FERKAUF GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
Mental Health Counseling Program
M.A.
Student Handbook
2008-2011
Director, Mental Health Counseling Program
Michael S. Gill, MA, LMHC
Non-Discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Sexual Harassment
As an integral part of the Affirmative Action Program of The Ferkauf Graduate School of Yeshiva University, the Dean has periodically issued a formal statement reaffirming the University's long standing commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity. The School would like once again to reaffirm the University's commitment to apply every good faith effort in achieving nondiscrimination and equality of opportunity in employment and all spheres of academic life.
All University decisions with regard to faculty, staff and students are based on equitable and equally applied standards of excellence. Affirmative Action procedures have been established, both as legal obligations under applicable law and as a visible and formal expression of institutional policy. This policy is designed to insure that recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, and all other personnel actions take place and all programs involving students, both academic and non-academic, are administered without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran or disabled veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or citizenship status as those terms are used in the law.
In addition, this policy is designed to maintain a work and academic environment free of sexual harassment and intimidation. According to the guidelines of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 'unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
The responsibility for the University's affirmative action/equal opportunity and sexual harassment policy lies with all associate and assistant deans, chairpersons, department heads, directors, administrators, managers and supervisors in their areas of responsibility and requires the commitment of the entire University community. Administrative and investigative responsibility has been assigned to the Affirmative Action Administrator, Ms. Louise Zuckman, whose telephone number is (718) 430-2224. If you have any questions relating to affirmative action or equal opportunity issues or believe that this policy's requirements are being violated, you should contact Ms. Zuckman who will undertake a confidential investigation. The University will take appropriate corrective action to remedy all violations of this policy, up to and including termination. Where appropriate, the University may also report discriminatory conduct to licensing boards. As always, when investigating any allegations of discrimination, care will be taken to ensure that there will be no retaliation taken against the complainant for making such a complaint.
Additional Notes:
- In order to fulfill all admissions requirements, two official transcripts showing degrees conferred must be received by the admissions office prior to the start of the first week of the fall semester.
- As mandated by the New York State Education Department, you must comply with Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) regulations. Proof must be shown either by immunization or by showing serological evidence (titers) that you are immune to MMR. Documented proof must be submitted to the admissions office prior to the start of the first week of the fall semester.
Academic Integrity: Ethical and Professional Standards in Graduate Study
The submission by a student of any examination, course assignment, or degree requirement is assumed to guarantee that the thoughts and expressions therein not expressly credited to another are literally the student’s own. Evidence to the contrary will result in penalties which may include failure in the course, disciplinary dismissal, or such other penalties as are deemed proper.
Graduate study requires excellence of intellect. Graduate students are expected to show seriousness and intellectual dedication, respect for the views and convictions of others, concern for the impact of advanced knowledge on society at large, regard for instructors, fellow students, and the school as a whole and, above all, adherence to the highest ethical and moral standards in their personal and professional lives. Maintenance of good standing while a student at the school is, in part, dependent on developing and maintaining standards of ethical and professional conduct.
The American Counseling Association and the New York State Mental Health Counselors Association have specified ethical and professional standards regarding the practice of psychology. Students are expected to adhere to such standards. No student may engage in the private practice of psychological assessment or any form of psychotherapy. Failure to observe the professional practice code will lead to dismissal from the School. Students should consult their advisers regarding outside employment.
Program Facilities & Resources
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The Campus and Associated Services
The Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology is located on the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The campus includes the following buildings: The Belfer Education Building, the Sue Golding School of Science (SIS), the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Mental Retardation, the Center for Educational and Rehabilitation Services (CERC), Van Etten Hospital, the Jack Weiler Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jacobi Hospital, and the Soundview/Throgs Neck Community Mental Health Center. Yeshiva affiliated institutions that are off campus are: Montefiore Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center and Bronx-Lebanon Hospital.
The D. Samuel Gottesman Library
The D. Samuel Gottesman Library is located on the first floor of the Forchheimer Building. Access is available to the databases both on and off campus. There are more than 1,800 electronic full-text journals, 400 print journals, and 90,000 books. Remote access is available by logging into the library’s website at http://library.aecom.yu.edu and entering your assigned student ID and password.
A schedule of classes for both individual and group instruction on resources, database searching, and consultations is provided by the reference staff and is listed on the library’s website.
The interloan library department processes requests for books and journal articles not available at the library. These requests may be submitted in person or electronically on the library’s website. An electronic card is used to photocopy and to print articles for 10 cents per page.
LIBRARY HOURS
(718) 430-3104
Monday- Thursday
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8:30am-midnight
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Friday
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7:30am- 4pm (EST)
8:30am- 5pm (DST)
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Saturday
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7:30pm- 10 :30pm (EST)
CLOSED (DST)
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Sunday
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10:30am- 10:30pm
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Computing Facilities
The computer lab in the Rousso Building at Ferkauf contains twelve networked Dell desktops that are connected to a Hewlett Packard laser printer. All computers contain Internet Explorer and Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Six of the computers have the statistical program SPSS 10.1 and test scoring software for psychological assessments. Students have access to online databases such as PsychInfo, MEDLINE, and ERIC as well as full-text online journals.
Web Registration
You will receive your Registration Access Code (RAC) after meeting with your advisor and bringing your signed registration sheet to the Office of the Registrar. Your User ID is your 800-number. For your first time logging in your PIN will be your date of birth (mmddyy). Subsequently you will be asked to change your PIN and you will use your new PIN for registration.
To register for classes online go to www.yu.edu/myyu.
- Click “Faculty, Student, and Staff.”
- Enter your User I.D. and PIN.
- Click “Student and Financial Aid.”
- Click “Registration.”
- Click “Register or Add or Drop Classes” then select a term.
- Enter your Registration Access Code.
- Once you have entered all your course selections, click “Submit Changes.”
If you have any difficulties, visit the Registrar’s Office at Rousso 128A or e-mail bannerweb@yu.edu.
To Obtain Your YU E-mail:
- Go to www.yu.edu/YUMS/.
- Enter your username and password then click “Login.”
- To find your username on the web go to www.yu.edu/search.asp.
- Type your last name in the text box and click “Search.”
- The search result will give you a list of users with the same last name. Simply find your first name and note your username
Organization of Psychology Students (OPS)
Ferkauf Graduate School has an active student government organization called OPS. Each student is a member of the organization and dues called “student activity fees” are billed with tuition at the beginning of each semester making up OPS’s budget. There are eight members on the Executive Committee, at least one from each program. The executive committee meets regularly to establish and implement a student agenda, to coordinate programming of social events and guest lecturers, to oversee the execution of specific projects handled by individual committees, and to respond to student concerns.
More information can be found at: www.yu.edu/ferkauf/organization_psych_students.asp
Academic Outline & Requirements
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Academic Program
Master of Arts Degree (M.A.) in Mental Health Counseling is a two and 1/2 year program assigned to meet the changing needs of healthcare and social services, the 60-credit graduate program offers theoretical and applied principles of psychological counseling. The program has been approved by the New York State Education Department as licensure-qualifying as Mental Health Counselors (LMHC).
Please Note: New York State also requires a 3,000-clock hour post-degree experience before application for licensing. More information on Licensing as Mental Health Counselors is available on the New York State Education Department Web Site at www.op.nysed.gov/mhclic.htm.
Required Courses
The Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit program. There are eighteen core courses the student is required to take and then a choice of electives to fulfill the last two classes. The curriculum sequence is as follows:
FIRST YEAR
Fall Semester
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Spring Semester
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PSM 6120- Basic Principles of Counseling
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PSM 6225- Assessment & Appraisal of Individuals, Couples, Families, & Groups
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PSM 6815- Psychopathology: Child, Adolescent, & Adult
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PSM 6816- Advanced Issues in Psychopathology & Diagnosis
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PSM 6193- Counseling Skills Development
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PSC 6371- Ethics & Issues in Professional Practice
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PSA 6280- Statistics
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PSM 6515- Development Across the Lifespan
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SECOND YEAR
Fall Semester
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Spring Semester
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PSM 6500- Advanced Issues in Mental Health Counseling
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PSC 6225- Advanced Issues in Professional Practice: Multiculturalism & Diversity
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PSM 6517- Career Development Counseling
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PSM 6191- Concepts & Techniques in Mental Health Counseling
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PSA 6405- Social Psychology
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PSC 6461- Principles in Group Therapy
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PSA 6943- Supervised Field Placement I
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PSA 6944- Supervised Field Placement II
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THIRD YEAR
Fall Semester Only
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PSM 6400- Research & Program Evaluation
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PSA 6483- Substance Abuse & Treatment
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Two Electives (choose from below or consult with Mr. Gill for other courses):
PSA 6xxx- Counseling with Children & Adolescents
PSA 6xxx- Counseling for Anxiety Disorders & Depression
PSA 6xxx- Couples & Family Counseling
PSA 6601- History & Systems of Psychology
PSH 6930- Physiological Psychology
PSA 6071- Psychopharmacology
PSC 6170- Sexual Orientation & Its Impact on Psychological Intervention
PSC 6622- Working in Public Settings
***Other electives are available but require prior permission from the Instructor and Program Director
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Field Placement
All students are required to fulfill a total of 600 hours of field placement work as a student before they are allowed to graduate from the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling program. Students are required to complete 300 hours in both the fall and spring semesters during their second year. It is the student’s responsibility to locate and obtain the field placement. There is a directory of field placements listed on the website. It is a list of placement opportunities with which Ferkauf has affiliations.
Program Director
A Program Director coordinates and has administrative responsibilities in each of the specialized areas of study. Together with the program faculty that individual determines the policies, procedures, and curriculum for the particular course of study. Each newly admitted student is advised by the Program Director. The Program Director's role is to assist the student with programmatic and administrative issues and to facilitate the student's progress throughout the course of study.
Student Responsibility
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that all regulations have been observed, all fees paid, and all course requirements met, including prerequisites whenever required. The degree candidate should note that completion of the specified number of credits does not in itself satisfy degree requirements.
Grievance Policy & Procedure
Yeshiva University's Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology is committed to a policy of resolving all student grievances through a formal set of procedures designed to ensure that the student's issue or concern is resolved fairly.
Step 1: Student should discuss their issue or concern directly with each individual faculty member.
Step 2: If the student thinks that their issue or concern is still unresolved by the faculty member they should discuss their issue or concern with their Program Director.
Step 3: If the Program Director cannot resolve the student's issue then the Program Director discusses the issue with a sub-committee of his or her program's faculty.
Step 4: Should the program sub-committee not be able to resolve the student's issue the student's concern is brought to the attention of a department committee of faculty from all programs chosen by the Dean.
Step 5: Should the department committee not be able to resolve the student's issue the matter is resolved by the Dean.
Student Status
Students are expected to maintain full‑time status, which is defined as 12 credits per semester. Students with special circumstances may contact the Program Director to discuss part-time status possibilities; however, completion of the degree must be done within a total of five years of admission to the program. The appropriate full‑time equivalency forms are obtained in the Office of the Registrar.
Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities
If you have or think you may have a learning disability, ADD, or ADHD and would like to request accommodations, please contact the Dean’s Office located in room 120 of the Rousso Building on the AECOM, Resnick Campus or call (718)430-3941.
You must provide the Dean’s Office with documentation concerning the current condition from an appropriate licensed professional. Required documentation may come from various licensed professionals depending on the student’s disability. The adequacy of the documentation will be determined by the Dean’s Office or by consultants they may engage. The documentation should be current (within the past 3 years) and detail the following:
- Which tests were administered as part of a psycho-educational evaluation
- The nature of the learning disability
- An explanation as to how the disability affects learning and test taking capabilities
- Specific recommendations for how to handle testing or any other accommodations and why each accommodation is needed
If the requested accommodation is approved by our committee of expert professionals, the Dean’s Office will issue a memo to the appropriate faculty requesting that you be given accommodations for your disability. You should then work with the appropriate faculty to coordinate the accommodations. Feel free to contact the Dean’s Office for additional support and guidance or visit www.ldonline.org/ for further information about learning disabilities.
Official Withdrawal
A student who is withdrawing from the University and does not expect to return at some future date should fill out an Application for Official Withdrawal form, available in the Registrar's Office. Completion of this form is necessary for the student's record to bear the notation that an official withdrawal was granted. (A student who plans to return at some future date should instead file a Request for a Leave of Absence form; see description below.)
Leave of Absence
Students who are not taking any coursework, but expect to return at some future time should file a Request for Leave of Absence for Graduate Student form, available in the Office of the Registrar. Such leaves are normally granted for a maximum of 12 months. (If the student is entering full‑time service in the armed forces or in ACTION, Peace Corps, or VISTA no charge will be made for the leave during the period of actual service.) Sympathetic consideration will be given to a request by a student returning from an official leave who wishes to continue a course of study under the requirements in force at the time the leave was granted. Leaves of absence, except for the purpose of government service, do not extend the time limits set for completion of degree requirements.
A student who neither registers nor secures an official leave of absence for any semester will be considered as having withdrawn from the School. A student who wishes to resume studies will be required to apply for readmission.
Please note that under current Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations, foreign students in F-1 classification are not permitted to be on leave of absence. A student on a leave of absence registers for one of the Registrarial courses in the sequence REG 0900A‑0909A.
Maintenance of Status
A student who is not taking any courses, but is preparing for a language or comprehensive examination or is making up an incomplete must maintain status and register for one of the Registrarial courses in the sequence REG 0910A‑0919A.
Continuous Registration
Students must elect participation at each registration no later than the last day of the change of program period. Failure to maintain registration until graduation will result in automatic withdrawal.
Privacy Rights
Yeshiva University has adopted regulations to protect the privacy rights of its students under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). A copy of the regulations is available on written request, accompanied by a self‑addressed stamped envelope, to the Office of the Registrar.
Records and Transcripts
In accordance with the provisions of FERPA, a transcript is not issued without the student's written request, except in a few circumstances in which the law allows or requires a transcript to be sent without the student's permission. Details are given in the University's FERPA policy statement, a copy of which may be obtained as described under Privacy Rights.
Records of students are sent only in the form of a transcript. No partial records are sent, nor ones listing only courses without grades. The fee for a transcript must be paid in advance (refer to Tuition and Fees section of this catalog). A transcript is not issued for a student who has an overdue debt to the University or has failed to return all books to its libraries. A student who wishes to change either a first or last name on School records must file a "Request for Change of Name on School Records" Form in the Registrar.
A student who believes that there is an error in his or her academic record (e.g., in a grade, average, credit value, or course description) must promptly call this to the attention of the Office of the Registrar. Even if there has been a mistake on the part of the University, no request for a correction will be considered unless the student notifies the Office of the Registrar within three months.
Transfer of Credit
Credit for work completed at another institution of higher education is not automatically granted; the Program Director, the Dean, and the Office of the Registrar must approve its acceptability and its appropriateness to the degree sought at the School.
No credit is given for any course transferred from another institution with a grade below B- or a P grade, nor for any subject which is technical or commercial, or in any way not ordinarily classified as a liberal arts subject.
Students may transfer a maximum of twelve credits toward the Master of Arts degree. There are two exceptions: a) in the Respecialization Track in Mental Health Counseling where up to two years of training may be transferred from another institution; and b) Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology students admitted into the Master of Arts program who subsequently are admitted into a Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology doctoral program, who may transfer selected credits toward their doctoral degrees. This transfer cannot be used to reduce the required four year full-time residency training in the Clinical or School-Clinical Child Psychology programs.
Transfer credit can be granted in core areas with the approval of the instructor of the comparable course and the Program Director. In the case of an elective, approval must be obtained from the Program Director. Since conditions vary in certain programs, students should consult with their Program Director.
No credit is allowed for any courses completed more than ten years before the date of application for advanced standing, whether or not the credit was earned toward a formal degree.
Students who have taken courses at other graduate institutions and wish to apply for transfer of credit must do so by filing an Application for Transfer Credit Toward a Graduate Degree form during their first semester in attendance. Regulations and procedures are available in the Office of the Registrar.
Students already in attendance may take courses at other institutions or at other schools of Yeshiva University only under very special circumstances and after they have received written permission from their Program Director and the Office of the Registrar. Requests for such permission are to be made on the Request for Permission for Graduate Work at Other Schools form available from the Office of the Registrar. Such credits are counted as transfer credits and are subject to all the above regulations.
Residence Requirement
So that each student has adequate contact with the School and its faculty, all research, reading, directed study, and dissertation credits must be taken at the School, and no more than six credits toward the Master's degree may be transferred from other institutions. An exception to this policy exists in the Respecialization Track of the Mental Health Counseling program– for those who already have an MA degree in Psychology and are registering to take the NYS licensing required courses at Ferkauf. Please see the Program Director directly to discuss these arrangements.
Time Limitations
A student must complete the requirements for the Master's degree within five years of admission to the School. Students who go beyond this limit may be required to take additional, more current, course work.
Diplomas
Duplicate or revised diplomas can be secured under certain circumstances determined by the standards accepted by American universities. Full information is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Change of Address
Students who change their home or local residences are required to notify the Office of the Registrar of the change of address within 10 days by filing a "Notification of Change of Address" available from the Office of the Registrar. A student is responsible for all mail sent to the old address if the University has not been so notified.
Academic Standards & Evaluations of Academic Standing
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Academic Requirements & Advisement
The Catalog that you received upon admission contains a listing of the required courses. These include University requirements ("Core and Foundations") and Program requirements. A "model curriculum" is also included in the catalog to provide the student with an example of how the requirements are met over the course of study towards degree.
Maintenance of Academic Standards
Students are required to maintain satisfactory standards of scholastic performance. Degree candidates must maintain a 3.0 average. A student who fails a course or whose average falls below 3.0 any semester or who receives more than one Incompletes is placed on academic probation for the following semester. If another course is failed or the average is again below 3.0 or Incompletes are again received at the end of that semester, the student may be dropped from the School at the discretion of the program faculty.
Academic Discipline
A student's admission, continuance on the rolls of the School, receipt of academic credits, graduation, and the conferring of any degree, diploma, or certificate are entirely subject to the disciplinary powers of the School and to the student's maintaining high standards of ethical and scholarly conduct. The School is free to dismiss the student at any time for infringement of these standards.
Academic Integrity
The submission by a student of any examination, course assignment, or degree requirement is assumed to guarantee that the thoughts and expressions therein not expressly credited to another are literally the student’s own. Evidence to the contrary will result in penalties which may include failure in the course, disciplinary dismissal, or such other penalties as are deemed proper.
Student Information
False or misleading statements on admission, registration, scholarship application, other School forms, or records dealing with outside employment, attendance at other institutions, financial status, departmental or degree requirements, or any other items of student information requested by the School may result in disciplinary dismissal.
Performance Review
Program faculty judging a student as performing below expectation may require additional coursework to evaluate continuance in the program. When students are on probation, a faculty committee appointed by the Dean reviews their performances with them and determines whether withdrawal is required. The committee will develop a remediation plan for those permitted to continue at the School.
Grades
The work of each student is graded on the following basis:
A+ Outstanding B Adequate
A Excellent B‑ Just Adequate, Borderline
- Very Good C Well Below Level
B+ Good F Failing
Where coursework, with permission, extends beyond one semester the following grades may be used:
X Course in progress
Y Year course; second‑term grade applies to both terms
(changed to "I" if the student does not register for the second term)
Administrative Grades:
G Course dropped by student without permission (counted as failure)
I Incomplete
M Missing (no grade reported)
W Withdrew without penalty or prejudice
Academic Average
Each grade has a numerical value, as follows:
A+ 4.334 B 3.0
A 4.0 B‑ 2.667
A‑ 3.667 C 2.0
B+ 3.334 F, G 0
When the numerical value is multiplied by the credit value of the course, the resulting figure is known as the number of quality points. The student's average rating is computed by dividing the number of quality points earned by the number of credits completed, including courses failed. The average is rounded to the third decimal place.
Grades achieved at other institutions are not averaged in with the student's record at Yeshiva University; only credit is granted on transfer. Students must maintain a 3.0 average, and no courses in which a C grade is received can be credited to the Master's or Doctoral degree. Should a C grade be obtained in a required course, that course must be repeated; should a C grade be obtained in an elective course, requires the student to select an additional elective.
All coursework must be completed by the end of the semester in which the course is taken. A mark of I (Incomplete) cannot be carried for more than one semester. Exceptions are made in certain research courses with the approval of the student's adviser. Full details of the required minimum standards of good academic standing and satisfactory progress are available from the Office of the Registrar.
Appeal of Grades
The faculty has sole authority to give grades. The Student Review committee and the Student Appeals Committee shall have no authority to change a student’s grade or to consider such issue. A student may appeal a final course grade of “F” in writing directly to the Dean only after first discussing the matter with the instructor and his or her Program Director. The Dean may override an “F” grade only if the Dean finds extreme and egregious unfairness. An appeal of an “F” grade must be made in writing within 30 calendar days of receipt of the grade.
Other University Policies
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Posters & Notices
All posters and notices must be initialed by the appropriate administrative officer of the school before they are displayed on the various bulletin boards at the graduate school. Students should regularly examine these bulletin boards for official notices. The school maintains an active listing of employment opportunities.
Use of the University's Name
No student or student organization may use the name of Yeshiva University or Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology for any purpose, including identification, without written permission from the Office of the Dean.
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Yeshiva University
Statement of Understanding
I _____________________ have read the University Policies and Procedures Handbook for Students. I understand these policies and procedures and will abide by them throughout
Print Name
my graduate studies at Yeshiva University.
_______________________________ _____________
Signature of Student Date
*Retain this handbook for reference throughout your graduate studies in psychology.
