COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SCIENCES
Master’s and Certificate Programs
The Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences offers programs leading to the master’s degree and graduate certificate. Master’s programs are awarded in Counseling and Guidance (MACG) and in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA).
Students in the Master’s in Counseling and Guidance (MACG) specialize in one of the following concentrations:
- Counseling Psychology
- Human Services
- Orientation and Mobility Concentration
- Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind
A Graduate Certificate in the Dynamics of Domestic Violence is also offered.
Most programs are based on the Ruston campus, although some graduate courses may be available at Louisiana Tech’s Academic Success Center in Bossier City. The MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology may be completed entirely online.
For more information, contact Debbie Lee at DLee@LATech.edu or 318.257.3229.
Counseling and Guidance: Counseling Psychology (MACG)
Counseling Psychology (MACG) offers comprehensive training in psychology and counseling, preparing students for licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). The program requires 60 credit hours, including coursework, practicum, and internships – admission is on an annual basis in the Fall of each year. The deadline for cohorts beginning in 2024 and subsequent years will be June 1.
Applicants are accepted through the Graduate School Online Application System, and applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or relevant coursework (12 hours of psychology minimum, including general psychology and statistics). Admission is competitive, with interviews conducted for the final selection. Graduates can pursue LPC licensure and continue to doctoral programs in psychology. Additional courses may include abnormal psychology, experimental methods, social, personality, and others typically taken for the bachelor’s degree.
Applications will be deemed complete when all materials have been submitted: online application, payment of application fee, official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, a summary of research and clinical experiences (if any), and statement of purpose, Statements should describe the applicant’s motivation to pursue a degree in Counseling Psychology, why they are interested in earning it from Louisiana Tech, and any degree-relevant experiences.
Exploring Opportunities with Your Degree
This degree provides students with the knowledge and experiences to pursue licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). Our program has been designed to provide current training, coursework, and supervision requirements in Louisiana. The State of Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners regulates licensure. More info on the licensure process to become an LPC may be found here.
The program also provides an on-ramp for further graduate education at the psychology doctoral level for those seeking admission to highly selective PhD programs.
The MACG Program Selection Committee will review completed applications. Admission to the program is selective and competitive. Admission is competitive, with interviews conducted for the final selection. Graduates can pursue LPC licensure and continue to doctoral programs in psychology.
For more information, contact Debbie Lee at DLee@LATech.edu or 318.257.3229.
Curriculum Description
Counseling and Guidance: Human Services (MACG)
The Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance degree with a Human Services concentration is intended for students who wish to enhance their knowledge of counseling and psychology, who work in human service agencies, or desire to provide human services to communities, but who do not wish to work as a professional counselor or professional social worker or seek licensure. Human service jobs primarily consist of two types: those where the human service worker provides direct services to clients and those where the worker provides administrative assistance to the agency that provides those services.
The proposed core curriculum for this track will teach students the basics of relating to others, human development and the accompanying life stages, working with a diverse clientele, ethical responsibilities, theories and historical perspectives of counseling, and general principles of guidance services. Graduates from this concentration in Human Services may go on to pursue careers in Social and Community Service Management, Elderly Service Management, Human Resources Management, etc.
Note: All required courses for the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentrations are offered on the Ruston campus and on the campus at Barksdale Air Force Base (BAFB).
For more information, contact Debbie Lee at DLee@LATech.edu or 318.257.3229.
Admission
It is recommended that applicants to the Master of Arts Counseling and Guidance (MACG) Program hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution or have passed a minimum of nine hours of psychology courses and three hours of psychology statistics. Minimally, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Requirements
Students in the Human Services concentration must complete a total of 33 credit hours of approved coursework and maintain an up-to-date plan of study on file with the College of Education and Human Sciences’ Office of Graduate Studies. Students are required to pass a comprehensive examination prior to graduation.
Practicum and Internship
Eligibility for admission to Clinical Mental Health Practicum (COUN 534), and/or Internship (COUN 535) includes successful completion of all core course credits, successful completion of the comprehensive exam, a minimum GPA of 3.0, membership in a professional organization (i.e., American Counseling Association) for liability insurance, and the approval of the core counseling faculty. This request is submitted in the form of an Application for Field Experience which must be completed at the beginning of the term prior to that in which the field experience is sought. Once the application is submitted, core faculty will meet and verify that the student is ready for practicum and internship. Faculty meets in the sixth week of every quarter. The student will then be notified by their advisor once the faculty has made a decision. Site must also be approved by the faculty advisor before enrolling in a Practicum or Internship. Practicum requires one hundred hours completed in a clinical setting. Six hundred hours of internship is required in a clinical setting. For more detailed information on Practicum and Internship, please refer to Section V: Practicum/Internship of the handbook.
Curriculum Description
Industrial and Organizational Psychology (MA)
Industrial and Organizational Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace. The M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program is designed to prepare students to work in areas relating to applied behavioral science in organizations and business. This program will provide students with a rigorous understanding of employment law, training and development strategies, leadership and decision making, organizational psychology theory, research methods, and statistics.
In the workplace, graduates will have the skills to apply a knowledge of behavioral theory, practical knowledge gained through diverse experiences, and research practices to providing direction for organizational leadership. Whether motivating employees, nurturing strong leadership, cultivating diversity, or managing organizational change, our graduates have the skills necessary to be effective, scientist-practitioners of the behavioral sciences in the workplace.
For more information, contact Debbie Lee at DLee@LATech.edu or 318.257.3229.
Admission
All students seeking admission to the M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program at Louisiana Tech University must meet the guidelines established for admission by the College of Education and Human Sciences and the Louisiana Tech Graduate School.
Requirements
- Completion of all coursework listed on the Plan of Study with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Satisfactory performance on an internship.
- Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination.
- Registration for graduation by the designated University deadline.
An undergraduate degree in psychology is recommended, but not required. Incoming students are expected to have a grasp of the fundamentals of social sciences and basic statistics.
Curriculum Description
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Graduate Certificate (GC)
Graduates in I-O Psych make workplaces smarter, improve employee well-being, and create more effective organizations.
We build systems to:
- Select the best person for the job
- Train employees in new skills
- Improve workplace attitudes and culture
- Motivate employees to perform effectively
- Strengthen leadership and teamwork
- Enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Equip the organization to anticipate and manage change successfully.
The graduate certificate requires 12 hours of coursework.
Graduate students interested in the I/O Psych graduate certificate should contact Debbie Lee at DLee@LATech.edu or 318.257.3229.
Orientation and Mobility Graduate Certificate (GC)
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is the field of teaching blind children and adults to travel independently with a long white cane. There is still a shortage of blindness professionals in the field today, and we at the Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University are doing our part to train skilled instructors with high expectations for blind students.
Louisiana Tech is the only orientation and mobility program that specifically teaches the structured-discovery cane travel method to future instructors. Students learn first-hand the capabilities of the blind through extensive training under shades and by learning from blind people.
All our O&M students go through blindness immersion at the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) for a quarter. There, they participate in all Center classes—cane travel, braille, assistive technology, home management and industrial arts—under blindfold alongside LCB students. After immersion, O&M students take 6 more months of travel under sleep shades to improve their mobility skills.
Students participate in several trips with the Center and on their own to gain valuable non-visual travel experience and skill. Trips include Mardi Gras in New Orleans, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, subway travel in Washington D.C. and other trips designed to instill confidence through experience.
O&M students complete a 10-week-long internship at LCB before sitting for the National Orientation and Mobility Certification. Our students develop their own teaching style and techniques as they work with Center students and receive feedback from all travel instructors. They also have the opportunity to teach blind children in LCB summer programs, including the Louisiana NFB BELL, Buddy and STEP programs.
Our graduates are well equipped to teach in a variety of settings, including public schools, for Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, for Veterans Affairs agencies, in rehabilitation training centers for the blind and other locations.
Why get a Graduate Certificate in Orientation and Mobility?
If you’re trying to decide upon a career after college, can’t see yourself sitting behind a desk every day and like working outdoors, consider a career in Orientation and Mobility for the blind. In addition to being an active job, it gives you the chance to change the lives of people who are dealing with vision loss in a profound and lasting way. When you teach visually impaired or blind people to use a long white cane, you are giving the gift of independence.
No teaching background or blindness experience is necessary. It doesn’t matter what your Bachelor’s degree is in. We have trained successful O&M Instructors with degrees in anything from the arts to psychology. We can teach you all the skills and techniques you need.
Jobs are in high demand, and we need more O&M instructors trained in non-visual blindness skills in our schools, state-run agencies and VA agencies. Current demand for our graduates continues to far outstrip the number of qualified professionals we can train each year, meaning that jobs are available and job security is stable.
Courses
Please Contact us for more information and/or visit our website at https://www.pdrib.com/pages/orientation-and-mobility”
Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind Graduate Certificate (GC)
Rehabilitation Teachers are professionals who teach blind or visually impaired people a broad array of alternative techniques to maintain independence, including braille, Orientation and Mobility, cooking skills, cleaning techniques, assistive technology and other skills of blindness. These teachers are highly cross-trained individual skilled in all areas of blindness techniques and are qualified for a variety of positions.
Louisiana Tech is the only Rehabilitation Teaching Program that specifically teaches the structured-discovery method to future instructors. Students learn first-hand the capabilities of the blind through extensive training under shades and by learning from blind people.
All our Rehab Teaching students go through blindness immersion at the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) for a quarter. There, they participate in all Center classes—cane travel, braille, computers, home management and industrial arts—under blindfold alongside LCB students. After immersion, Rehab Teaching students take Orientation and Mobility 1 to gain a solid foundation in cane travel instruction and Braille 1 to demonstrate proficiency in the tactile code and assistive technology.
Our Rehab Teaching students gain a complete knowledge of contracted Unified English Braille and proper formatting using both the Perkins braille writer and slate and stylus. Students can choose to stay at Louisiana Tech for an extra semester to earn the designation of National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC) and will possess the skills necessary to complete the National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB).
Our graduates are well equipped to teach in a variety of settings, including public schools, for Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, for Veterans Affairs agencies, in rehabilitation training centers for the blind and other locations. These individuals are highly cross trained, giving the flexibility to meet the demands of a diverse population of consumers who are blind or visually impaired.
Why get a Graduate Certificate in Rehabilitation Teaching?
There is still a significant shortage of blindness professionals in the field today. Even fewer have mastered the non-visual skills and full braille code blind students need to be truly independent. Every day, we at the Institute learn of job opportunities for instructors in braille, cane travel, and home management, many of which come from training centers looking for people to hire in all these fields. Our graduates are ready and equipped to go to those centers and be able to fill almost any of those positions straight out of training.
No teaching background or blindness experience is necessary. It does not matter what your Bachelor’s degree is in. We have trained successful instructors with degrees in anything from the arts to psychology. We can teach you all the skills and techniques you need.
This graduate certificate offers you the unique opportunity to become certified in multiple areas in the blindness field. With a little extra effort, you can be certified in all three areas: Rehabilitation Teaching, Orientation and Mobility and braille. We want to see more cross-trained individuals in the field, and invite you to join us in training the next generation of blindness professionals.
Courses
Contact us for full information and/or visit our website at https://www.pdrib.com/pages/rehabilitation-teaching-for-the-blind”
The Dynamics of Domestic Violence Graduate Certificate (GC)
The Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences in partnership with the School of Human Ecology offers a 12-hour Graduate Certificate in the Dynamics of Domestic and Family Violence. The certificate is an on-line program designed to foster the development of skills related to domestic violence issues or contact with victims, their families, or perpetrators of domestic violence.
Master’s in Counseling and Guidance (MACG): Orientation and Mobility Concentration
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is the field of teaching blind children and adults to travel independently with a long white cane. There is still a shortage of blindness professionals in the field today, and we at the Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University are doing our part to train skilled instructors with high expectations for blind students. Louisiana Tech is the only orientation and mobility program that specifically teaches the structured-discovery cane travel method to future instructors. Students learn first-hand the capabilities of the blind through extensive training under shades and by learning from blind people. All our O&M students go through blindness immersion at the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) for a quarter. There, they participate in all Center classes—cane travel, braille, assistive technology, home management and industrial arts—under blindfold alongside LCB students. After immersion, O&M students take 6 more months of travel under sleep shades to improve their mobility skills. Students participate in several trips with the Center and on their own to gain valuable non-visual travel experience and skill. Trips include Mardi Gras in New Orleans, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, subway travel in Washington D.C. and other trips designed to instill confidence through experience. O&M students complete a 10-week-long internship at LCB before sitting for the National Orientation and Mobility Certification. Our students develop their own teaching style and techniques as they work with Center students and receive feedback from all travel instructors. They also have the opportunity to teach blind children in LCB summer programs, including the Louisiana NFB BELL, Buddy and STEP programs. Our graduates are well equipped to teach in a variety of settings, including public schools, for Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, for Veterans Affairs agencies, in rehabilitation training centers for the blind and other locations.
Why get a Degree in Orientation and Mobility?
If you’re trying to decide upon a career after college, can’t see yourself sitting behind a desk every day and like working outdoors, consider a career in Orientation and Mobility for the blind. In addition to being an active job, it gives you the chance to change the lives of people who are dealing with vision loss in a profound and lasting way. When you teach visually impaired or blind people to use a long white cane, you are giving the gift of independence. No teaching background or blindness experience is necessary. It doesn’t matter what your Bachelor’s degree is in. We have trained successful O&M Instructors with degrees in anything from the arts to psychology. We can teach you all the skills and techniques you need. Jobs are in high demand, and we need more O&M instructors trained in non-visual blindness skills in our schools, state-run agencies and VA agencies. Current demand for our graduates continues to far outstrip the number of qualified professionals we can train each year, meaning that jobs are available and job security is stable.
Courses
Please Contact us for more information and/or see our website at https://www.pdrib.com/pages/orientation-and-mobility.
Master’s in Counseling and Guidance (MACG): Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind Concentration
Rehabilitation Teachers are professionals who teach blind or visually impaired people a broad array of alternative techniques to maintain independence, including braille, Orientation and Mobility, cooking skills, cleaning techniques, assistive technology and other skills of blindness. These teachers are highly cross-trained individual skilled in all areas of blindness techniques and are qualified for a variety of positions.
Louisiana Tech is the only Rehabilitation Teaching Program that specifically teaches the structured-discovery method to future instructors. Students learn first-hand the capabilities of the blind through extensive training under shades and by learning from blind people.
All our Rehab Teaching students go through blindness immersion at the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) for a quarter. There, they participate in all Center classes—cane travel, braille, computers, home management and industrial arts—under blindfold alongside LCB students. After immersion, Rehab Teaching students take Orientation and Mobility 1 to gain a solid foundation in cane travel instruction and Braille 1 to demonstrate proficiency in the tactile code and assistive technology.
Our Rehab Teaching students gain a complete knowledge of contracted Unified English Braille and proper formatting using both the Perkins braille writer and slate and stylus. Students can choose to stay at Louisiana Tech for an extra semester to earn the designation of National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC) and will possess the skills necessary to complete the National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB).
Our graduates are well equipped to teach in a variety of settings, including public schools, for Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, for Veterans Affairs agencies, in rehabilitation training centers for the blind and other locations. These individuals are highly cross trained, giving the flexibility to meet the demands of a diverse population of consumers who are blind or visually impaired.
Why get a Degree in Rehabilitation Teaching?
There is still a significant shortage of blindness professionals in the field today. Even fewer have mastered the non-visual skills and full braille code blind students need to be truly independent. Every day, we at the Institute learn of job opportunities for instructors in braille, cane travel, and home management, many of which come from training centers looking for people to hire in all these fields. Our graduates are ready and equipped to go to those centers and be able to fill almost any of those positions straight out of training.
No teaching background or blindness experience is necessary. It does not matter what your Bachelor’s degree is in. We have trained successful instructors with degrees in anything from the arts to psychology. We can teach you all the skills and techniques you need.
This degree path offers you the unique opportunity to become certified in multiple areas in the blindness field. With a little extra effort, you can be certified in all three areas: Rehabilitation Teaching, Orientation and Mobility and braille. We want to see more cross-trained individuals in the field, and invite you to join us in training the next generation of blindness professionals.
Courses
Contact us for full information about the degree track and/or see our website at https://www.pdrib.com/pages/rehabilitation-teaching-for-the-blind.