What You Need to Know
In addition to the academic requirements, you must also attend to the following:
Individual Counseling
Opening up about secrets and hurts takes courage and vulnerability. We think it is vital that counselors experience what it’s like to be on the receiving end of counseling and require that MACC students undergo 5-8 sessions of individual counseling prior to beginning the clinical experience.
Continuing Education Requirements
Each MACC student is required to participate in at least 4 continuing education programs. You get to choose which ones you attend—and there are lots to choose from.
Distance Learning
You can take many of our courses via distance learning. Some of these might be intensive classes or "hybrid" classes in which at least 50% of the course is held with all students on campus. The Seminary does not currently offer a completely online degree program. To obtain the MACC degree, students must complete at least one-third of the required credits on campus in Bethlehem, PA.
The Clinical Experience
Good counseling work requires intellectually and emotionally strong and agile therapists, and, as a result, we take preparation for clinical work seriously. This program is not just an academic program. It is also a personal development program that helps you grow into your personal and professional identity so that you can withstand the rigors of the work. No student is guaranteed a site placement by how many courses they have taken. You are evaluated throughout the program to determine readiness for clinical work. If you are studying full-time, you may begin clinical placements in a practicum setting in your second semester. Many students, though, do not start their clinical placements until they have more coursework under their belt and have had more time to absorb, reflect, and consider their growth and development at the Seminary.
Before you begin your practicum and internship, you will meet with the Clinical Director to discuss areas of interest, skill development, and career goals. Most students interview at several sites before deciding where they want to do their clinical work. Students have chosen sites such as Valley Youth House, Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services, Luther Crest/Diakon, Penn Foundation, St. Luke’s Hospice, and DeSales University Counseling Center. You can also suggest potential sites of interest to the Clinical Director.
The Supervision and Peer Group classes that you must take concurrently with your clinical experience provide both supervisory and peer support to help you integrate and process experiences, learnings, and understandings. To graduate, you must complete at least 700 hours of supervised clinical experience, which meets the requirements for licensure as an Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2016-17 Clinical Placement Manual
Licensure
Our MACC program is designed to meet the academic requirements in Pennsylvania for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC). As with all other master programs in counseling, an additional 3000 post-graduate hours of LPC-supervised clinical work are required for Pennsylvania state licensure. Hours can be obtained in the 2 to 6 years following graduation while working as a counselor under the supervision of an LPC licensed supervisor.
Adding a Concentration or Graduate Certificate
You can focus your electives on Biblical studies, contemplative practices, or spiritual formation and obtain a 12-credit Concentration (Formative Spirituality, Biblical Studies) or dive deeper with a Graduate Certificate (Spiritual Direction, Formative Spirituality, Biblical Studies).