Henderson State University

Studying Counseling and Psychology at HSU

Henderson State University appears in our ranking of the Top 25 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Counseling in the South.

Located in McBrien Hall, the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts & Sciences grants Henderson State University's third-largest major for a B.A./B.S. in Psychology. Adhering to APA undergrad guidelines, the 120-credit degree builds on a liberal arts or scientific core for analyzing the brain's behavioral response to stimuli. Thanks to the 16:1 student-faculty ratio under Dr. Aneeq Ahmad, mentoring relationships are strong. Arkadelphia courses like Multicultural Mental Health, Forensic Psychology, Problems of Adolescence, and Behavior Modification lead to the ETS Major Field Test in 48 months. Other opportunities include researching in the Neuroscience Lab, attending the SWPA Convention, adding the Human Diversity Minor, joining Psi Chi, interning at Hillcrest Children's Home, and studying in Ecuador.

Enrolling 65 Reddies for 100 percent completion, HSU's Counselor Education Program fulfills Arkansas LPC certification with skills for therapeutic intervention. Led by Dr. Michael Kelly, the 60-credit curriculum offers an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for medical care or M.S.E. in School Counseling for K-12 work. Both share several courses, such as Psychopathology, Diagnostic Assessment, Substance Abuse, Play Therapy, and Cultural Foundations, that are in-person or online via Blackboard. Master's students create TK20 portfolios while completing the 600+ internship hours at agencies like The Joshua Center, Families Inc., Peake Elementary, Baptist Health Medical Center, and Ouachita Behavioral Health. There's also a Master of Science in Developmental Therapy entirely online.

About Henderson State University

Henderson State University was founded as Arkadelphia Methodist College in 1890 by Confederate veteran Rev. John McLaughlin with 10 faculty. Named for railroad magnate Charles C. Henderson 15 years later, HSU grew to acquire Hendrix College in 1929. Henderson then switched from teachers college to a public, state-funded GAC liberal arts school in 1967. Now budgeting $68.1 million annually, Henderson State University educates 3,500 undergrad and 400 post-grad Reddies, including in Psychology and Counseling majors. Near Lake DeGray, HSU holds a 151-acre southern Arkansas campus in the Ouachita Mountains with the 300,000-book Minnie Bell Huie Library. Linked to 10,312 LinkedIn alumni, Henderson has graduated Bobby Jones, Shannon Curtin, C. Vann Woodward, and more.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Henderson State as the 95th best Southern college and 37th top public school with the 224th best online graduate education nationally. On Niche, HSU is America's 265th most conservative university, 415th top faculty, and 425th best college dining center. Washington Monthly applauded Henderson for the 135th highest graduation rate and 94th most work-study service. College Factual named HSU the country's 102nd best liberal arts value and 351st top psychology program. Reporting a median mid-career salary of $72,000 on PayScale, Henderson State University was placed 146th for educational outcomes by WalletHub. According to College Choice, Henderson has the eighth cheapest online graduate tuition too.

Henderson State University Accreditation Details

In May 2012, Henderson State University had its Level IV accreditation renewed for 10 more years without sanctions by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) under president Glendell Jones, Jr. This regional bureau in Chicago is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure the quality of HSU's 47 baccalaureate, 11 master's, and 19 certificate programs from Arkadelphia to Hot Springs. Henderson abides by the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) membership standards. The counselor education master's is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). The School Counseling track is also endorsed by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Henderson State University Application Requirements

The Fall 2016 acceptance rate of 62 percent shows that the Psychology Bachelor of Arts or Science at Henderson State University involves fulfilling "selective" criteria. First-year Reddies need to graduate from licensed high schools, finish homeschool curricula, or earn the GED equivalent. On average, HSU freshmen hold a 3.21 cumulative GPA and rank in the top 50 percentile of their class. Unconditional admission requires scoring 20 or better on the ACT. Transfers carrying more than 12 non-remedial credits with at least "C" averages are welcomed. The Counselor Education Program mandates a four-year bachelor's major with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Avoiding probationary status requires scoring over 388 on the MAT or 287 on the GRE. School Counseling M.S.E. students also need to pass the Praxis Core.

Henderson State University has rolling admission year-round until the final August 1st and December 1st deadlines for undergrads. The Counselor Education Program enforces deadlines of March 15th for Summer, June 15th for Fall, and November 15th for Spring starts. Prospective students can complete the Admission Form online or by mail to 1100 Henderson St. in Arkadelphia, AR 71999. Application help is available at [email protected] or (870) 230-5028. Psychology and counseling programs generally request the following:

• Payments for the one-time $25 fee
• Official high school/college transcripts
• MMR immunization records if born after 1956
• College or graduate entrance exams
• Five-part, typed personal essay responses
• Three signed performance appraisal forms
• Résumés or informal lists of work history

Tuition and Financial Aid

Arkansas residents pursuing the Psychology B.A./B.S. full-time pay $8,530 annually. Out-of-state Henderson undergrads are billed $10,180 each year full-time. Living at the Arkadelphia campus' dorms like Sturgis Hall adds $7,000 for room and board. Budgets should also include $1,600 for books, $2,400 for miscellaneous supplies, and $1,300 for transportation. Annual cost of attendance equals $20,830 in-state and $24,680 out-of-state. Pursuing the HSU Counselor Education Program will cost Arkansans $269 and non-residents $336 per credit. The total master's price is roughly $16,140 to $20,160 before financial aid.

According to the NCES College Navigator, 91 percent of full-time HSU Reddies share $35.3 million in annual assistance packages that average $8,320. Psychology majors could claim institutional awards, such as the Distinguished Freshman Scholarship, Centurium Scholarship, Transfer Scholarship, Erwin Jankek Scholarship, Marian Breland Bailey Scholarship, Gene Lawrence Scholarship, and Galloway Alumni Association Scholarship. Filing the FAFSA by June 1st with code 001098 unlocks the Federal Pell and FSEOG Grants. Natural State natives might earn the Arkansas Higher Education Opportunities Grant, Health Education Grant, or SREB Grant. Federal Work-Study jobs offer 10-20 hours of weekly paid campus employment. Master's students taking 6+ credits with a minimum 2.0 GPA could earn graduate assistantships. LendEDU reports that Henderson State University students also finish with an average debt of $23,641 from Perkins, Direct, PLUS, and alternative loans.

Learn more about Henderson State University at the Ellis College of Arts & Sciences website.