The Kakos School of Arts and Science.
LEYLAMERCADO/THE QUADRANGLE
By Leyla J. Mercado and Anna Segota, Staff Writers
Manhattan College has announced its new 5 and 5 ½ year accelerated programs for psychology through the Department of Social and Behavioral Services under the Kakos School of Arts and Science. The accelerated programs vary and serve the purpose of expanding future opportunities available to students in a new, reduced timeframe.
Graduate director of school counseling programs and associate professor, Ian Levy, spoke further about the intent of the program at the Noberini Psychology Colloquium.
“One of the things that we’ve been working on since, I feel like a year now or so, has been these five-year program offerings” Levy said. “We thought it’d be pretty cool for this to happen quicker and in a more formal way for students. You save money, you save time and you get a degree out of it”.
The 5-Year B.A/M.A in psychology and school counseling presents undergraduate students in psychology with a route toward certification as a school counselor in New York State. Any students interested can embark on this pursuit by applying to the program during their junior year and beginning to take graduate counseling classes during their senior year. Students who are a part of the program graduate from Manhattan College with a B.A in psychology and an M.A in school counseling at the end of their fifth year.
Followed by the option of two 5 ½ year programs, an accelerated B.A/M.S in psychology and mental health counseling ignites the start of students’ master’s degrees in mental health counseling. Like the 5-Year program, undergraduate students are expected to apply in their junior year and will be able to take 12 credits of graduate counseling classes their senior year. Students will then graduate with both a B.A in psychology and an M.S in mental health counseling at the conclusion of the 5 ½ years.
Marjan Persuh, associate professor and director of mental health counseling graduate programs, spoke to what the future entails for students after they complete the 5 ½ year program and spoke about how supportive it is.
“This institution covers additional courses and you get a lot of clinical exposure … A lot of our students lately apply to private group practices and eventually work as private counselors,” Persuh said. “We also place them in the hospitals, non-profits, and community centers. So there’s a wide variety of places where you can work … We provide you with a lot of guidance in terms of preparing you for clinical practice.”
The final offering, which is also a 5 ½ year program, is an accelerated B.A/M.S. in psychology and marriage and family therapy. Both 5 ½ year programs entail the same requirements and criteria, with the only difference being the program under which you receive your B.A/M.S.
Michelle Bell, assistant professor and graduate director of marriage family therapy, further elaborated on the programs offered.
“Besides children and parents, you also work with individuals, in hospitals, schools and community-based organizations,” Bell said. “You can work in a wide variety of settings … MFTs learn about psychopathology, diagnosis, evaluation, assessment and how to be a therapist. You’re learning how to help people thrive and not just survive in their environments.”
The wide range of educational opportunities offered within the field of psychology at Manhattan College is ever-growing and will allow incoming classes of MC students to complete their degrees like never before.