Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Psychometric Services

Dr. Dion Porter, Associate Professor and Chair
P. O. Box 17122
Telephone: (601) 979-2361
Fax: (601) 979-3368
E-mail: dion.porter@jsums.edu

Faculty

Dr. R. Arnold, Associate Professor
Dr. G. Dansby-Giles, Professor
Dr. R. Fults-McMurtery, Professor
Dr. F. Giles, Professor
Dr. L. Johnson, Associate Professor
Dr. K. Linstrum, Assistant Professor 
Dr. A. Nelson, Assistant Professor
Dr. D. Porter, Associate Professor
Dr. N. Yazdani, Visiting Professor

Accreditation

Counseling, Rehabilitation and Psychometric Services programs are housed within the College of Education and Human Development, which is accredited by the Council on the Accreditation Educational Programs (CAEP). The Clinical Mental Health, School Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Program Objectives

In support of its mission, the department prepares masters and specialist level students for careers in professional counseling. The specific objectives of the department are to prepare students to:

• Acquire the professional skills necessary to become professional counselors,
• Obtain certification in school counseling or school psychometry, and
• Upgrade their certification and/or skill level in counseling.

Specialist in Education
School Counseling Concentration

(Requires AA Teacher Certification)

Students applying for admission to the Specialist program must obtain general admission to the Division of Graduate Studies; however, this does not guarantee admission to the College of Education Specialist program in the specific area of concentration. Students must also complete an application to the specific department. 

Admission Requirements

• A master’s degree from an accredited college or university
• An overall GPA of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale) on the master’s degree
• A completed Specialist program application
• Three letters of recommendation
• Acceptable evidence of the applicant’s writing ability as determined by a writing sample completed under the supervision of the screening committee
• A successful interview with the program screening committee
• A recommendation for admission by the screening committee
• Student must hold a valid teaching license
• Deadline for applications for summer/fall admissions is March 15th

Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete 42 semester hours, and obtain a passing score on the Graduate Comprehensive Examination.

(For Students holding AA certification in Counseling)

Requires a AA Teacher Certificate¹

Note: Students are required to complete the following courses before enrolling in internship:

Students should apply for internship at the beginning of the semester prior to the intended enrollment semester.

¹

For Licensure Requirements (see https://www.mdek12.org/OEL https://www.mdek12.org/OELfor more information).