Master of Arts in Professional Counseling

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GR MAPC

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling (MAPC) Program is a 60-hour CACREP-accredited program designed to prepare graduates to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in the State of Texas. Becoming an LPC allows graduates to provide counseling services in a variety of settings. The MAPC program offers the required coursework and field experience for students to pursue dual licensure as an LPC-Associate and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Associate. Additionally, the program prepares graduates for advanced study at the doctoral level in fields such as psychology, counselor education, and related disciplines. Students in the Professional Counseling program at Dallas Baptist University are uniquely equipped to pursue clinical excellence while ethically integrating their faith in both secular and sacred counseling settings. Presently, classes are offered in a variety of modalities, including in-person, online, and hybrid, throughout the day, primarily in the afternoon and evening.

Additional Program Information

University Mission Statement

The mission of Dallas Baptist University is to provide Christ-centered quality higher education in the arts, sciences, and professional studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to traditional age and adult students in order to produce servant leaders who have the ability to integrate faith and learning through their respective callings.

Program Mission Statement

The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling is a 60-hr graduate program that integrates faith with clinical mental health counseling theory and practice from a Christ-centered worldview to produce servant leaders for work as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) and/or a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in various clinical settings in Texas and for ministry to a diverse world.

Program Objectives

Provide Christ-centered quality counseling education in order to produce graduates who integrate faith and learning in a diverse world.
Produce graduates who demonstrate the appropriate knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for the successful practice of clinical mental health counseling.
Equip graduates with the requisites to pass the NCE (National Counseling Examination) and meet the qualifications for licensure as a professional counselor in Texas.
Cultivate a professional counselor identity among faculty through organizational involvement, research, publications, presentations, and community service.

Program Student-Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate the appropriate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a successful clinical mental health counselor.
Students will practice and promote resiliency, optimal growth and development, and wellness for self and clients across the lifespan.
Students will apply ethical and legal standards responsibly as a clinical mental health counselor.
Students will develop and maintain a culturally competent professional identity as a clinical mental health counselor.
Students will demonstrate understanding of theoretical foundations, relationship dynamics, and therapeutic factors vital to assessing, diagnosing, and treating both individuals and groups.

ADMISSION

Admission Process

Applicants to the Master of Professional Counseling program will submit all required application forms to the graduate office. Application files will be forwarded to the MAPC Admissions committee for review. The MAPC committee will schedule personal interviews with applicants. The committee will consider each applicant’s (1) relevance of career goals, (2) aptitude for graduate-level study, (3) potential success in forming effective counseling relationships, and (4) respect for cultural differences. Committee recommendations will be sent to the university’s graduate admissions committee for final admission decisions.

Orientation of New Students

At the beginning of each semester (fall, spring), new students will attend a student orientation scheduled by the MAPC director. At the orientation, the program director will (1) distribute and review the MAPC Student Handbook, (2) discuss students’ ethical and professional obligations and personal growth expectations as counselors-in-training, and (3) review eligibility requirements for LPC licensure in the state of Texas.

The orientation will also include a review of the MAPC Counseling Agreement Contract. By signing this agreement, new students are stating their willingness to be evaluated on nine characteristics deemed necessary for the development of an ethical and competent counselor. These characteristics are implied from the expectations of professional and personal competence and responsibility and are as follows: openness, flexibility, positiveness, cooperativeness, willingness to use and accept feedback, awareness of impact on others, ability to deal with conflict, ability to accept personal responsibility, and ability to express feelings effectively and appropriately. In addition, the student's signature on the contract expresses agreement to attend eight counseling sessions during the first two semesters in the MA in Professional Counseling Program.

Transfer Students

Applicants desiring to transfer from a master’s counseling program at another university to the MA in Professional Counseling Program at DBU are required to submit an official letter which states that the applicant is a student in good standing and is eligible to complete that program as well as enroll in practicum classes. This letter should be from the Dean or the Program Director on school letterhead and is to be submitted with the application to the DBU program. Transfer courses can only be accepted from CACREP approved programs.