Mission Statement

Program Descriptions and Admission Requirements

• M.A. in Clinical Psychology
  
  
• M.A. in Counseling Ministries

Community Context of Training

Desired Outcomes

Requirements and Sequence of Courses

Mission Statement

The Wheaton College Department of Psychology, through its Master's programs in Clinical Psychology and Counseling Ministries, strives to:

• educate its students in a manner grounded in, informed by, and shaped by the beliefs and practices of the Christian faith;
  
  
• train highly competent mental health professionals and professional ministers from a responsibly eclectic clinical perspective for work with individuals, couples, families and groups, while instilling in them a vision for creative ministry informed by Christian tradition and by professional theory and research, and carried to the widest possible community throughout the world;
  
  
• emphasize and model a commitment to professional practice and professional ministry as service, especially to the Body of Christ, the Church, and also to those persons who have been marginalized and wounded by our society on the basis of racial or ethnic identification, age, socioeconomic status, or gender; and
  
  
• conduct training in the context of an intentional community of faith which will emphasize a balanced approach to spiritual, personal, professional, and interpersonal growth and development.

M.A. in Clinical Psychology
Students accepted into the Master's Program in Clinical Psychology generally complete the 48-credit program in two years. The first year consists primarily of courses introducing the various theoretical schools of clinical practice. During the second year students complete a two-semester internship and take the remaining requirements and electives.

It is important that applicants review the licensing requirements of the states or countries in which they hope to practice since mental health practice at the master's level varies widely. Illinois master's professionals, for example, may currently be licensed as Clinical Professional Counselors or as Marriage and Family Therapists. Graduate course requirements differ for these two licenses and may differ from the requirements for licenses in other states. See the Licensing and Certification section for additional information.

Faculty and students join together in actively exploring the integration of Christian faith and psychological practice. During the first year students and faculty participate together in a year-long seminar entitled Social, Cultural and Spiritual Foundations of Mental Health which explores the impact of a Christian worldview on the developing identity of the mental health professional. During the internship year students and faculty participate in Internship Seminars focused on putting the concepts and theories of integration into practice.

Students are assisted in the search for an internship to fit their professional goals and interests. A wide variety of clinical settings welcome applicants from the Wheaton College Master's Program including outpatient practices, church counseling centers, community mental health centers, inpatient treatment facilities and college counseling clinics.

Many current and former faculty members and students in the program have a strong interest in the interface of ministry and mental health practice. Many alumni of our program serve with or assist mission agencies and missionaries around the world. Other graduates serve in nontraditional roles that bring the training and values of the mental health field into ministry roles within the church. Members of the psychology department are active in teaching and training professionals, clergy and lay people around the world.

M.A. in Clinical Psychology Admission Requirements

1. Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. International applicants must have completed the equivalent of a U. S. bachelor's level degree.

2. Course prerequisites (18 semester hours in psychology):

. General Psychology

. Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology

. Either, Quantitative Methods, Statistics, Research methods, or Experimental Design

. Personality Psychology or Theories of Psychotherapy

. Two courses from the traditional "scientific" subdisciplines of the field such as, Learning, Cognition, Social or Developmental Psychology, or Sensation/Perception

3. Applicants should have at least 16 semester hours in humanities (i.e. art, English, history, literature, music, philosophy).

4. Applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.

5. Applicants must submit four separate references on the forms provided in the application.

6. Applicants must submit a completed application form with essays, and a $30.00 application fee.

7. A chronological resume outlining all professional, pre-professional and vocational experience should be submitted.

Application Deadline

ALL application materials must be submitted at the same time (references and transcripts in sealed envelopes) to the Graduate Admissions Office by March 1. Only complete applications are reviewed. Wheaton admits new graduate psychology students for the fall semester only.

MA applicants will be notified by April 15. A nonrefundable advance deposit of $100 must be submitted with the confirmation of acceptance. The $100 deposit will be credited to tuition upon enrollment.

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M.A. in Counseling Ministries
The Master of Arts degree program in Counseling Ministries (CM) offers training in the application of psychological theory and practice to ministry settings. Students in this 36-credit program are prepared for work in churches, mission agencies and other settings where lay counseling, support groups and healing ministries are provided. The program is especially designed for lay people and clergy who are involved in the application of psychological studies to those ministries.

Because the program can be completed in one year, international applicants and furloughed missionaries may find it especially suited to their needs. While this program exists to facilitate the application of psychological studies to ministry settings, it is not intended to prepare graduates for licensure as counselors, psychotherapists, psychologists, or marriage and family therapists, or to provide psychological services which are restricted to licensed practitioners.

Counseling Ministries students can complete program requirements in one academic year with the addition of courses in one or two summers. Students are free to take courses over a standard two-year period if they desire to remain connected to one class cohort through graduation. An 8-10 hour per week practicum generally begins during the second semester of the program. While the CM coursework and practicum does not prepare students for practicing in the traditional capacity of a mental health professional, students are trained to provide competent services in a church or ministry setting. Students are prepared for serving the Christian community by developing the knowledge, values, and skills of a clinician for application in their unique ministry setting.

Counseling Ministries Admission Requirements

1.Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale. International applicants must have completed the equivalent of a U. S. bachelor's level degree.

2.Applicants must have 9 semester hours in psychology to include general psychology, abnormal psychology and personality psychology or theories of psychotherapy.

3. Applicants should have at least 16 semester hours in humanities (i.e. art, English, history, literature, music, philosophy). Exceptions may be allowed with transcript evaluation.

4. Applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or from the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

5. Applicants must submit four separate references on the forms provided in the application.

6. Applicants must submit a completed application form with essays, and a $30.00 application fee.

7. A chronological resume outlining all professional, pre-professional and vocational experience should be submitted.

Application Deadline

ALL application materials must be submitted at the same time (references and transcripts in sealed envelopes) to the Graduate Admissions Office by May 1. Only complete applications are reviewed.

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Community Context of Training
The Psychology Department's masters programs seek to function as a community of learning that fosters professional and spiritual formation in students, faculty and staff alike. We seek to provide an atmosphere of trust and collegiality where we can challenge and encourage each other. For this reason, it is important that all members of the community be committed to this end. Mutual respect and support are valued above competition.

The department is committed to diversity among all members of our community. This commitment goes far beyond philosophical positions and represents our firm belief that diversity of age, racial and ethnic background, gender, life experience, nationality, socio-economic background, and denomination adds depth and richness to the learning environment for everyone involved. A homogeneous environment is often an inadequate setting for learning to carry out the department's mandate to minister to the widest possible community throughout the world.

Desired Outcomes for Psychology Graduate Student Development
In order to carry out the Program Philosophy and to be able to evaluate the success of our efforts, we have set the following as the expected outcomes for the development of our Master of Arts graduate students.

Knowledge that we hope to instill

• Understanding of the four basic theories that are shaping the mental health field today, namely psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive behavioral, and family systems approaches. Students should develop an eclectic understanding of these theories and of their relevance to the general discipline of clinical psychology and the professional discipline of marriage and family therapy.
  
  
• An understanding of basic Biblical and theological knowledge related to the Christian faith in general and the student's personal faith in particular. This should include an ability to articulate the primary doctrines of the Church and the relation of their own faith to the major movements in the history of the Church and to contemporary theological debates.
  
  
• A knowledge of basic methods in the integration of Christian faith with the discipline of psychology, including a basic knowledge of contemporary philosophy of science, basic knowledge of the major "models" for interrelating Christianity and psychology, and an understanding of the limited scope, respectively, of biblical revelation, theological declaration, and of psychological findings and theories.
  
  
• A basic understanding of and respect for the ethical standards of the profession (including the unique ethical dilemmas faced by Christian therapists), and the legal/economic issues that are shaping the field today.
  
  
• An understanding of basic options in research methodology and issues in their application in the applied clinical context.
  
  
• An understanding of the conceptual foundations of psychological testing and assessment and a basic familiarity with major assessment instruments and approaches suitable for masters level practitioners.

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Skills we hope to develop

• Basic interpersonal skills, insightfulness, and self-awareness that are necessary for the effective conduct of mental health interventions.
  
  
• Basic theory/paradigm-based skills and techniques for developing and implementing change plans. (For instance, how reframing or family sculpting is done by a family therapist, how self-management skills are taught by a behavior therapist, or how a psychoanalyst interprets transference and countertransference).
  
  
• Basic methodological analysis skills sufficient for the student to become a lifelong consumer of research who is able to think critically in the context of clinical practice.
  
  
• Skills at ethical analysis and decision making as needed in the professional world.
  
  
• Skills requisite to do psychological assessment, including basic interviewing, observation and testing skills, decision making skills for the selection of psychological tests, and diagnostic skills.
  
  
• A commitment to and ability to benefit from supervision as well as the skills and confidence to work independently when appropriate.

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Values which we want to inculcate

• Empathy and a profound understanding of the nature of human suffering.
  
  
• A respectful and nonjudgmental attitude toward all persons and valuing of that which brings them health and wholeness.
  
  
• A valuing of mental health work as an outreach of the individual Christian and of the church.
  
  
• A valuing of the work of the Holy Spirit through the church and the institutional ministry of the church.
  
  
• A commitment to one's own personal growth toward spiritual and psychological maturity.
  

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Sequence of Courses for Master of Arts Degrees

The following links will take you to the sequence of courses and requirements for the respective programs:

M.A. in Clinical Psychology

M. A. in Counseling Ministries