Counseling Programs at Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College operates counseling programs through the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services, a resource within the Division of Student Affairs at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, and a Psychology BA through the College of Liberal Arts. The counseling mission centers on motivating and assisting students in the interests of higher education objectives and personal development for self-realization.
Counseling at the college functions as a collaborative process. It involves developing a unique, confidential helping relationship. Your counselor acts as a guide and helps you understand more about yourself and the world around you. Burke and Stefflre (1995) defined this approach: “counseling is designed to help students understand and clarify their life’s views and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution of emotional or interpersonal challenges”.
The college staffs Mental Health Counselors who provide culturally-competent, strength-based services that identify your resiliency and any challenges that impede your emotional growth and self-realization. These professionals offer free short-term counseling to students struggling with trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and adjustment to college. Mental Health Counselors provide both individual and group counseling in psycho-social areas such as self-esteem, domestic violence, bereavement and grief, strengthening family relationships, anxiety, and depression.
The counseling philosophy states: “to motivate and assist students in the interests of education, career, and personal/social empowerment for life-long self-development”. This philosophy drives the main function of helping you cope with academic, career, and personal challenges that may interfere with your knowing how to achieve academic success and realize your human potential.
Counseling and Psychological Services also help with workshops for students, staff, and faculty about issues around sexual assault, psychological distress, campus violence, tobacco cessation, PTSD, and other mental health issues. Counselors employ their skills to assist you in achieving objectives through learning about problems and their ramifications, understanding attitudes and feelings, thinking over alternative solutions, and making informed decisions.
What counseling programs does Medgar Evers offer?
The Psychology Department at Medgar Evers College provides students with a foundation in general psychology while preparing them for graduate education in clinical and counseling, personality, social, developmental, educational, sport, community, school, biological, health, cognitive, environmental, forensic, and industrial/organizational psychology. This academic pathway serves as your entry point into advanced counseling programs at Medgar Evers College and beyond.
The SEEK program delivers detailed counseling and advisement services that support your experience from enrollment through graduation, going beyond academic preparation. Your assigned SEEK counselor provides consistent guidance starting from the summer before your freshman year and offers individual advisement tailored to your personal, academic, and career plans. You maintain weekly contact with counselors through courses like ‘Transition from High School to College’ and ‘Advanced Career Planning’ that help you guide through your academic experience.
SEEK counselors work together with all academic divisions to meet student needs and give you the ability to become an independent learner and critical thinker. The program pairs you with a high-performing peer mentor who has completed their first year of college. You also participate in research and scholarly activities that prepare you for graduate school and leadership roles.
Financial support has a dedicated course reviewing personal finance management and budgeting fundamentals. You receive regular updates about financial aid resources, scholarships, and aid changes. SEEK offers exclusive courses for personal growth that include ‘Development of Self-Concept’ and ‘Achievement Motivation,’ which focus on understanding how your personal story affects college and life success.
The Office of Counseling and Psychological Services provides specific mental health programs:
- Short-term individual counseling limited to 6 sessions
- Group counseling sessions addressing shared concerns
- Crisis intervention for immediate support needs
- Workshops educating the campus community about psycho-social challenges affecting academic achievement, which include anger management, self-esteem, grief, and relationships
The office connects you with community mental health services that provide longer-term counseling when you need more intensive support. SEEK students access teletherapy options and can text CUNY to 741741 for crisis support. The program celebrates your achievements through community events that include barbeques, day trips, and an annual semi-formal award ceremony.
Internships/Practicum at Medgar Evers College
Field education is the foundation of practical training for students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Social Work at Medgar Evers College. The practicum component involves you in supervised agency-based settings. These settings prepare you for generalist practice in community environments of all types. This hands-on experience allows you to apply classroom concepts and theories in professional social work settings. You develop your professional identity at the same time.
You enter the practicum work phase during your senior year. You complete 15 hours per week for a minimum of 200 hours per semester, totaling 400 hours of field education. The experience spans two courses: SW 420 (Practicum I) offered in fall and SW 421 (Practicum II) offered in spring. You work with diverse social, economic, and ethnic populations during these placements. You receive structured learning opportunities that connect theoretical knowledge with real-life practice.
Admission to the field practicum requires meeting specific criteria. You must complete at least 90 credits by the end of the semester preceding placement. This includes grades of C or better in all social work courses. You need to finish SW 220, SW 231, SW 304, SW 330, and SW 331 no later than the spring semester before your fall placement. Your overall GPA must reach at least 2.5 at application time and remain at that level throughout the program.
The application process opens at the end of January and runs through the end of March each year. Submissions are due the third Friday in February. All accepted students receive placement assignments unless you provide your own in the field application. The program does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.
You demonstrate competencies derived from the 2022 CSWE Educational Policy Standards after completion. These include ethical and professional behavior arranged with the profession’s value base. Career services connects you with federal government internships that pay upwards of $30,000 for approximately 640 hours of work.
What sets Medgar Evers College apart?
Accreditation from multiple professional organizations establishes Medgar Evers College’s commitment to academic excellence in any discipline. The institution holds regional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Accreditation was reaffirmed in 2017, and the next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2025-2026. Specialized accreditations confirm the quality of specific programs at Medgar Evers College beyond this foundational recognition.
The School of Education maintains accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) at the original-licensure level through 2026. CAEP serves as the only recognized national accreditor for educator preparation and promotes excellence through quality assurance and continuous improvement. The Department of Social Work holds accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation through October 2032. Programs meet or exceed criteria for quality assessment through peer review processes, as this accreditation indicates.
The college’s identity extends beyond credentials. Medgar Evers College dedicates itself to increasing upward mobility and producing graduates prepared to address issues from local to global concern. The college is rooted in the Black community of Central Brooklyn and encourages civic engagement. The RISE framework demonstrates this mission: Rigorous curricula with high standards anchored in depth and academic excellence, state-of-the-art teaching and learning practices that ignite curiosity, Scholarship through research, and Experiential learning that transforms understanding into action.
Counseling programs at Medgar Evers College benefit from culturally-competent approaches that identify student resiliency while addressing challenges to emotional growth, given this foundation. The institutional commitment to educational equity and social justice creates an enriching environment. Mental health counselors understand the unique experiences of students navigating higher education. Your personal development receives support not just through clinical services but through an institution committed to encouraging self-actualization and community leadership.
Next steps
You can start applying to counseling programs at Medgar Evers College by completing the CUNY online application. Register for a CUNY Portal account before you proceed with the application form. The application requires a USD 65.00 processing fee. Fee waivers are available through NYC Public High Schools for freshman applicants.
You need to provide official high school transcripts, GED scores, or TASC certificates to CUNY/UAPC once you submit your application. The college accepts applicants with a 65 average or higher for associate degree programs. Bachelor’s degree programs require an 80 average that includes specific coursework in laboratory science, mathematics, English, social science, foreign language and fine arts. Transfer students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 from CUNY schools or 2.2 from non-CUNY institutions.
Priority application deadlines fall on February 1 for US-educated freshmen. Rolling admission decisions run from January through July. Online applications typically process within 4-6 weeks. You can track your status through CUNYfirst by logging into the CUNY Portal after submission.