Counseling (MA)

Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP)

With a master’s degree in counseling, you can use your talents to improve the world:

Help children adapt to their surroundings and perform
better in school and life.
Counsel spouses on how to improve their relationships.
Work through emotional issues or mental disorders with families.

At the University of Holy Cross, you can earn your master’s online in three years.

Through teaching, research, and public service, the MA programs foster not just intellectual learning, but also encourage the students to develop themselves spiritually, culturally and with a sense of responsibility. Become a self-developing, competent counseling professional who will be an asset to the community, both personally and professionally. Our alumni serve as professional counselors in a wide variety of fields throughout Louisiana and are known for their knowledge, skills and compassion.

Where our grads counsel

Behavioral Health Groups
Catholic Charities
Communities In Schools
District Attorneys’ Offices
Juvenile Detention Centers
Schools
Sheriffs’ Offices
Private practices
Hospitals
And more

Early Entry

Available for BS in Social Counseling Students: our 3+3 program enables undergraduates to finish two degrees in six years, accelerating your path to a master’s degree.

MA in Counseling: Early Entry curriculum guide

Why UHC?

Complete coursework at your own pace
You’ll have two to three weekly online classes, with assignments to tackle at your own convenience — early morning, late at night, over lunch.

An example semester course load:

Spring: 3 courses (9 credit hours)
Fall: 3 courses (9 credit hours)
Summer: 2 courses (6 credit hours)

Get in-person training
As part of your Techniques in Counseling courses, you’ll spend two four-day residencies — one during your first semester and another halfway through the program. You’ll get live feedback on your client role playing sessions and learn techniques for improving your delivery.

Earn 700+ hours of clinical experience
You’ll complete a practicum and two internships at a site of your choosing and earn 280 direct client hours and 420 indirect client hours. We’ll work with you to find placements that fit your interests. Students have completed internships at community agencies, schools, psychiatric hospitals, addiction clinics, and more.

Gain expertise from our industry specialists
Our professors’ clinical experience covers the lifespan of clients who present with a wide range of issues.

Present your research at national conferences
At the annual Law and Ethics in Counseling Conference in New Orleans, our master’s and doctoral students showcase their own research and present alongside faculty in roundtables. The conference brings together 200+ counselors and counselor educators from all over the world. Past student research topics presented at national conferences include:

Social media addiction among college students
The effects of colorism in African Americans
Body surveillance and body shame
Counseling students’ attitude toward assisted suicide
Test anxiety in first-year students
Call to action ethical concerns between counselors and child welfare systems

Master's Course Highlights

Introduction to Techniques of Professional Counseling
Learn the fundamentals of being a counselor. A four-day residency launches you into role playing with mock clients and practicing your person-centered skills. It gives you the tools to continue role playing in mock client sessions via Zoom, where your professor will critique your verbal and nonverbal behavior and professionalism.

Practicum in Counseling
Now that you have the counseling fundamentals under your belt, you’ll begin your clinical experience with 100 hours of supervised counseling. You’ll start defining the theory that will guide your solutions to client problems and form your professional identity.

Internship in Counseling
Complete 600 hours of intensive supervised clinical work experience in a school, community, couple, family or child-centered agency. You’ll hone your person-centered skills and put your theory into practice.

Alumni Research in Print

See where our master’s and doctoral graduates publish their research.

American Journal of Family Therapy: The phenomenological experience of parents who live with a boomerang child
Journal of Religion and Health: How organ donors are different from non-donors: Responsibility, barriers, and religious involvement
Journal of School Counseling: Factors associated with programmatic orientation and supervision in schools
Death Studies: Events surrounding stillbirth and their effect on symptoms of depression among mothers
NASSP Bulletin: Principal-counselor collaboration and school climate
Nursing Ethics: Moral distress among nursing and non-nursing students

ADMISSIONS FOR MASTER OF ARTS IN COUNSELING

In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Chair of Counseling and Behavioral Sciences accepts applications for admission from students without regard to ethnicity, race, color, sex, age, disability status, or national origin.

PROGRAMS
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling

Specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Specialization in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
Specialization in School Counseling

ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Applicants must first be admitted to Graduate Studies. The application, all official transcripts, and proof of immunizations must be sent to the Office of Admissions, University of Holy Cross (UHC), 4123 Woodland Dr., New Orleans, LA 70131.

To be considered for admission to Graduate Studies in Counseling, applicants must submit the following prior to the application deadline of the semester for which they are applying:

1. A completed official graduate application form (sent to Admissions);

2. Official transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate course work, which must be sent directly from the institutions attended to the Office of Admissions;

3. At least three letters of recommendation written by people qualified to evaluate academic potential and personal and professional promise. Letters should address the candidate’s character, work ethic, leadership, ability to work with others, communication skills, and ability to complete graduate-level academic work successfully. These letters should be sent to the Dean of the College of Counseling, Education, and Business, Dr. Carolyn White; and

4. A two-page, double-spaced, typed personal goal statement sent to the Dean of the College of Counseling, Education, and Business, Dr. Carolyn White. The goal statement should provide some background information; the reason the applicant has chosen counseling as a profession; why the applicant believes he or she will be able to form effective counseling relationships; how the applicant demonstrates respect for cultural differences; and some future professional goals.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Admission to Graduate Studies at University of Holy Cross is based on the evaluation of the applicant’s personal, professional, and academic records by the Graduate Faculty. The University recruits qualified applicants from diverse sociocultural backgrounds who display professional promise, intellectual achievement, personal character, and educational commitment. At a minimum, applicants are expected to have the following academic qualifications:

1. A Baccalaureate degree from a university or college approved by a recognized regional accrediting agency in the United States or proof of equivalent training at a foreign university;

2. A record of undergraduate study that is predictive of success in graduate studies, preferably in a field related to counseling, with a cumulative undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; and

3. Satisfactory academic standing at the last university or college attended.

Foreign and ESL Students

A foreign or ESL (English as a Second Language) applicant must present evidence of satisfactory proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English. The applicant may do so by presenting a satisfactory score on the TOEFL (normally 500). For information about TOEFL, the applicant should write to TOEFL, 1755 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036.