Master of Arts in Christian Counseling (MACC) Degree Program

• Three years (33 months): averaging 2-3 courses per semester, 1-2 intensive sessions per year, along with 3 practica rotations;
• Four years (45 months): averaging 1-2 courses per semester, 1-2 intensive sessions per year, along with 3 practica rotations.

• The coursework of the MACC degree was originally designed according to the curriculum requirements outlined by the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (NCBLPC) and of the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC).  Currently, however, students may choose from courses offered in the MACC curriculum that will meet curricular requirements for licensure in many states, including all the states contiguous to North Carolina. The coursework contributes to the preparation of a student to take the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).

• The MACC degree was originally designed according to the curriculum requirements outlined by the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board (NCMFTLB) and of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Currently, however, students may choose from courses offered in the MACC curriculum that will meet curricular requirements for licensure in many states, including all the states contiguous to North Carolina. The coursework contributes to the preparation of a student to take the National Examination in Marriage and Family Therapy.

• The school's responsibility is providing an opportunity to earn a degree, not guaranteeing that licensure or certification requirements will be met through the counseling program. The student is responsible to contact the appropriate licensure or certification organizations and obtain the latest information on what is required for that particular licensure or certification.
• Hours accumulated from practica experience, which meet the requirements for the MACC degree may or may not meet the requirements for a particular licensure or certification. (E.g., Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) meets degree requirements but may not meet state licensure requirements.)

Counseling Practica and Internships
The purpose of practica is to learn through supervised clinical experience about the conduct of counseling. The student must complete a minimum of four counseling courses with the prefix of "CO" which must include CO500: Introduction to Counseling, CO514: Helping Relationships,  and CO710: Psychopathology, plus one more course. Additional requirements are outlined in the rotation handbook, available to matriculated students in the MACC-CHA page of Sakai.

The MACC degree requires a total of 900 clock hours of professional counseling experience, accrued during three 3 credit hour rotations.  To complete the 300 hrs/rotation, rotations entail a minimum of 8 hrs per week to a maximum of 20 or 30 (for the final rotation) hrs/week. These hours represent average time spent over the semester in which the student is enrolled in the rotation. Students may arrange concentrated times during the year to meet these requirements. A four hundred hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) may count for one practicum rotation.

Students are responsible for locating and interviewing for placement at a counseling site and with a supervisor and have these approved by the assistant to the director of graduate programs in counseling. The Counseling Program maintains a database of sites at which students have completed rotations. Students need not limit their choices to these sites, however. Students should choose sites consistent with professional licensure requirements and personal vocational objectives (i.e., some licensing boards may require approval of a particular site). The student bears responsibility for this decision and for compliance with any requirements for licensure.

Further practica requirements for the Master of Arts in Christian Counseling degree may be defined by:

1. The Learning Covenant that is established between the practicum site and/or supervisor and the student, which must receive final approval from the assistant to the director of graduate studies in counseling
2. The national and/or state licensure requirements which the student chooses to pursue.

For additional information, see also the Rotation Handbook, which serves as the syllabus for these courses, available to students in the MACC-CHA page of Sakai.

Faculty Supervision
The purpose of faculty supervision is to discuss the student's practicum settings and experiences. The students participating in the faculty supervision create a forum for clinical group supervision that involves interaction with a faculty clinical professor concerning issues such as counseling theory, clinical intervention, and professional ethics. During any time a student is enrolled in a rotation, they  must participate in faculty supervision at least once per month.

Faculty supervision is offered weekly be each licensed member of the counseling program. These meetings are 1.5 hr in length, typically offered on Friday afternoons, although some monthly offerings on other weekdays will be made. Students at a distance may attend up to 50% of their faculty supervision via videoconferencing via the internet during semesters in which they are not attending other classes on campus. At the discretion of the counseling department, other formats for group supervision including dates, times, and locations will be published at the beginning of each semester.

Counseling Student's Retreat
The purpose of the retreat is to establish relationships among peers seeking similar Christian ministry; to discuss the field of counseling with respect to calling, professional concerns, and the Christian life; and to spend time in spiritual retreat alone and together. The retreat consists of a weekend (Friday evening through Sunday morning) in January each year. Two retreats are required in the counseling program, labeled RC500 and RC600. The counseling retreats are designed with two unique formats, thus attending both is required by the student. The retreat will be held at a conference center in or near Charlotte. There is a fee associated with the retreat. (See also: Counseling Student's Retreat Flyer and Registration Form located in the counseling office.)

Post-Matriculation Evaluation
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s Graduate Programs in Counseling are charged with the task of preparing individuals to become professional counselors and marriage and family therapists in a variety of settings and to assume positions of leadership in the field and in the church. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, faculty members evaluate students based on their academic and professional behaviors.

As per GCTS policy, student’s progress in the program may be interrupted for failure to comply with academic standards. In addition, MACC students’ progress may be interrupted if a student’s personal, interpersonal, spiritual or emotional status interferes with education or training related requirements for self or other. For example, in order to ensure proper training and client care, a counselor-in-training must abide by relevant ethical codes and demonstrate professional knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills, professional attitudes, and professional character. These factors are evaluated based on one’s academic performance and one’s ability to convey warmth, genuineness, respect, and empathy in interactions with clients, classmates, staff, and faculty. Students should evidence spiritual growth, and be able to demonstrate the ability to accept and integrate feedback, be aware of their impact on others, accept personal responsibility, be able to express feelings appropriately, and evidence professional judgment in decision making relative to issues and situations encountered in the program.

Consistent with other clinical academic programs, GCTS counseling program faculty members bear a dual responsibility to teach and supervise students and to protect the public and maintain the standards of the profession. The ethical and professional accomplishment of these responsibilities begins with the informed consent of students. All students matriculating in the counseling program must read, sign and submit the GCTS Counseling Program Informed Consent Agreement.

At least once during a student’s academic career at GCTS, a program faculty meeting is set aside for student review to assess the progress of students in the program. This review will take place either when the student completes 10 courses or after the second Practicum, whichever comes first. Student will be notified of the outcome of this review in a timely manner. Students who are not demonstrating satisfactory progress are notified to make an appointment with their advisor to receive feedback and to identify appropriate remediation procedures expected of the student.

This evaluation serves two main purposes:

1. To provide students with information related to their progress that will enable them to take advantage of their strengths and to remediate weaknesses in their academic and professional development.
2. To provide counseling program faculty with information about the progress of students that will facilitate making decisions that are in the best interest of students, the profession they are preparing to enter, and the public.