Chicago State University (CSU) is located in Chicago and is the state university of Illinois. It is a member-school of Thurgood Marshall College Fund and was founded in 1867. In addition to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and the Honors College, CSU consists of five degree-granting colleges, including the College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Chicago State University Accreditation Details
Chicago State University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since January 1, 1941. Accreditation assures students, the public, staff and faculty that the University meets stated HLC criteria and provides a quality of higher education that the community recognizes and has the right to expect.
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Chicago State University Application Requirements
Students must submit a $25 nonrefundable application fee, and freshmen are required to complete either the Common Application or a CSU Application. ACT and/or SAT scores, a counselor/teacher recommendation, a personal essay and an official transcript from all high schools are also required. Some freshmen may also be required to attend an interview and submit writing samples as well as letters of recommendation.
Graduate students seeking a master’s degree may apply online and choose from several types of applications. Applicants must submit a nonrefundable application fee as well as official transcripts from all previously attended academic institutions with the exception of credits earned at CSU.
Tuition and Financial Aid
New undergraduate students can expect to pay $294 per credit hour for their tuition if they are an Illinois resident or $584 per credit hour if they are a non-Illinois resident. Graduate students can expect to pay $310 per credit hour for their tuition if they are an Illinois resident or $599 per credit hour if they are a non-Illinois resident. Chicago State University offers several forms of financial aid such as loans, grants and scholarships to help students pay for the cost of their education, and interested students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility. Graduate students are also eligible, and types of financial aid may include veterans/military educational benefits, the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan or the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.
Psychology and Counseling Degrees Available
The Psychology Department at Chicago State University educates students with a broad training in the field of psychology, preparing them for employment in entry-level jobs or for graduate work. Students interested in the scientific study of behavior may pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The courses and curriculum offered are designed to provide a well-rounded education. The mission of the Psychology Department is to prepare students for advanced studies as well as to allow them the opportunity to interact with society in order to advocate for social change, especially in the area of mental health. Upon graduation, students will be able to play a productive role in businesses, hospital settings, social service agencies and community agencies.
Students must take at least 28 credit hours in core psychology courses. This curriculum will cover topics such as statistical methods in behavioral science, physiological psychology, cognitive psychology, an introduction to behavioral research methods and abnormal psychology. Students will also study social psychology and the psychology of childhood and adolescence, and they will receive an introduction to the field of psychology as a whole. In addition to coursework, students are required to take a senior thesis and experimental psychology class.
The Psychology Department also offers graduate study that leads to a Master of Arts in Counseling. The program is designed to provide students with the education, skills and experience they need to work in a variety of counseling settings. The master’s degree is also designed as a pre-doctoral program in counseling psychology, and graduates who choose the School Track are eligible to hold positions as counselors in school settings. Graduates of the Community Track are eligible to apply for positions as counselors in various community settings.
The Master of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling is designed to prepare students to service multiple counseling or mental health needs within schools in an urban setting. Students are given a strong preparation in clinical intervention as well as a directed focus on meeting the needs of urban families and youth. Additionally, students develop the skills necessary to build a primary intervention program that impacts the school community. Students will also learn how to organize and implement counseling interventions, which are subsequently integrated into the school curriculum. The School Counseling track consists of 51 credit hours in coursework that covers topics such as multicultural issues in counseling, microcounseling, counseling theories and ethics, techniques of assessment and diagnosis, pre-practicum counseling laboratory and treatment interventions for urban youth and families.
Students pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling are prepared for careers in community agencies such as substance abuse facilities and mental health clinics. In addition, students may choose to work as developmental consultants and interventionalists in a variety of non-educational and educational settings. Students on the Clinical Mental Health path are provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide clinical intervention services with a focus on addressing the needs of youth and their families within an urban setting. Students are required to take 60 credit hours of coursework, and classes will cover topics such as family systems counseling, counseling across the lifespan, treatment interventions for urban youth and families, techniques of assessment and diagnosis, lifestyle and career development, multicultural issues in counseling and microcounseling. Students will also become immersed in principles and techniques of group counseling, counseling theories and ethics, principles of clinical mental health counseling and advanced lifespan development and counseling applications.
Both the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling tracks are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACRE). If students are interested, they may complete a thesis, and the master’s program qualifies students pursuing the school track to sit for examinations for the State of Illinois School Counselor Content-Area Test. Students pursuing either track from Chicago State University may be eligible to sit for the Illinois Licensure for Professional Counselors (LPC) and the National Counseling Certification (NCC), although additional coursework and/or requirements may be necessary.