The mission of the Webster University Department of Professional Counseling is to
provide high-quality learning experiences to students, helping them become expert
professional counselors who strive for individual excellence and contribute to an
enhanced quality of life in local, national and global societies. Curriculum is culturally-inclusive,
training students with a strong base of knowledge and skills to practice effectively
in a variety of careers in the field of mental health and human service, educational
institutions, private practice and government, as well as in business and industrial
settings.
Maximum of 24 students to create an ideal environment for learning, interaction and discovery.
All students complete a 15-month clinical counseling field experience.
Thirty-year track record in preparing students for successful careers in the counseling profession.
The department’s philosophy encompasses a commitment to the development of a professional identity as professional counselors, oversight of curriculum and field experience, and uniformity through implementation of and adherence to one curriculum with the flexibility to provide counselor education and supervision at various national and global campuses. The department continually works to enhance the counseling curriculum in order to provide a counselor education and supervision experience that promotes social justice using a global approach. The program curriculum is aligned with individual state educational requirements, national professional standards and the American Counseling Association (ACA) Ethical Code.
Paid Internships
The Webster Institute for Clinical Scholarship seeks to increase the number and diversity
of professional counseling MA graduates who have a commitment to working in high-need,
high-demand areas to improve health outcomes for low-income and under-served populations
in communities in the greater St. Louis region.
Webster University offers a 3-2+ program which combines the BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Mental Health and the MA in Counseling. In this 3-2+ program, students who complete all of their undergraduate requirements for the bachelor's degree within the first 90 credit hours can complete the remainder of their elective credits (30 hours) as a student in the master's program. Once students complete 120 hours, they can petition to graduate with the BA. The students would then work to complete the remaining 30+ hours toward their graduate degree in Counseling. They would need to complete at least 30 hours at the graduate level once they receive their undergraduate degree.
Psychology (BA) with an Emphasis in Mental Health/Counseling (MA)
Master of Arts in School Counseling
Approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), our MA in School Counseling is designed to prepare you to work with children and families in a variety of school settings. Completion of the degree will provide students with the required educational credentials for both K–8 and 7–12 school counselor certifications in Missouri. *Students who require prerequisite courses may have to complete more credit hours.
Our Professional Counseling program is available at Webster campuses nationwide, as well as internationally in Geneva, Switzerland. Accreditation and availability of degree emphasis vary by campus.
The MA in Counseling at Webster University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling emphasis, available at the main campus in St. Louis, Missouri, and the South Carolina campuses in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Columbia, is accredited by The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Outcomes for graduates of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the combined South Carolina campuses of Charleston, Columbia and Myrtle Beach:
| Graduates in Academic Year 2017-2018 | 55 |
| Pass Rate on NCE in 2017 | 64.3% |
| Completion Rate | 43% |
| Percentage of students who graduated within 2.5 years of starting the program | |
| Job Placement Rate | 91% |
| Percentage of graduates who are working full-time, part-time or are continuing their education | |
Lori J. Bosma, MA in Counseling student and Webster’s Deputy Title IX and HR Coordinator
Lori J. Bosma's manuscript, “Behavioral Outcomes of Law Enforcement Officers with Compassion Fatigue” has been accepted for publication in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin for more than a year on its first submission. Bosma worked with Stacy Henning, PhD, in revising a paper Bosma wrote in her first counseling course into a produced a manuscript.
Henning further encouraged her to propose to speak on her topic at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health Spring Training Institute summit in May 2022. MIMH subsequently asked Bosma to join its speaker panel as a paid speaker next June on a series of mental health webinars offered globally. Bosma is also working with Henning in organizing a podcast to feature first responders’ mental health during the pandemic and its continued aftermath.
August 17, 2022
August 17, 2022
July 8, 2022