Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling with Advanced Standing

45 credit hours
Project

Admission with advanced standing may allow a candidate to complete the Master of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree in one-and-a-half years (three semesters), depending on prior preparation. The regular master’s program in rehabilitation and mental health counseling requires 60 credit hours post-bachelor’s, and is usually completed over the course of two years. Advanced standing can be achieved in two ways: 1) as an external applicant who holds an acceptable undergraduate degree from a school either within or outside of the U.S. who has completed the equivalent of the first semester’s required graduate-level courses; or 2) as a currently enrolled undergraduate student at Illinois Institute of Technology who has used electives to take courses within the graduate program. In both cases, the applicant must first meet the criteria for regular admission into the program in order to qualify for advanced standing.

Advanced Standing for External Applicants

This applies to external applicants who have already taken up to 15 credit hours of graduate-level rehabilitation and mental health counseling coursework at another university. Applicants must have already completed a B.S. or B.A. in psychology or a closely related field, or, if an international applicant, hold a relevant professional degree from outside the U.S. from an accepted university. If criteria for admission are met and the applicant wishes to transfer in courses to obtain advanced standing status, each course to be transferred will be evaluated to determine equivalency to one of our CACREP–accredited courses. For a course to be accepted towards advanced standing, the student needs to obtain a grade of "B" or better. Candidates may be asked to provide additional evidence of their previous coursework, including projects and course syllabi, to determine eligibility for advanced standing. Candidates will be notified upon admission of their advanced standing status.

Advanced Standing for Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students at Illinois Institute of Technology

Currently enrolled Illinois Institute of Technology undergraduate students who meet the criteria for regular admission to the master’s program can consider completing their master’s degree more quickly by smart use of their electives. In their junior and senior years, qualified students can take up to 15 credit hours of graduate-level courses in the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program that will meet their undergraduate elective requirements, but will also count toward their Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. For a course to be accepted towards advanced standing, the student needs to obtain a grade of "B" or better.

Interested students should speak to their undergraduate advisers in the fall of their sophomore or junior year and work closely with the head of the division of counseling and rehabilitation science throughout to ensure proper course sequencing.

Curriculum

The following courses may be considered towards advanced standing in the M.S. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. They can be taken as part of required or elective courses for the B.S. in Psychological Science at Illinois Institute of Technology. If taken as an undergraduate, these courses do not have to be repeated for the graduate program. Students should also work closely with their undergraduate academic adviser to best plan a program leading to the combined degrees in the shortest possible time. In their junior and senior year, and in consultation with the head of the division of counseling and rehabilitation science, students may take the following courses:

Except as noted above, the requirements for this degree are the same as the Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling.