Mercer Offering Degree in Community Counseling

592

Mercer University’s Tift College of Education is now offering a Master of Education degree in Community Counseling. The degree, which began in fall 2001, is designed to prepare the students to function as a counselor in a variety of community settings, including mental health centers, community agencies, hospitals, residential treatment centers, corrections and a variety of other helping and human service oriented programs.

Twenty one students were admitted into the program for the Fall Semester and 38 students are enrolled for Spring Semester.

“Fall semester was terrific,” said David Lane, PH.D, associate professor in Mercer’s Tift College of Education. “We interviewed all of the students we enrolled, so when classes started we all knew each other, which worked out well. I think the students were pleased and getting a lot out of the program. It’s just an exciting time here.”

Through the program, students are prepared to work individually with clients, work with groups of clients, consult with other professionals, participate in assessment programs, provide vocational and career planning and conduct research.

“This program has already exceeded my expectations, which were high to begin with,” said Michelle Stangline, a teacher at Peachtree Elementary who is enrolled in the program. “The best thing about the program is the professors. They have changed how I see things and view human relationships. I feel like I am getting an excellent background in counseling and will become an effective school counselor that will be helpful, not hurtful.”

The degree is also beneficial for those individuals wishing to pursue licensure in the state of Georgia as a professional counselor. The 48 semester hours of coursework are designed to meet the requirements for licensing as set forth by the State of Georgia.

Founded in 1833, Mercer is a 7,300-student, comprehensive, Baptist-affiliated university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees through the College of Liberal Arts, the Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, the Tift College of Education, the School of Engineering, the Walter F. George School of Law, the School of Medicine, the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, the Southern School of Pharmacy and the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology.

Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta and four off-campus extended education centers located in Douglas County, Covington, Griffin and Eastman. The University also operates the Mercer Engineering Research Center in Warner Robins and the Mercer University Press in Macon. For the past 12 years, Mercer has been ranked among the leading universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report.