This 3+2 Articulated Sequence is designed as a pathway from an undergraduate degree in psychology into a masters-degree program in counseling at The College of New Jersey, which allows for both degrees to be completed in five years. Specifically, this articulated sequence allows students an opportunity to complete a bachelor’s-degree in psychology in three years and a masters-degree program in two years, with students completing their bachelor’s degree by May of Year 3 and taking graduate courses beginning in June. The Department of Counselor Education admits up to 5 students into the 3+2 articulated sequence Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program for each Fall admissions cycle.
The advantages of pursuing this 3+2 Year Articulated Sequence are three-fold.
- Students will know their status concerning their continuation into graduate school through this sequence in their second year of undergraduate degree work.
- Their GRE admission requirement for graduate study in counseling at TCNJ is waived for students whose cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is 3.3 or above.
- Students will be able to complete two degrees in five years, whereas the standard minimum length of time to do this would be six to seven years.
Admission into the MA program is not guaranteed for students who complete their undergraduate degree work in psychology in three years. Hence, they must complete a Graduate Admissions Interview process during the spring of the second year of their undergraduate degree program and gain acceptance into the MA program. The annual application deadline for a Fall admission cycle is February 1st during the student’s second year of undergrad. IMPORTANT NOTE: Students that will be in their third/final year of undergrad during the 2026-2027 academic year need to apply by October 1, 2026.
Applicants should select the appropriate program codes when applying:
- the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program code is “COUN_MA_07”
- the School Counseling (SC) program code is “COUN_MA_01”
Admissions application requirements and processes (including an admissions interview) are published on the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education website.
Please note, at this time, transfer students with their associate’s degree are not eligible for the 3+2 accelerated program, but are still more than welcome to apply to the graduate programs of the Counselor Education department.
Students who have been accepted into the MA program must notify the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education of their decision to accept or decline an acceptance offer no later than 14 days after our offer of admission in order to secure a seat in the program. Additionally, they must maintain a minimum of 3.3 GPA in their undergraduate degree program of study to matriculate into the masters-degree program in counseling. Acceptance is contingent upon the completion of their BA in Psychology.
It is an intensive and challenging course of study to complete the MA program requirements in two years. Therefore, it is imperative that students seek advisement from their assigned faculty advisor and discuss how to best complete the sequence of courses outlined above. If they choose not to follow the sequence articulated below at any point in their degree work, they may still complete the MA program by taking additional time. However, they must complete their degree requirements within six-years from the term in which they were admitted into the program.
Recommended Three-Year Undergraduate Course Sequence
First Year:
- FYS First Year Seminar (1 course unit)
- PSY 096: Orientation to Psychology (0 course units)
- PSY 101: General Psychology* (1 course unit)
- PSY 121: Methods and Tools of Psychology (1 course unit)
- Choose up to 2 Foundation courses** (0-2 course units)
- Foreign Language (if not exempted)*** (2 course units)
- College Core courses (2-3 course units)
* If an equivalent to PSY 101 has not already been completed.
** If a student has earned transfer credit for PSY 101 (or its equivalent) or has earned a score of three or higher on the AP Psychology test, PSY 121 should be selected and an additional foundation course should be taken in the first year. PSY 217 and/or PSY 219 are recommended foundation courses.
*** It is recommended that students exempted from these courses take other College Core courses. Some language courses, such as Japanese 151 and 152, are intensive courses that carry two course units of credit each. Students should take this into account when planning a normal four-course semester.
Second Year:
- PSY 097: Exploring the Psychology Major (0 course units)
- PSY 203: Design & Statistical Analysis (1 course unit)
- PSY 390: Collaborative Research (1 course unit)
- Choose one PSY Foundation Course (1 course unit)
- Choose one PSY Specialized Course (1 course unit)
- Foreign Language (if not exempted) (1 course unit)
- College Core courses (1-2 course units)
- Electives (1-2 course units)
Third Year:
- PSY 098: Exploring the Psychology Profession (0 course units)
- Choose two PSY Specialized courses (2 course units)
- College Core courses (1-2 course units)
- Electives (3-4 course units)
- Choose one PSY Senior Experience course (1 course unit)
Course Sequence for the BA in Psychology + MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Generalist Track)
Year One:
Summer:
- COUN 515: Research and Statistics (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 501: Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 545: Foundations of Mental Health Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 555: Differential Diagnosis (3 credits)
- COUN 551: Substance Abuse and Addiction: Individual, Family, and Society (3 credits)
Winter:
- EPSY 643: Measurement and Evaluation (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 670: Counseling Theories and Techniques (3 credits)
- COUN 675: Group Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 530: Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Year Two:
Summer:
- COUN 690: Practicum Seminar (3 credits)
- EPSY 520: Fundamentals of Lifespan and Human Development (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 694: Internship Seminar (3 credits)
- COUN 605: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 535: Career Counseling (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 695: Internship Seminar (3 credits)
- COUN 600: Introduction to Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling and Therapy
- Elective (3 credits)
- COUN 700: Department Comprehensive Exam (no credits)
This general practice option would meet the education requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey.
Course Sequence for the BA in Psychology + MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Addiction Counseling Track)
Year One:
Summer:
- COUN 515: Research and Statistics (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 501: Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 545: Foundations of Mental Health Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 551: Substance Abuse and Addiction: Individual, Family, and Society (3 credits)
- COUN 555: Differential Diagnosis (3 credits)
Winter:
- EPSY 643: Measurement and Evaluation (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 670: Counseling Theories and Techniques (3 credits)
- COUN 675: Group Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 553: Treating Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders (3 credits)
- COUN 530: Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
Year Two:
Summer:
- COUN 690: Practicum Seminar (3 credits)
- EPSY 520: Fundamentals of Lifespan and Human Development (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 694: Internship Seminar (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
- COUN 605: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 535: Career Counseling (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 695: Internship Seminar (3 credits)
- COUN 600: Introduction to Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling and Therapy
- Elective (3 credits)
- COUN 700: Department Comprehensive Exam (no credits)
*For the LCADC (Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor), it is recommended that students complete 300 hours of the total 600 hours of clinical work for the internship experiences in addiction and/or co occurring counseling work. Students who plan to complete a portion of their internship hours in addiction counseling must complete COUN 551 and COUN 553 prior to their enrollment in Internship.
Course Sequence for the BA in Psychology + MA in School Counseling
Year One:
Summer:
- COUN 515: Research and Statistics (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 501: Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
- EPSY 520: Fundamentals of Human Development (3 credits)
- COUN 530: Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
- EPSY 661: Counseling Children and Adolescents(3 credits)
Winter:
- EPSY 643: Measurement and Evaluation (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 670: Counseling Theories and Techniques (3 credits)
- COUN 675: Group Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 660: Organization, Administration, and Supervision of School Counseling (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Year Two:
Summer:
- COUN 545: Foundations of Mental Health Counseling (3 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
Fall:
- COUN 690: Practicum Seminar (3 credits)
- COUN 535: Career Counseling (3 credits)
- COUN 663: School-Based Counseling Interventions and Curriculum Development
- Elective (3 credits)
Spring:
- COUN 695: Internship Seminar (3 credits)
- COUN 662: Leadership, Advocacy, Supervision, and Systems Change (3 credits)
- COUN 700: Department Comprehensive Exam (no credits)
Eligibility for graduation requires:
- Satisfactory completion of all program-specific graduate-level courses outlined above;
- A minimum of 48 graduate semester hours earned at The College of New Jersey
- A minimum total of 60 graduate semester hours
- A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0
- Completion of all departmental requirements/prerequisites
- A grade of B or better in COUN 501, 670, 675, 690, and 693 (or 694/695). With Departmental approval students who receive a grade of B-, C+, C, or C- in these courses or their prerequisites will be permitted to retake the course(s) in question only once to improve their grade and remain in the program. Failure to obtain a B or better in the second attempt will result in automatic termination. No student who has received a grade of B- or lower in a prerequisite course(s) will be permitted to enroll in COUN 670, 675, 690 or 693 (or 694/695)
- A student receiving an “F” grade in any course will automatically be denied continuance in the Department of Counselor Education program.
Additionally, students must take and pass a comprehensive examination during their final semester. To be eligible to register for the comprehensive exams, a student must have earned a cumulative average of 3.0 GPA during their graduate program of study.