Assess the needs of diverse clients within the context of multicultural development and wellness across the life span
• Assess, diagnose and treat individuals who have mental health disorders
• Recognize the impact of alcohol, drugs, and other addictions on the individual and family in counseling
• Employ evidence-based practices in counseling such as cognitive behavioral therapy, person centered counseling, and multimodal therapy.
• Advocate for programs and services to meet the mental health needs of underserved individuals and groups
• Evaluate counseling practices and programs using research and technological methods

Master of Arts in Counseling (48 Credits)
Required Course Sequence
Phase 1 Courses (24 credits)

Elective Courses for Counselor Licensure
Additional electives can be taken to meet the 60-credit educational requirement for the Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) application. Students must develop a planned program with their advisor and fulfill requirements specified in the New Jersey statute and regulations found at
http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/medical/procounsel.htm

Elective Courses for LAC and LPC

Master of Arts in Counseling with School Counselor Certification (48 Credits)
The M.A. in Counseling with School Counselor Certification prepares school counselors to work in P-12 schools. The program is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The curriculum provides core courses toward licensure. Additional course electives can be taken to meet licensure requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes
Program graduates will:

• Provide developmentally responsive counseling and consultation for elementary, middle and high school students and families
• Integrate evidence-based counseling practices into comprehensive school counseling programs including Brief Solution Focused Therapy, play therapy, career and college counseling, and developmental group counseling into comprehensive school counseling programs
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver prevention and intervention programs including Intervention and Referral Services, character education, personal learning plans, teacher advisor programs, suicide response, peer mediation, emergency preparedness, crisis intervention, and disaster response
• Advocate for at-risk students to strengthen resilience and to overcome obstacles to education
• Consult with community agencies and resources to improve the academic, personal, social, and career development and achievement of all students
• Evaluate school counseling practices and programs using current research and technological methods.

For more information about school counselors, go to http://www.counseling.org and http://schoolcounselor.org.

Master of Arts in Counseling with School Counselor Certification (48 Credits)
Required Course Sequence
Phase 1 Courses (24 credits)

* Prerequisites: Permission of the Clinical Coordinator, approval by the Clinical Committee, and 30 credits successfully completed before beginning Practicum including COUN 605, COUN 608, COUN 625 and COUN 626.
Practicum and Internship may not be taken in the same semester, and each course must be successfully completed in sequential order.
The Practicum application must be submitted to the Clinical Coordinator at least one semester before the student plans to begin Practicum. The Clinical Committee reviews the student’s readiness in the three core areas: Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions. Students should review all guidelines in the Practicum and Internship Clinical Manual.

Elective Courses for Counselor Licensure
Additional LPC electives can be taken to meet the 60-credit educational requirement for the Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) application. Students must develop a planned program with their advisor and fulfill requirements specified in the statute and regulations found at http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/medical/procounsel.htm.

Elective Courses for LAC and LPC