Now accepting applications for the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs

Some quick facts about the FGCU counseling graduate programs and our graduates: There are more school counseling and clinical mental health counseling jobs available in Southwest Florida right now than we have available professionals. Most of our graduates are hired before they even graduate! All of our students seeking jobs are hired within 3 months of graduation -- most before graduation, some right afterwards. The FGCU graduate program in school counseling is Department of Education approved and both the school counseling and clinical mental health counseling programs are nationally accredited (CACREP). This is a big deal. It means that you can get to work right away and your degree is highly portable. Typically students attend their courses in the early evenings so you would not have to quit your day job. The Department offers a standard plan of study for students who are working and an accelerated plan of study for students who can take on a greater work load and finish in two years. Several of our courses are "blended" or "hybrid." This means that some traditional face-to-face classes are replaced by online learning activities. This way, we can take advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning. The Department of Counseling also offers a certificate in Relationship and Family Counseling. School Counseling: Graduates from this program work in public and private schools that serve PK-12 students and some work in postsecondary institutions including career and technical centers, special training programs for youth, colleges, and universities. Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Graduates from this program work in community agencies, mental health settings, and private practices after graduation and most seek and achieve licensure. The Department includes an on-campus counseling center as well as funds for student professional development opportunities. Learn more about the School Counseling degree here: https://www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/counseling/schoolcounseling-ma Learn more about the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree here: https://www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/counseling/clinicalmentalhealthcounseling-ma  The deadline to apply is February 1 of each year although students are encouraged to start early. Applications will be considered for admission on a space available basis to qualified applicants beyond the deadline. Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and interviews are scheduled between February 10th and March 15th. Initial notices of acceptance, deferred decisions or denial of admission are mailed by the first week in April.  If you have any questions, feel free to email us!   Russell A. Sabella, Ph.D. School Counseling Phone: 239-590-7782 rsabella@fgcu.edu Molli Mercer, Ed.D. Clinical Mental Health Counseling 239-590-7798 mbachenberg@fgcu.edu  The mission of Florida Gulf Coast University's (FGCU) Counseling Programs is to prepare exemplary professional practitioners, leaders, and scholars. The programs use a research-practitioner approach that integrates the use of current technology, supervised field experiences, scholarly inquiry, and intellectual and creative resources to work with an increasingly diverse and global society. The program trains counselors who work in pre-K through grade 12 schools, social service, government agencies, hospitals, community organizations, and private practice. The FGCU counseling programs educate well-rounded counselors who demonstrate competence included in the high standards as set forth by our accreditation and professional organizations.