Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling Admissions

Minimum Requirements:  Candidates should have a master’s degree in counseling or allied field and, preferably, two years of experience in professional practice.

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions.

APPLICATION MATERIALS – Send in your application and fee as soon as possible!Candidates should submit all other application materials to the USM Office of Graduate Admissions, PO Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300 by the application deadline.

Application must include:

• A submitted online graduate admission application
• The application fee of $65.00 made payable to USM
• Two sets of official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including USM
• Three letters of recommendation (pdf) attesting to the applicant’s knowledge of current scholarship, capacity to connect theory and practice in posing and solving educational problems, achievement of excellence in educational practice, and demonstrated capability and motivation to engage in advanced graduate study. Recommendations must be received either directly from the recommender or forwarded by the applicant in sealed envelopes with the recommender’s signature over the seal;
• Essay (see below)
• Current resume
• Certification of finances (international students only)
• Submission of official TOEFL scores (if English is not first language)

Special Essay: A brief essay (500-750 words) which includes the applicant’s reason(s) for pursuing advanced graduate study; the proposed focus of the applicant’s program, including specific courses if known; and an explanation of how the proposed program fits the applicant’s personal and professional goals.
In addition to the general requirements of the College, candidates should provide a proposed plan of study for the CAS that includes:

1. a brief autobiography, including the area of study in the master’s degree and related experience, professional training, and credentials;
2. overall goal to be accomplished through the program;
3. future aspirations and professional development needs;
4. proposed coursework, including a tentative list of courses or other curricular experiences.

Testing Requirement: Submit official TOEFL scores of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 79 or higher on the Internet-based test, or 213 or higher on the computer-based test if the applicant is an international student whose first language is not English. International students who have received their undergraduate degree from an English-speaking institution may apply for a waiver of this requirement.

Transfer Policy: Students may not transfer courses that were part of a master’s degree of fewer than 60 credits toward the CAS. Up to six post-master’s graduate credits may be accepted by the CAS admissions committee, provided these credits were earned no more than three years prior to matriculation in the CAS and were completed with a grade of B or better.
Students may be able to apply up to 12 credits that were part of a master’s degree that required 60 or more credits toward the CAS. These courses must be directly related to the student’s proposed CAS program of study, provided these credits are approved by the counselor education program faculty and were completed with a grade of B or better.