Academics>Majors>Counseling>Course Descriptions

Counseling Major

Course Descriptions

Note: All courses must have PSYC 1011 as a prerequisite.

PSYC 2011 Theories of Counseling . . . . . . . G, P, 3 credit hours. This course is designed to provide a basic  introduction to counseling and psychology. Both biblical and secular models of intervention will be examined and critiqued and the historical background and theological foundation of biblical counseling will also be explored. Special attention will  be given to the issues of integration and current trends in Counseling.

PSYC 3011 Death and Dying . . . . . . . . . . . C, G, P, 3 credit hours. This course provides a basic background on historical and contemporary perspectives on death and dying.Major topics of study will include: grief and bereavement, supporting bereaved people, grief complications, and the grief journey.This is a practical course that will show concrete ways in which to help people travel through the grief process. Field trips and guest speakers will be an integral part of the course. This course is not recommended for the recently bereaved. 

PSYC 3031 Abnormal Psychology . . . . . . . . . . C, G, 3 credit hours. This course is designed to explore the field of Abnormal Psychology. Students will become familiar with the vocabulary and concepts of Abnormal Psychology, and with some of the clinical and research findings upon which our knowledge of psychological disorders is based. Special attention will be given to biblical integration in the development of empathetic understanding of Counseling towards those who have psychological disorders.

PSYC 3211 Fundamentals of Counseling . . . P, 3 credit hours. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the process of biblical counseling. Emphasis will be given to the counseling relationship, collecting and interpreting data and the process of biblical change. Special attention will be given to the practice of biblical counseling in local church ministry.  

PSYC 3222 Advanced Counseling. . . . . . . . . . . P, 3 credit hours. This will be a practical course in recognizing and understanding specific problems and what the counselor can do to help individuals solve them. The course is designed to prepare the student biblically and effectively to deal with the counselee facing these problems. Prerequisite: PSYC 3211  

PSYC 4022 Applied Research & Statistics . . . G,P, 3 credit hours.  

MATH 4022 Applied Research & Statistics . . . G,P, 3 credit hours. This course will consist of an examination of basic principles and procedures in inferential statistics and applied research. The student will be conversant with and apply the following principles: mean, median, mode, percent, per capita rates, standard deviation, normal distribution, tabular interpretation, margin of error, confidence interval, data analysis, sample sizes, finding data on the internet and statistical tests. Students will begin to develop research proposals and construct applied research models.

PSYC 4122 Marriage and Family Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C, P, 3 credit hours. This course is designed to examine the basic issues of marriage and family relationships. There will be examination and evaluation of the current theories of marriage and family counseling from a biblical perspective. In addition, the methods of premarriage, marriage and family counseling will be examined, as well as how to deal with marriage and family dysfunction. The course is specifically designed to prepare students to approach marriage and family counseling from a creative, preventative and biblical perspective.

PSYC 4211 Counseling Internship . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 credit hour.

PSYC 4222 Counseling Internship . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 credit hour. An individualized field education program supervised by the Chair of the Counseling Program and conducted under the direction of a trained professional. The purpose of the counseling Internship is to give the senior a culminating experience through an opportunity to apply principles and theory learned in the classroom to a field-based laboratory under the direction of a practitioner. With permission of the Program Chair, the internship may be conducted during the summer or spread over both semesters of the senior year, if desired. 

PSYC 4311 Gender Issues in Counseling C, P, 3 credit hours. This course is designed as an introduction to gender issues, which focus on gender relationships in contemporary American society. The course is helpful in recognizing and understanding the issues, needs, and concerns of men and women and what the counselor can do to assist men and women in need.

PSYC 4322 Crisis Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C, P, 3 credit hours. This course is designed to focus upon historical and contemporary theory and methodology of crisis intervention. There will be a special emphasis on understanding situational and maturational crises, and on the Christian implications of crisis counseling. The student will be introduced to basic process and application of Biblical crisis intervention within the church. It will include such topics as the following: death, suicide, abuse and other crisis situations.

PSYC 4351 Multicultural Issues in Counseling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C, P, 3 credit hours.  This course is designed to explore multicultural issues in counseling. The influence of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation on  behavior, attitudes, and cognition will be examined. The student will learn of their own worldview, values, biases, theoretical orientation, and privileges and how these may influence their perceptions of clients and their work in therapy.

PSYC 4422 Counseling Youth. . . . . . . . . . . . . C, P, 3 credit hours. In this course, students will be given an introduction to adolescent development and psychology while surveying contemporary issues facing teenagers. Skills for effectively communicating the Truth of God's Word to youth leading to greater Christ-likeness will be taught. Significant emphasis will be placed upon the counselor's personal development of Godly character as a Biblically-based people-helper.