Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology

Program Description

The mission of the MA in psychology with an emphasis in counseling psychology program is to provide its participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to become competent in counseling psychology through academic and experiential learning. The program aims at educating future psychologists who have sound knowledge of the theory and practice of counseling psychology, who are competent consumers and creative producers of social science research, who are competent in counseling practice, and who are ethical and sensitive to the cultures, values, and worlds of various clients. Viewing research and practice as interdependent and mutually supporting, the MA in psychology with an emphasis in counseling psychology program is bases on the scientist-practitioner training model. The program is committed both (1) to preparing counseling psychologists for advanced doctoral studies in psychology and (2) to providing training and experience that prepare students for practice. Its goal is to train psychologists who have a sound knowledge of the bases of counseling and psychotherapy. Adopting a multicultural perspective, the program also emphasizes the importance of multicultural competence in both research and practise.

NEW - Complete your Propädeutikum together with your MA in Counseling Psychology at Webster Vienna!

The first English-language Propädeutikum recognized by the Austrian Ministry of Health will be offered at Webster University Vienna alongside the academic MA in Counseling Psychology program. The Propädeutikum is the first of two official parts of psychotherapy training in Austria. Graduates of the MA in Counseling Psychology program, in addition to receiving a university degree, also qualify for the professional Propädeutikum certificate - with little additional work, and at a fraction of the regular Propädeutikum costs.

For students who wish to become psychotherapists, the Propädeutikum opens the door to the second part of psychotherapy training and to become licensed psychotherapists in Austria. Thus, the unique possibility of completing the Propädeutikum together with the MA in Counseling Psychology program fully integrates your studies into the academic and professional worlds of counseling and psychotherapy in the U.S. and in Europe.

Scholarship:

50% Zimbardo Scholarship will be awarded to one accepted MA Psychology student starting fall 2012. For more details about scholarships and the application form, please click here.

Apply by March 15th, 2012 and receive a -10% early bird rate

Everyone who applies by March 15th, 2012 will receive a -10% early bird rate (for the duration of the entire program) when starting the new MA in Counseling Psychology in August 2012.

Entry requirements: 

An accredited Bachelor in Psychology or equivalent from an accredited university. For more application details, please click here.

If you have a Bachelor Degree other than in Psychology, you need to do the following in order to start your MA in Counseling Psychology:

1) apply for a sequential Bachelor in Psychology at Webster University Vienna, which requires you to take 14 courses in the Psychology major.

2) or complete 8 required courses as outlined in our Application requirements.

Please be aware that once you graduate with the dual accredited (Austria and US) MA in Counseling Psychology, you will be able to work as a psychologist in Austria only if you also hold a Bachelor Degree in Psychology.

If you do have the 1st Studienabschnitt in Psychology, there might be a possibility to change the 1st Studienabschnitt to a Bachelor of Science (in Psychology) Degree. For more information please visit the following sites. Please be aware that Webster University is not liable for the content of the following 3 links.

Transfer of 1st Studienabschnitt to a Bachelor in Psychology (page 6)

General Info about Bachelor Degree transfer

Form needed for the transfer 

All courses are paid per class. 

14 courses - if you want to do a sequential or 2nd Bachelor Degree (in Psychology) OR

8 courses - if you have a Bachelor Degree other than in Psychology

16 courses for the MA in Counseling Psychology

For more information about tuition fees, please click  here.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Explain the main approaches to counseling and psychotherapy and the role of the therapeutic relationship.
• Describe important theories of human development and examine their significance to counseling psychology.
• Discuss the major categories of psychological disorders and use this knowledge to assess and diagnose psychopathology.
• Describe the mechanisms of action for a variety of psychopharmacological agents and evaluate the role of psychopharmacology in counseling psychology.
• Describe the importance of professional ethics and demonstrate how ethical standards and legal requirements are relevant to the practice of counseling and psychotherapy.
• Administer and interpret various widely-used psychological tests.
• Construct the appropriate research design, collect data, and implement the necessary statistical techniques to answer research questions relevant to counseling psychology which adds to the discipline.
• Demonstrate practical counseling skills that can be applied to individuals and groups to address a broad range of issues and settings.
• Integrate theory, experience, behavioral observation and analysis to systematically enhance counseling knowledge and skills.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of various counseling approaches to different cultures, values, and world-views of various clients and choose appropriate approaches.

Program Curriculum

The degree requires completion of 48 credit hours of coursework which are offered over a 2-year period.

Program Information sheet (pdf)

Course Descriptions

PSYC 5000 Bases of Counseling Psychology
This course provides an introduction to the field of Counseling Psychology. Participants learn about the development of the profession, ethical and professional issues and the role of research and science in the field. A primary goal for the course is to establish a greater understanding of the counseling process and the importance of the therapeutic relationship in combination with the use of specific techniques.

PSYC 5100 Approaches to Counseling and Therapy
This course is a survey of the following major approaches to counseling and psychotherapy: psychoanalytic-psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and family systems counseling and therapy. The course explores underlying theories, principles, techniques, and areas of applications of these main approaches to counseling and psychotherapy.

PSYC 5200 Advanced Developmental Psychology
This course covers research and theory concerning the psychological
development of the maturing human. This course emphasizes the research basis of developmental psychology and the role of developmental psychology for counseling and therapy.

PSYC 5300 Psychopathology
This course focuses on the understanding and identification of the major psychological disorders as detailed in the current issues of DSM (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, issued by the APA) and ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, issued by the WHO). The behavioral manifestations and psychological dynamics of mental disorders will be explored, focusing on therapeutic assessment issues and case conceptualization. The course also includes a discussion of practical aspects of dealing with psychopathology in out-patient and in-patient settings.

PSYC 5400 Research Design
This course both examines the role of science and methods of research in Counseling Psychology and psychotherapy on a theoretical and philosophical level. The general and advanced aspects of research in Counseling Psychology as well as diverse research designs in process research, evaluation, and documentation are explored, including the concurrent quantitative and qualitative methods.

PSYC 5500 Assessment
This course covers topics relevant to assessment in counseling psychology, including procedures for diagnostic interviewing, report writing, interpreting personality and performance assessments and ethical issues in testing. The course acquaints students with key psychometric concepts and several commonly used assessment instruments in counseling psychology, including objective personality and intelligence inventories. It focuses on specific aspects of assessment in therapeutic settings and in different schools of therapy.

PSYC 5600 Group Processes and Group Therapy
This course introduces participants to the theory of some of the most important processes and phenomena in groups. It explores various types of groups, the role of a group leader or facilitator, and the group process. Group phenomena, to be discussed and experienced,   concern diverse areas and group forms. Included aspects are social influences on individuals in groups, beliefs and attitudes, social facilitation, group norms and deviance, minority influence, helping in groups, facilitation of groups, power and control dynamics,group development, models of group interaction, group performance, and conflict in groups.

PSYC 5700 Psychopharmacology
This course explores the relationship between Counseling
Psychology, psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs. Brain
neuroanatomy, various types of psychopharmacological agents and their mechanisms are discussed. Current status of psychopharmacology research and modern application are included.

PSYC 5800 Ethical and Legal Foundations
This course focuses on identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas, the relationship of personal values with ethical practice, and the philosophical foundations of ethical practice. In addition to exploring ethical foundations, the course also examines the surrounding conditions and regulatory framework relevant to the practice of Counseling Psychology and psychotherapy. International and national legal regulations from diverse areas of law will be explored.

PSYC 5900 Applied Sta/tistics and Research Methods
This course builds on undergraduate knowledge of statistics and research methods. It is intended for graduate students who are engaged in or will shortly be engaged in their own empirical research (Master’s Thesis). The course (1) provides a practice-oriented overview of selected statistical procedures and of quantitative and qualitative research methods and (2) provides the possibility to develop ideas and skills for conducting one’s own research and analyzing one’s own data.

PSYC 6100 Master’s Thesis
The Master’s Thesis consists of an individual research project designed by the student and carried out over the duration of at least one semester, under the direction of a thesis faculty advisor. The thesis project allows students to contribute to research in the field and to gain important research experience necessary for entrance into a doctoral program.

PSYC 6200 Practice and Supervision
This course provides students with the opportunity to practice and develop their counseling skills with others, and it gives the instructor the opportunity to observe, evaluate, and develop student skills in counseling interactions. The basis of the class relies on activities and exercises in the counseling lab, supported by modern technical equipment  and group supervision.

PSYC 6300 Internship
The internship, a fieldwork experience, provides a supervised transition from learning in the classroom to the professional field of counseling in providing the student with the practical application of counseling knowledge and skills. It consists of 480 hours of professional experience in qualified institutions of the social and/or health care system, which provides the opportunity to perform a variety of activities related to counseling psychology and therapy.