New Programs and Initiatives

By Sandra Collins, Director, Centre for Graduate Education in Applied Psychology, Athabasca University

MA Program at Athabasca University Campus Alberta Graduate Program in Counselling

A collaborative initiative of Athabasca University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge, the Campus Alberta Graduate Program in Counselling is a distance education alternative for individuals wishing to prepare for roles as either professional counsellors or counselling psychologists.

Its first initiative is a 36-credit, course-based Master of Counselling, set to open in January 2002. The application process for admittance into the first cohort is now closed. An estimated 60 students are expected to begin the program this year, focusing their study in the areas of counselling psychology, school counselling, and career counselling. The next deadline for applying to the program will be May 15, 2002 for a January 2003 start date. The program has received considerable federal and provincial funding. It represents one of the first programs in Alberta to offer a full collaboration across various universities, drawing on the respective strengths and resources of each partner institution.

Students in the program can expect to develop the following core competencies:

• in-depth knowledge of the philosophical and theoretical foundations of counselling and counselling psychology;
• an understanding of ethical issues, an ability to think critically, and knowledge and skills for ethical decision-making;
• an ability to identify and address the barriers to change and growth encountered at individual, systemic, or sociopolitical levels by potential client populations;
• a range of practical counselling skills and strategies essential to work with a range of clientele, using varied intervention modalities;
• an ability to integrate theory and practice in the context of work-based learning opportunities;
• specific knowledge and skills related to the particular area of specialization selected.

Students will participate in a combination of online learning, summer institute courses, and weekend schools, designed specifically to enable students to continue working while completing the program. Students are encouraged to tailor their learning to the specific nature of their professional roles through work-based assignments.

In the Campus Alberta Graduate Program in Counselling, career development is viewed as the life-long process of managing learning, work, and transitions, in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future. The career counselling specialization will provide the specialized knowledge and skills needed to offer quality career development services. Students will develop the skills to assist individuals, groups, or communities to achieve greater self-awareness, develop a life and work direction, increase understanding of learning and work opportunities, and become self-directed in managing learning, work, and transitions.