Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Reviews of Master's in Counseling

"The clinical mental health counseling program is a CACREP accredited program. The professors are great, and have been involved in helping the students ease back into school since before day 1 of classes. This program offers classes such as basic counseling skills, counseling theories, group and individual counseling and assessment procedures for clinical mental health counseling. The program includes, but is not limited to, multicultural and diversity issues within counseling as wells as crisis and addiction counseling and family and systemic counseling."

"Pros: Offer a part-time counseling program in a satellite campus in my area. High quality programming and instruction. Grad students have a voice in programming for their cohort. Since the program uses a cohort model, with mostly the same students taking most classes together, peer support is strong.CACREP credentialed. Cons: Satellite campus allows slightly less access to administration than main campus."

"Quality education with reasonable tuition prices"

"The M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at IUP is an accredited program, the class sizes are small with individualized attention for each student. It is easy to get to know others in the program as well as professors. Various university departments have been extremely helpful when it comes to registration. I attended IUP as an undergraduate and the campus is beautiful and safe. I ended up graduating and staying in the area due to it's safety and career options. IUP offers an affordable, competitive, and quality education. These are all reasons for continuing my education at the graduate level at IUP."

"IUP's School Counseling program is fantastic! I am about to start my second year and love it. Students have the option of attending classes at the main campus in Indiana, PA, or part-time at the Penn Center Campus in Wilkins Township in Pittsburgh, PA. When I first started, I wanted a full time program, but I'm realizing part-time work is more than enough. Classes meet Tuesday evenings from 4:45-9:50 PM. The coursework is challenging and the professors are demanding, yet understanding. They expect graduate-level work, so be prepared to spend a lot of time studying and developing skills outside the classroom. The admissions process was not extremely difficult, especially since there is no GRE requirement. Once you submit an essay and transcripts, the admissions committee will decide if you will be invited to an admissions workshop at the main campus. The workshop was a bit nerve-wracking. Be sure to dress up- everyone wore business suits or nice dresses. It consisted of a five minute individual interview, a group interview, and an essay in the computer lab. My workshop was on a Friday, and I was able to call the following Tuesday to know whether or not I was accepted. They are looking for people who are passionate to developing themselves as well as helping others. If you attend the Penn Center campus, classes meet on the 9th floor of an office building. We have a small computer lab/library, a second computer lab that is also used as a classroom, a kitchen, and plenty of classroom technology. My only complaint is students often use the library for socializing, which can make studying difficult. Also, many professors allow students to eat during class, and some take that privilege too far. There are many restaurants nearby too, which helps when you need to eat and are short on time. Please note this program requires practicum and internships so it may be difficult to work full time, although it is not impossible if your employer is flexible. I would definitely recommend working part-time if you are prone to high-stress. It also requires insurance (which you can get for about $35 a year), state criminal, child abuse, and FBI clearances. Their main office is extremely helpful if you have questions about obtaining them. I honestly think attending IUP has been my best educational decision. After attending a well-known ACC school for my BA, I was hesitant to attend a lesser-known school. The education offered is incredible. There have been a few airheads in my classes, but no more than during my undergraduate experience. The professors truly make this program stand out. Each has his/her individual quirks, some grade "easier" than others, but all want to see their students do well. Aside from the library noise and excessive eating in class, there are few other cons. The Penn Center campus is usually open from 1PM-10PM, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are 8AM-10PM. I think Saturdays are 10AM-4PM. If you are an early morning person, this isn't ideal.I also wish teacher evaluations weren't supervised by an other professor-- it makes me feel like I need to be less honest in my course evaluations. Other than that, it is a great school!"