Counseling Programs at Texas A&M University – San Antonio
The Department of Counseling, Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University – San Antonio combines scholarly research with hands-on learning. Students benefit from a reflective, learner-focused approach. The school’s home at One University Way serves as a training ground for future counseling professionals who will serve San Antonio’s community needs.
Texas A&M University – San Antonio’s Counseling Program earned full 8-year accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Students can choose from three master’s degree paths:
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 credit hours)
- Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling (60 credit hours)
- Master of Arts in Counseling & Guidance: School Counseling (60 credit hours)
The university added a Bachelor of Science in Human Services degree to its lineup after approval from the Texas A&M System Board of Regents on May 20, 2021. This program has become one of America’s fastest-growing undergraduate options and opens many career doors for graduates.
Students who complete these counseling programs meet Texas requirements for professional licensure and certification. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling degrees fulfill the 60-hour Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) academic requirements in Texas. The School Counseling program prepares graduates for School Counselor Certification in Texas.
Students learn everything in counseling through a well-rounded curriculum. Topics include theoretical foundations, human growth and development, counseling people from different backgrounds, group work, career guidance, assessment, research methods, professional ethics, and practical training.
The university’s Student Counseling Center gives enrolled students free, confidential mental health support. Students can access one-on-one sessions, group therapy, and immediate help for urgent needs. Graduate students can complete their practicum and internship hours at the center.
Faculty members evaluate students based on a 3.0 minimum GPA requirement and fitness-to-practice standards. Students must show emotional and mental stability when interacting with others and follow professional ethics codes. A comprehensive exam is the final step before graduation.
These programs are a great way to get the academic knowledge and hands-on experience needed to pursue professional counseling licenses or certifications in Texas.
What counseling programs does Texas A&M University – San Antonio offer?
Texas A&M University – San Antonio has three different counseling programs. Each program prepares you for specific careers in the counseling profession.
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling takes 60 credit hours of coursework. The program focuses on developing professional counselors who understand the ethical dimensions, policy considerations, and legal aspects of the counseling field. After you finish, you’ll meet all academic requirements needed for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status in Texas.
The Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling also requires 60 credit hours. This specialized degree gets you ready to work with families of all types and meets the state’s 60-hour LPC academic requirements. You’ll learn therapeutic approaches that work best with family systems and relationship dynamics.
The Master of Arts in Counseling & Guidance: School Counseling needs 51 hours of counseling coursework. You’ll learn to implement and manage school counseling programs while applying therapeutic and developmental principles. The degree meets all academic requirements for School Counselor Certification in Texas. You can add 9 more hours of prescribed coursework to meet the 60-hour LPC requirement if you want.
These programs need you to meet several requirements:
- Your undergraduate GPA should be 2.60-2.99, or 3.00+ for the last 60 semester credits
- You need to write a three-page Statement of Purpose
- You must attend a group interview with the Counseling Admissions Committee
All first-semester students pay a one-time $220 program fee. This gives you lifetime access to the Tevera platform and the Counseling Skills Scale assessment tool. Your overall GPA must stay at 3.0 or higher during your studies.
Each program includes 700 hours of hands-on training through practicum and internship experience. Most students complete these programs in about three years. You can choose between full-time and part-time enrollment.
Internships/Practicum at TAMU – San Antonio
Your professional training at Texas A&M University – San Antonio concludes with field practicum and internship experiences. These final steps of your counseling education give you a great chance to use theoretical knowledge with actual clients in real-life settings.
The 700 hours of supervised experience combines field practicum and internship requirements. You’ll complete 100 hours for practicum with at least 40 hours of direct client contact. The remaining 600 hours are for internship, spread across multiple courses to give you varied counseling exposure. This step-by-step approach helps you build skills under careful supervision.
Several eligibility criteria must be met before starting these experiences. You need to finish all core courses in your degree plan and keep a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA. You can’t have any grade C in counseling courses or an open Fitness to Practice Remediation Plan.
The Practicum/Internship Coordinator should be contacted two semesters before starting practicum to discuss application deadlines and approved sites. All required documentation must be submitted through Tevera, the program’s field experience management platform.
Each approved practicum site must give you a range of counseling experiences. Qualified supervisors at these sites must have a master’s degree in counseling or related field plus two years of relevant work experience. They provide at least one hour of individual or triadic supervision weekly.
Professional behavior standards must be upheld during your field experience. This means following a set schedule, meeting the site’s dress code, protecting client confidentiality, and showing emotional and mental fitness in all interactions.
These field experiences are essential steps to become a licensed counselor in Texas. The program structure gives you enough feedback and training before graduation, preparing you well for professional practice with clients from different backgrounds.
What sets TAMU – San Antonio apart?
TAMU-San Antonio stands out as a top choice for counseling programs in Texas, and with good reason too. The university has earned full CACREP accreditation for all three counseling specialties. This puts it in an elite group that has only two other San Antonio universities and six other Texas A&M System institutions.
The university’s program is truly special. It runs one of just 50 accredited Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling programs across the nation, and only two exist in South Texas. This accreditation will give a stable program and shows that graduates meet the highest educational quality standards with hands-on preparation.
Students at TAMU-San Antonio enjoy individual attention with an impressive 12:1 or lower student-to-teacher ratio. The university offers one of the area’s most affordable tuition rates in San Antonio.
The job market looks bright. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Clinical Mental Health Counseling field to grow by 22% in the next decade. The Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling field looks even more promising with potential growth reaching 26% during the same time.
The university’s steadfast dedication to student success shows in its low 2.0% student loan default rate. This rate sits by a lot below the national average of 10.1%. These numbers highlight the program’s quality and graduates’ success in finding employment after completion.
Next steps
Want to become a counselor in Texas? Texas A&M University – San Antonio’s counseling programs offer great opportunities, but you need to prepare your application carefully and meet all deadlines.
The first step requires completing the GradCAS application with the appropriate fee – $49 for domestic students or $69 for international applicants. Your application package must include these important documents:
- Official e-transcripts from all institutions attended
- A personal statement (three pages) outlining your reasons to apply, career goals, and research interests
- Current curriculum vitae or résumé
- You’ll need to participate in an interview with counseling faculty
Students must show proficiency in assessment measures throughout the counseling program before starting practicum or internship. The Practicum/Internship Coordinator needs to be contacted two semesters before enrollment to discuss application deadlines, approved sites, and required documentation.
You’ll need to complete all core courses and maintain good academic standing without any incomplete grades to join practicum/internship. The program expects you to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior consistently.
Submit your application and supporting documents by the published deadlines to avoid delays. The university will withdraw incomplete applications after the final deadline. You can defer your admission up to one year beyond your original admission term.