The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) is a selective, rigorous program for the creative adult who plans to become a mental health practitioner or enter a doctoral program. It is eclectic in theoretical orientation and committed to celebrating diversity within the range of professional mental health approaches and techniques. While training students in a wide variety of counseling modalities, the MSCP program also encourages students to explore and develop their own special interests within the field, to formulate their own philosophy of counseling, and to prepare for state licensure as a Professional Counselor.

Admissions

The catalog section on Graduate Student admissions lists university requirements. In addition, there are several specific requirements for the MSCP program as follows:

1. Essay. Please address as completely as possible the following areas:
   1. What are your reasons for wanting to obtain an advanced degree in Counseling Psychology?
   2. What are your short-term and long-term goals, or how do you see yourself as contributing toward the improvement of a social or community problem in your area?
   3. The MSCP Program is designed to be an academically intense and experientially demanding program. If admitted, we (the faculty) plan to create and maintain an intellectually and personally challenging experience for you. Therefore, please describe how you plan to balance graduate school, work, and personal life (i.e. relationships, family, etc.).
   4. Please provide a one page biography. The purpose of this application is to help us learn more about you. Please share any other personal information which you would like the Admissions Committee to take into consideration during the interview process.
2. Letters of Recommendation. Submit three current letters of recommendation, using the recommendation form in the admissions packet.
3. Standardized Test. Submit scores from the Miller Analogy Test (MAT). Alaska Pacific’s reporting code is 1841.
4. Interview. Once your application is complete, the department will contact you to set up a personal interview.
5. Application Deadline. The deadline to submit an application is March 1.

After successful completion of the Personal Interview, the applicant will be requested to provide authorization for a background check. A background check is required because counseling involves work with a vulnerable population and the results may also impact the potential for state licensure. Full admission will be granted to the successful candidate based on favorable results of the background check.

Prerequisites

Students must have met the following prerequisites before beginning the MSCP program:

One of the following courses must have been completed:

• Abnormal Psychology
• Personality Theories
• History and Systems of Psychology
• Social Psychology

Each of the following courses must have been completed:

1. Statistics
2. Research Methods or Experimental Psychology
3. Human Development (e.g., Child Development, Adolescent Psychology, Life-span Development)

The program director will advise students who have questions on the prerequisites whether their specific coursework is applicable. Students may complete prerequisites at Alaska Pacific as non-degree seeking students.