East Central University

ECU Psychology and Counseling Programs

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

Though ECU offers a general Master of Science in Psychological Sciences, this program offers concentrations and specializations in counseling psychology, school psychology, and sport psychology. There is also a school psychology certificate program available for students who already have a graduate degree in a related field. Students must complete 60 credits of work above the bachelor's level and pass a comprehensive exam to obtain a school counseling license. This program is also available as a Master of Education in School Counseling. Students applying to this program must have a teaching license before they enroll.

Its counseling psychology program provides students with the skills necessary to work with patients in clinical settings as those patients deal with psychological problems. The program features 27 credits of core classes, 21 credits of counseling psychology classes and six hours of electives. Students will also do a practicum in the field.

ECU offers a school psychology program that prepares students for working with kids of different ages. They must take 60 credits of classes that include specialization and core classes. Students also take two practicums and two internships that provide them with practical experience working with real students. Some of the classes in this program include Standardized Group Tests, Advanced Group Counseling, Statistics and Design in Applied Psychology and Introduction to School Psychology Services.

Students can also enroll in a sports psychology graduate program and learn how to work with professional and amateur athletes. This program requires that students do a sports internship in their final semester. Students also take 57 credits of classes, including Sports Performance Enhancement Strategies, Life Coaching & Career Counseling, Sports in American Society and Health Psychology.

The university's Master of Science in Human Resources has a concentration available in clinical rehabilitation and clinical mental health counseling. Students will take 15 credit hours of classes from within this concentration, do a practicum in the field and take some general human resources classes. Another option for counseling students is the university's addictions counseling certificate program. This East Central University program features just five classes, including Concepts in Addiction Counseling Practice, Addictions Therapy and Family Therapy and Addictions.

About East Central University

East Central University is a university in Oklahoma that started life as a normal school. Founded in 1903 as the East Central Normal School, its first programs offered graduates certificates and diplomas rather than degrees. Students learned the fundamentals of working in the new schools popping up in the western half of the country. This school required that students take four years of high school classes and then two years of college classes to graduate.

It became a teachers college in 1919 after adding bachelor's degree programs to its curriculum. The school used the names of East Central State College and East Central Oklahoma before becoming East Central University. Students, alumni, and supports often call the university ECU or East Central. East Central has an enrollment today of around 4,500 students.

East Central University Accreditation Details

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS), which is a division of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), granted ECU regional accreditation. Graduate students who have a degree from another school with regional accreditation can transfer some of their credits into a grad school program. This also allows students to use any financial aid given to them after completing the FAFSA. ECU also has accreditation from organizations that include the Council on Rehabilitation Education, Council on Social Work Education and other professional agencies.

East Central University Application Requirements

Students hoping to enroll in an ECU graduate program must submit their applications by the deadline relating to when they want to start classes. The university has a deadline of October 1 for those starting in the spring, but it also has a deadline of March 1 for those who want to start in either the fall or summer. ECU will notify students of its decision within one month of receiving their applications and any other information.

Most programs require that students submit the application and a resume that shows any professional or volunteer experiences they have that relate to the programs they want to study. The application asks students to list at least one reference and the contact information for that individual. Once a student submits the application, the university will contact that person and ask for a letter of recommendation. Many programs also ask for an official score from the GRE too.

Some of the university's education master's programs ask that students take a writing exam. This exam tests them on their knowledge of spelling and grammar and ensures that they have strong English language skills. Students may need to submit a resume or show proof that they have a valid teaching license. The ECU clinical counseling programs require that students pass a criminal background check and that they submit essays to several questions and topics. These students must also provide the university with a peer reference.

Tuition and Financial Aid

ECU charges one rate for its tuition and a second rate that includes all its fees. Oklahoma residents pay around $267 per credit hour. Full-time students pay around $2,400 a semester to take nine credits of classes. The university increases these rate to $353.60 for all nonresidents. Before a student can qualify for the resident rate, he or she must show the university proof that the student resided in Oklahoma for 12 full months in the last calendar year. Students can submit utility bills, tax records, and other documents.

Though the university does not offer financial aid for students enrolled in one of its graduate certificate programs, it does offer financial aid packages for full-time students enrolled in a full degree program. The FAFSA now becomes available in October, but students have until the late winter or early spring to file. Students taking at least four credits of classes during each of the three annual semesters qualify for aid. Most of those students receive federal loans, but a small number of graduate students also qualify for government grants. East Central University allows students to use private and alternative student loans also.