Developmental Course Sequence

The developmental sequence of courses has been built around a “Counselor as Theorist and Practitioner” framework and can be conceptualized as an example of a spiral curriculum (Bruner, 1966). The sequence of courses was intentionally designed to include elements of theory and practice throughout the program in such a way that information and skills are built upon developmentally. While each course contains some elements of both theory and practice, most courses have a primary emphasis on one or the other.

The sequence begins with all first-year students taking courses that emphasize basic counseling skills and counseling theories in their first and second semesters. In these courses, students explore various theoretical approaches to counseling and begin to apply those theoretical concepts as they are exposed to specific counseling techniques consistent with the various approaches. This two-course sequence forms the center point of the spiral from which the other courses expand. Every course in the program connects back to these two courses in some way, culminating in the practicum and internship experiences where the student’s identity as a counselor who is both theorist and practitioner is concretely demonstrated.

The sequence of courses moves back and forth between emphasis on theory and emphasis on practice, interweaving and connecting theory and practice throughout the program. In addition to the development of counselors as theorists and practitioners, the spiral curriculum is useful in conceptualizing the ways in which other aspects of the counseling curriculum are delivered. For example, knowledge and skill related to multicultural concerns are of primary importance in the development of counselors. For this reason, multicultural issues are addressed in each course in the program. Similarly, the development of one’s own theory of counseling and how that theory is best implemented in practice is revisited throughout the curriculum. Attention to personal and professional development of students is an essential component of every aspect of the counseling curriculum and is addressed throughout the program consistent with the spiral curriculum approach.