Counseling (Chinese), MA

This degree exists independently within the Kepha Institute and is taught solely in Mandarin, intended for training and application with students in mainland China. This is not a CACREP-accredited program and is designed for clinical practice within China.

The mission of CIU’s Chinese Clinical Counseling Program is to offer professional training in clinical mental health counseling within a biblical worldview and Chinese cultural and language context to provide Christ-like therapeutic relationships for healing and growth. The training model focuses on the heart (personal and spiritual development), the head (professional knowledge and research), and the hands (effective interpersonal and clinical skills).

Admission Requirements

• Online application
• Application fee
• Affirm to be a Christian and agree with CIU’s Doctrinal Standard
• Official transcript for highest earned degree and any master’s level credits earned
  • A minimum 3.0 GPA for the most recent degree obtained.
    • Students whose GPA falls between 2.8 and 3.0 may be considered for admission on a conditional basis if they submit their requests in writing accompanied by appropriate rationale.
  • CIU allows a 15% of non-baccalaureate applicants under the following condition: 
    • Proof of high-school diploma or higher degree
    • Submitting an article (3000 words or more), to be reviewed by the admission committee
• Essay (800 words total)
• Professional Reference
• Online Interview

Residency and Transfer Policies

A maximum of 12 credits will be considered for transfer toward the “Counseling Core” (60 credits) from another accredited school. No transfer of credit will be accepted for the following courses: CNS 5306 - Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, CNS 5313 - Personal and Spiritual Development, CNS 6433 - Short Term Counseling, Assessment, and Advanced Techniques, CNS 6931 - Internship 1, CNS 6932 - Internship 2. Transfer credit must be approved by the student’s advisor and the program director.

Candidacy

Admission to candidacy in the M.A. in Chinese Clinical Counseling program is a checkpoint to ensure that students are progressing appropriately in their professional skills, academic understanding, and personal and spiritual development in order to continue toward internship and graduation. Details of the application process for candidacy are found in the Program Handbook. Students who wish to pursue candidacy must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater. Students are responsible for submitting their application to candidacy to the Counseling Educational Assistant. Students are responsible for completing and submitting all documents related to candidacy for review by the faculty. Students must have completed the following eight courses before candidacy can be granted: CNS 5306 Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, CNS 5310 Counseling Theory, CNS 5313 Personal and Spiritual Development, CNS 5330 Professional Orientation and Ethics, CNS 5345 Foundations of Marriage and Family Theory and Counseling, CNS 5422 Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology, CNS 6410 Counseling Skills and Techniques, and CNS 6440 Group Counseling.

Program Hours, Practicum, Internship

The M.A. in Chinese Clinical Counseling program requires 60 credit hours in counseling training for graduation. Internships of 600 hours with a minimum of 240 hours of direct service across two three-credit courses are required as part of the 60 course credits. Students typically complete the program over a four-year period.

Licensure

The M.A. in Chinese Clinical Counseling program is designed to provide excellent academic and clinical training within the mainland China context. While this program is aligned to many of the licensure application standards of South Carolina, the intention for the training is for working as a clinical counselor in China and intended to align with the Chinese counseling regulation and certification process as it progresses.

Time Limitation

The expected time limit for completing all the requirements for the MA in Chinese Clinical Counseling degree is seven years, measured from the date a student begins the counseling coursework in the degree. Students may request that courses completed outside the expected limit be reviewed by the dean’s office on a case-by-case basis.

Completion Requirements

Students must satisfy the following requirements in order to graduate:

• Complete all courses, candidacy, and internship requirements
• Complete all required hours of specified coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no grade lower than a “C”
• Receive a satisfactory faculty recommendation based upon emotional, spiritual, and professional health and maturity
• Affirm CIU’s doctrinal statement.