Psychology + MSCP

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If you aspire to be a licensed professional counselor, Alverno can get you there faster.

Through our unique accelerated program, you can earn both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Community Psychology (MSCP) in less than six years. You’ll benefit from Alverno’s distinctive, hands-on curriculum while saving time and money.

The Alverno difference

At Alverno, you’ll be in a small group environment from day one, which lets you have learning experiences that aren’t possible in most places. You’ll join a welcoming and inclusive community where classmates and professors will know you as a name, not a number, and will cheer you on every step of the way.

You’ll build both knowledge and skills while applying what you’re learning to real life. You will also engage with issues of healing and justice, getting you ready to address the important social issues that affect our communities daily.

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“The most valuable thing I learned so far at Alverno is how to become the best of who I am, whether it’s in a classroom, internship or job. This will definitely help me in the future when I am able to officially go into my desired work as a counselor, and I won't feel lost or scared of what I have to do next.”

— Mayra, psychology major

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Coursework

Students who choose Alverno’s undergraduate psychology pre-counseling major will be able to start their graduate credits during their senior year. Once you earn your bachelor’s degree after completing 120 credits (generally four years), you will spend another 18 months to complete your graduate degree (60 credits) and then become eligible to sit for the professional counselor licensing exam.

As an undergraduate, you’ll study such topics as lifespan development, abnormal psychology, behavioral science research methods and experimental psychology.

Graduate topics of study include culturally engaged counseling; couples, partners and family counseling; professional ethics; trauma counseling; and human development in community contexts.

Field education

As an undergraduate student, you’ll complete two internships. This will allow you to apply what you’re learning to the real world, explore your interests, gain experience working with diverse populations and build your professional network.

As a graduate student, you’ll receive intensive counseling training via a 700-hour supervised practicum experience. Our program is approved by the State of Wisconsin, so once you finish, you are eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor-in Training (LPC-IT) credential. You would then engage in 3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised practice and take the National Counseling Exam to be eligible for the LPC license.

The courses you take, along with the field experience you accumulate, will prepare you to be a skilled counselor who can help individuals, families and communities live healthier lives.

Admission requirements

Your first step is to apply for admission to Alverno by completing the free application at alverno.edu/apply. You should mark your intended major as psychology. For your first two years as an undergraduate student, you’ll be matched with a professional academic advisor who gets to know you, helping you chart your path and register for classes. As a junior, you’ll be paired with a faculty advisor who will support your success to graduation.

The Annual Crime and Fire Safety Report for Alverno College, which includes crime statistics and annual fire safety statistics, can be found online. A hard copy of the report is available upon request. Please send your request to Jason Pilarski, director of Campus Safety.