Department of Counselor Education

Welcome to the Counselor Education Department (CED) at Kean University! The American Counseling Association defines Counseling "...as  a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals".  

CED offers an empathic, supportive,  family-like environment where students learn the counseling tools.  All options infuse understanding of, and treatment with individuals having a trauma history, making us one of the few trauma-centric programs in the country.

Graduates are employed in a variety of settings including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, agencies, community counseling and mental health centers, hospitals, and government agencies. Some graduates go on to doctoral programs in Counselor Education & Supervision.  

About The Program

The Counselor Education Department offers a humanistic, multicultural, non-sexist program designed to train professional counselors.  The program's core content provides preparation in the CACREP areas through theoretical training, skill development and practical application in coursework and supervised practica and internships.

Vision

The Counselor Education Department (CED) envisions a Counseling program that maintains its CACREP accreditation in order to train highly qualified graduates specializing in School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  CED will expand its resources to create cutting edge programs that prepare graduates to address ever-changing societal needs and contribute to the counseling profession as practitioners, scientists, and counselor-educators.

Mission

The mission of the Counselor Education Department (CED) is to provide students with a broad-based graduate education in counseling, and who are sensitive to cultural, gender and sexual orientation differences, and fosters a commitment to lifelong self-exploration and professional development. CED provides full and part-time students from the Northeast region and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area affordable graduate level CACREP accredited programs in a variety of Master’s and post-graduate areas. In keeping with the University’s mission, CED is sensitive to the needs of first-generation students and those from underserved minority groups.

Goal

The goal of the CED Program is to provide graduate counseling training using the CACREP Professional Counseling Competencies (i.e., common core, supervised experiences and specialized studies).

COURSE SCHEDULING & LOCATION

CED offers classes at both Union Campus, with classes on weeknights at 4:30 & 7:30, and some optional Saturday and Sunday courses, and part-time at Ocean (Toms River) Campus with classes predominantly on weekends.

DIFFERENT OPTIONS & PROGRAMS

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 credit) option prepares the graduate to begin the process of obtaining Professional Counselor license (LPC). 

The School Counseling (48 credit) option prepares counselors to work in Pre-K-12 schools qualifies with NJ Department of Education Certification as School Counselor, and an expanded option, School Counseling with LPC Qualification (60 credits)  qualifies for both school counseling certification and the licensing track to the LPC.

An Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling (48 credit) option is approved for licensing by the New Jersey Certification Board for the LCADC.  Additional options can be found by clicking the Counseling Programs tab to the right.

A College Counseling and Student Services (48 credit)  option prepares students for higher education positions and includes a path to the LPC.

Certification only programs are offered for Student Assistance Coordinator and Director of School Counseling.

A post-M.A. program to help those holding a master’s degree in Counseling of 48 credits or less  obtain additional courses to qualify  for the LAC is also offered.

SEE THE SIDEBAR FOR NAVIGATING TO SPECIFIC INFORMATION.

For a general email: ced@kean.edu

For a general phone call: 908.737.5950

Based on our CACREP accredited program for the LPC and SC certification, reciprocity between states is likely, but the individual states may have their own requirements. It is up to the individual to determine what is needed based on the state one is planning to apply for licensure.