Frequently Asked Questions
Program Questions
The 48 and 60 credit hour degree programs are licensure tracks; the 36 credit hour degree programs are Master's degree programs, however, graduates are not licensure eligible. Due to the variety of licensure laws throughout the United States, students are encouraged to research what the requirements are in the state where they would like to practice.
Students can earn a Master of Arts in one of six program areas: Clinical Addictions Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Community Care, Marriage and Family Therapy, School Counseling, and Student Development Administration. Program areas vary in the number of credit hours required to graduate, licensure eligibility, and whether students are taught in the classroom, online, or a blended format. Feel free to contact us for additional information about a specific specialization.
Those students who choose to attend classes full-time (9-12 credit hours per semester) usually complete the program in 2-3 years. Students attending
Internships can be completed at the qualifying location of your choice. Students are encouraged to secure their own internship sites in the area of their interest.
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor who will aid in the development of a plan of study.
This program can be completed at the IWU-Marion campus, the IWU Indianapolis North campus, and online.
No, but students can call 800-GRE-CALL or visit www.gre.org to find an exam site near them.
The NCE is the National Counselor Examination. Upon passing the NCE, students are eligible to become National Certified Counselors. The NCE examination is used as a requirement for licensure in some states. Indiana Wesleyan University participates in the NCE application program for graduate students. Through this program, students may take the NCE within six months of graduation.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling specializations are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350, Alexandria, VA 22314, Phone: 703-535-5990 | Web: www.cacrep.org, an accrediting arm of the American Counseling Association (ACA), 5999 Stevenson Ave., Alexandria, Va. 22304, 800-347-6647. The Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy (COAMFTE), 112 South Alfred Street Alexandria, Va. 22314,703-253-0473. Through the Addictions Counseling specialization, Indiana Wesleyan University is an Approved Education Provider of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, 1001 N. Fairfax St., Suite 201, Alexandria, Va. 22314, 800-548-0497, and the Indiana Association for Addiction Professionals (IAAP), 1829 Cunningham Rd., Indianapolis, Ind. 46224, 317-481-9255. The School Counseling specialization is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036, 202-466-7496.
Students are expected to possess a computer throughout the duration of their program. Student computers must be able to run a supported browser and handle additional plug-ins as identified by the Learning Management System (LMS) company. Students should be able to produce, send, and receive documents that are compatible with the two most recent offerings of Microsoft Office to complete most of the assignments. IWU will offer support to students on only these two offerings of office software. Computer and Internet connections may need to be fast enough in some courses to watch streaming videos, participate in live meetings, upload large files, install software, and listen to audio lectures. In addition to these minimum expectations, participation in a CAPS course or program may entail additional computing and/or technology requirements.
When you take an online course from IWU, our Online Support Team is available to answer your technical questions quickly and accurately.
Indiana Wesleyan University uses Brightspace. Information and tutorials on Brightspace can be found within the orientation course online.
Indiana Wesleyan University Graduate Counseling students come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Students in Graduate Counseling programs at IWU vary in life stages, undergraduate degrees, and life experiences. While Indiana Wesleyan University is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church, a Christian denomination, our students come from a variety of faith views. Many of our students are interested in the integration of faith in a clinically appropriate manner. Students in the IWU Graduate Counseling programs often develop close professional friendships with their classmates that expand well beyond their coursework.
The Online Course Policy for Onsite Students, unless otherwise specified by the program of study, does not allow onsite students to integrate online courses into their program of study. This is in accordance with accreditation and online seat availability.
The Onsite Course Policy for Online Students allows the blending of onsite coursework for online students.
Program Change Policy
It is rare that a student will begin a specific degree program and then request to switch to another. Furthermore, these types of requests are often discouraged from being done mid-semester. However, if a student believes an extraordinary circumstance exists that requires an immediate change in the program, the following steps outline the Program Change policy.
1. The student must inquire about such change through the student’s advisor in writing.
2. The student must provide appropriate documentation outlining the reason for the request. Students are advised to review the requirements for the new program, (i.e. length of program, transfer of courses, course offerings, etc.) prior to contacting the new advisor
3. The student’s advisor will provide all documentation to the Division of Graduate Counseling for review. Please allow 30 days after submission of all documents to hear back from your current advisor about the Division’s decision.
Please note these requests are still under the discretion of the Division of Graduate Counseling. A number of factors may be considered in the approval process, such as the nature of the request i.e. extenuating circumstances, program availability, etc.
Please be advised COAMFTE Accreditation Standards does not allow onsite MFT students to take more than two non-core courses online. Additionally, at this time the Marriage and Family Therapy program does not allow onsite students to switch online.
Enrolling In A Program
Students are able to start classes in the fall or spring semester. Starting classes in the spring may increase the time necessary to graduate because of
Fall early admission deadline is March 1 of the same year. Late application deadline is June 1 of the same year.
Spring early admission deadline is September 1 of the prior year. Late application deadline is October 15 of the prior year. If you have questions about deadlines, feel free to contact us.
Up to 30% of the graduate degree may be satisfied by credits transferred in from other institutions. The learning outcomes must align and have been completed within the past seven years. The classes that are accepted for transfer are left to the discretion of the department.
Scholarships and assistantships are available to full-time students entering the M.A. in Counseling programs. Scholarships and assistantships are based on academics, servitude, and leadership. Students must be fully accepted into a program before a scholarship or assistantship can be awarded. For additional financial aid information, email finaid@indwes.edu.