Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Degree Awarded	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline	MHEC Final Action	Final Decision Date
	University of Maryland Eastern Shore Proposal	Master of Education (M.Ed.)	Area of Concentration (A.o.C.) in Community Counseling	6/22/2019	Approved	7/10/2019
Area of Concentration (A.o.C.) in Community Counseling Program Description
The Department of Education at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is seeking approval to make changes to the M.Ed. in in Counselor Education to add an Area of Concentration in Community Counseling. Graduates of the Community Counseling specialization are employed in outpatient mental health agencies, inpatient mental health agencies, substance abuse clinics, counseling centers in higher education, hospice care, career counseling centers, prisons, and other health care settings. <br> <br>The proposed changes will allow the program to seek national accreditation through CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs). In order to meet CACREP standards, the program must require a minimum of 60 credit hours, 100 hours of practicum, and 600 hours of internship. The term Community Counseling is no longer recognized by CACREP, so the 60 credit specialization Clinical Mental Health Counseling will be adopted upon approval of this AoC. The curriculum and assessments will also be aligned with CACREP standards.