Masters in Counseling Program Questions

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Hello,

After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I decided that I wanted to do a fully online program in Counseling and I did not really do a lot of research about the field other than finding out about this program. I have noticed a couple of odd things about the program I am in. One odd thing I noticed is that the courses are only a couple of months long and don't really get into a lot of detail about various subjects in the field. Another odd thing I noticed is that for the internships and practicum, the student is responsible for finding their own site and receives little to no help from the school. Is it normal to not have any help in regards to looking for internships or not have any involvement from the school or program? Another thing I am also noticing is that the course load is pretty easy and in some cases less than the coursework I had in undergrad. Also, the program I am in is not CACREP-accredited which is something I am worried about when I graduate. So what I am trying to ask is that would you all consider this all to be odd?

Thank You all for taking the time to read this,
PsychMajorUndergrad

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PsyDuck90]

If you read through other posts on this forum, these are some of the many reasons people on here discourage online counseling programs. They often do not provide the proper oversight and support needed to learn how to be a competent clinician and mostly serve as a cash cow for the universities.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

I am starting to think that I wasted this year and now I am considering other options. Basically what I would like to do is do therapy and also teach as an adjunct or possibly full-time someday. There are a few potential options that I have and am not sure which option is going to give me the most opportunity. My only concern with reapplying to master's programs is that my undergraduate GPA was pretty low, however, my GPA in this master's program is good. Do you all think it is a good idea to apply for a few brick and mortar master's programs or should I try to do another bachelor at my alma mater to boost up my GPA? My undergraduate GPA is a 2.7 while my graduate one is a 3.5 so far.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this,
PsychMajorUndergrad

 

[deleted343839]

I'm sorry you've had that experience. All reputable programs have established connections with organizations in the community that can provide supervised practicum experiences. You should never *have* to look for your own site. Some students may pursue a practicum placement outside their program's offerings because of a special interest, but your program should nevertheless be responsible for vetting the site and establishing a line of communication with your clinical supervisor.

You're making the right decision by cutting your losses and pursuing an accredited program at a brick-and-mortar institution. I don't think there is any harm in applying for master's programs right away. I would at least try before taking on more bachelor's level coursework. Consider social work master's programs in addition to counseling.