Department Overview

The Counseling Profession

Counseling is the art and science of helping people grow and develop throughout their lifespan. At the University of Nebraska Omaha, graduate students develop knowledge and skills to support people in various stages, challenges, and transitions in life. It may be just the program for you.

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University of Nebraska at Omaha Philosophy

Since its founding in 1908, UNO has sought to provide the city of Omaha, the State of Nebraska, and other states in which graduates may eventually seek residence and employment with individuals of sound intellectual training and preparation for life. Its goal for students has been: "to earn a living and live a cultured life not as two processes, but as one".

Mission Statement

The mission of the UNO Counseling Department is to provide high quality academic and clinical preparation leading to eligibility for licensure and certification as professional counselors and student affairs professionals. Through a rigorous, evidence-based curriculum designed to train critical thinkers and reflective practitioners, candidates are prepared to work with diverse clients across multiple professional settings and engage and remain active as advocates and future leaders within and for the counseling profession and those we serve.

Vision Statement

The vision of the UNO Counseling Department is to prepare a diverse student population at the master’s degree level for professional service as school counselors, clinical mental health counselors, student affairs professionals, and advanced study. Graduates of the program are eligible for professional licensure and certification in the school and mental health areas and are well prepared to function professionally within their area(s) of concentration. As dedicated practitioners, reflective scholars, and responsible citizens, our graduates are prepared to fill the need for licensed/certified clinical mental health counselors, school counselors, and student affairs professionals across the Omaha metropolitan region, Nebraska, and the nation.

Objectives

Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) concentration will be prepared to work with the behavioral and mental health needs of individuals and families in a diverse society based on the strength-based, preventative, and wellness tenets of the counseling profession by demonstrating competency in the counseling curriculum and internship experiences.
Students in the School Counseling (SC) will be prepared to work as school counselors and will demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of P-12 students in a multicultural and plurastic society by emonstrating competency in the counseling curriculum and internship experiences.
Students in the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) concentration will be prepared to work within a multicultural and plurastic society with a diverse range of college and university student affairs and administrative unit by demonstrating competency in the counseling curriculum and internship experiences.
Students will demonstrate ethical and cultural competencies consistent with the documented expectations of the counseling discipline and professional area(s) of specialization through displaying dispositions that are culturally sensitive, responsive, and self-aware in the counseling courses and internship experiences.
Students will demonstrate competence in evaluating and applying evidence-based research in their work with clients and/or students through evaluation of skills in counseling course and internship experiences.
Students will demonstrate mastery of core and selected specialization counseling curriculums leading to successful completion of appropriate state/national licensure/certification.
Students will demonstrate mastery of core and specialization counseling curriculums through successful completion of a concentration specific comprehensive exam (CMHC/CECE; SC/Praxis II; SAHE/Comprehensive Case Study).

Accreditation & Program Evaluation Documents

The UNO Counseling Department has provided a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program for over three decades in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC).

For additional information on the benefits of completing a CACREP-accredited program, please see the official website for the CACREP.

*UNO’s Counseling Department has determined to voluntarily discontinue its Council for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation for the School Counseling Concentration. CACREP accreditation is not required in the state of Nebraska to practice School Counseling.

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Have questions? Contact admissions support assistants Hannah and Allie
Phone: 402.554.2764
Email: unocounadmission@unomaha.edu