Wayne State College

Wayne State College, a public, regional four-year college located in Wayne, Nebraska, offers graduate and undergraduate programs in pre-professional studies, arts and sciences, education and business. Offering affordable education in a personalized setting, Wayne State emphasizes undergraduate teaching. Programs of excellence include learning community experiences, service-learning opportunities, the Rural Health Opportunities Program for health professions and the Northeast Nebraska Teacher Academy, the first of its kind in the U.S. A significant number of graduates from Wayne State College obtain jobs in their field immediately following graduation.

Wayne State College Accreditation Details

Wayne State College has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1917. The school has also completed the Academy for Assessment of Student Learning and participates in the Academy for Persistence and Completion.

Wayne State College Application Requirements

Freshmen applying to Wayne State College must complete the admissions application. There is no application fee. Students are required to submit their official high school transcript to the school as well as their SAT and/or ACT scores. The school also requires official transcripts from colleges at which students took any coursework prior to applying for admission at WSC.

Graduates seeking admission into a master’s degree program in counseling must complete the admissions application, complete a recommendation form and send a writing sample and official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate tuition for Nebraska residents attending Wayne State College costs $172 per credit hour, and nonresidents pay $344 per credit hour. WSC offers a $258 credit-hour rate for residents of specific Midwest states. Graduates pursuing a master’s degree in counseling from Wayne State College can expect to pay $215 per credit hour if they reside in Nebraska, a non-resident rate of $430 per credit hour or $322.50 if they reside in specific Midwest states. The online rate is $279 per credit hour for undergraduate degrees and $348.75 per credit hour for graduate degrees.

Financial aid is available for eligible students and can help to cover the student’s cost of attendance, including supplies, books, housing and meal plans, fees and tuition. Potential forms of financial aid include work-study, scholarships, loans and grants. Graduate students may be entitled to Federal Stafford Loans or Graduate Teaching Assistantships. In order to determine eligibility, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit verification to check the accuracy of the FAFSA.

Psychology and Counseling Degrees Available

Wayne State College offers both a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree. Students are required to take 36 credit hours for the major and 41 credit hours in general education courses. In order to earn a degree, students must complete a total of 120 credit hours.

Students will learn skills in experimental psychology research and methods, the history of the development of psychology, interactions between the brain and behavior, an understanding of how people think, and approaches to assess and treat abnormal psychology. Students will also develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and social skills and investigate statistical measures used in social science research. The program focuses on increased social and environmental awareness as well as psychopharmacology and the effects of drugs. Students will gain insight into organizational and group behavior and receive an introduction to forensic psychology, including psychological profiling.

Upon graduation with a B.A. or a B.S. in Psychology from Wayne State College, students will be well-prepared for a variety of careers such as research analyst, case manager or advisor, rehabilitation specialist, behavioral health technician, human resource specialist and marketing specialist. Many graduates enter the field as psychology teachers, substance abuse specialists, social workers, counselors and therapists. Potential employers for graduates include behavioral health clinics, hospitals and medical clinics, community organizations and social services.

The Master of Science in Education degree with a focus in Counseling offers concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. The master’s degree is based on a model by the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and is designed to facilitate the development of the professional skills and knowledge needed for delivering high-quality counseling services within a higher education setting, community or school. The program is also accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Wayne State College offers a Master of Science in Education degree with a focus in Clinical Mental Health Counseling -- the first step to earning a license to provide counseling services in private practice or in private or public counseling agencies. The 60-credit-hour program includes three hours of core education courses and 57 hours of content area concentration courses that cover topics such as theories of counseling, multicultural counseling, counseling children, group counseling, marriage and family counseling, crisis intervention and differential diagnosis and treatment. After graduating with this master’s degree, students are eligible to sit for certification as a professional counselor and licensure as a mental health practitioner in Nebraska.

The Master of Science in Education with a concentration in School Counseling is one requirement of Nebraska’s Department of Education for endorsement of school counselors. In addition to the master’s degree, students must also hold a valid Nebraska teaching certificate and provide verification of two years of successful teaching experience.

Students pursuing this master’s degree will take three credit hours in a core education course as well as 40 credit hours in the school counseling concentration. Students can expect to take courses that cover topics such as consultation, developmental counseling over the lifespan, individual and group assessment, career development and life planning, theories of counseling, multicultural counseling and crisis intervention. Students will also be required to complete an internship in counseling, and they will further develop their knowledge of differential diagnosis and treatment planning as well as the organization and administration of counseling services.

Students should also keep in mind that there are additional content area requirements for elementary school counselors, including elementary school counseling, counseling children and content electives. Aspiring secondary school counselors are required to take a secondary school counseling course as well as an additional content elective. Students at Wayne State College who complete the required courses and two internship experiences -- one semester in a secondary school setting and one semester in an elementary school setting -- will be granted double endorsement.