Roberts Wesleyan University Counseling Programs
Roberts Wesleyan University holds a distinct position in higher education and blends over 150 years of tradition with forward-looking academic programs. B.T. Roberts founded the institution in 1866 with a vision to provide Christian education available to students whatever their economic background. The school opened its doors as Chili Seminary on a 145-acre farm in North Chili, where the Rumsey mansion served as the first classroom.
The institution’s experience reflects steady growth and adaptation. Operating as both a school and working farm at first, it evolved through several name changes. The school became Chesbrough Seminary in 1885, later transitioning to Roberts Junior College in 1945 and then Roberts Wesleyan College in 1949. This progression ended in September 2022 when the New York State Board of Regents granted university status and recognized the institution’s expanded academic scope.
University status arrived after strategic program development spanning decades. The institution now delivers more than 90 undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs across health care, education, business and social sciences. Two doctoral programs in clinical/school psychology and occupational therapy marked pivotal additions and met workforce demands while serving more than 1,600 students.
The founder’s original vision anchors the mission. Roberts stated that Christian educational institutions “bring together the young people who are Christians and so form a community of young people in which the common sentiment is Christian”. This Christ-centered approach continues shaping the university’s educational philosophy and campus culture.
On June 30, 2024, Northeastern Seminary merged with Roberts Wesleyan University following New York State Board of Regents approval. The merger combined resources and expanded theological education offerings while maintaining the seminary’s distinct identity as Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University.
Accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education verifies the university’s academic standards. Specialized accreditations further authenticate individual programs, including counseling degree programs at Roberts Wesleyan University that prepare students for professional practice. The institution’s network of over 20,000 alumni serves communities locally and demonstrates the lasting effect of roberts wesleyan university degrees. The campus provides access to clinical sites, internship opportunities and professional networks throughout the Greater Rochester area and is located at 2301 Westside Drive in Rochester, New York.
What counseling programs does XX offer?
Roberts Wesleyan University delivers three graduate counseling degree programs designed for distinct career pathways in mental health and educational settings. Each program combines theoretical foundations with extensive clinical training to prepare professionals for licensure and certification.
The Master of Social Work program operates through the Council on Social Work Education’s accredited curriculum. You can specialize in one of two concentrations: Mental Health or Child and Family Services. The Mental Health concentration prepares you for advanced social work practice with adults in mental health settings. It focuses on assessment, case formulation, treatment plan development and intervention. Graduates consistently achieve passing rates for the LMSW and LCSW exams that exceed both state and national averages. The Child and Family Services concentration provides in-depth exploration of issues affecting children, adolescents and families. These include trauma, developmental challenges and family dynamics. Both tracks require 500 hours of fieldwork during the concentration year.
The School Counseling program requires a minimum of 61 credit hours and trains you to provide collaboration and leadership on behalf of children and families in public or private elementary, middle and high schools. You must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, with no more than one grade below C+. The curriculum integrates coursework in clinical foundations, career development, assessment, multicultural diversity and evidence-based treatments.
Roberts offers a Doctor of Clinical/School Psychology program for those pursuing psyd programs in new york accredited by the American Psychological Association through November 26, 2033. This combined program integrates training in both school and clinical psychology and prepares you to work in a variety of settings. These include hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics and private practice. The program follows a practitioner-scholar model and requires four years of residency plus one year of internship. You can choose to complete the remainder in clinical settings only once you finish the third year.
Roberts Wesleyan University degrees in counseling provide complete preparation for professional practice in mental health, educational and clinical psychology fields.
Internships/Practicum at Roberts Wesleyan
Field experience is the foundation of counseling degree programs at Roberts Wesleyan University. The programs integrate classroom knowledge with supervised clinical practice in a variety of professional settings. Each program structures practicum and internship requirements to match specific career preparation needs.
The School Counseling program requires supervised practicum experience where you work with pre-K-12 students within school settings and apply counseling skills through individual sessions, group work and lesson delivery. You spend two full days per week in the first semester during the internship phase and three full days per week in the second semester. Placements can split into two separate sites to provide greater diversity of experience. You must complete all coursework and your qualifying examination before beginning internship.
Roberts structures field training for psyd programs in new york across five years. Clinical training begins in Year 1 with a School Based Assessment Practicum requiring 100 hours plus a Psychotherapy Practicum requiring 20 hours. Year 2 advances to Clinical Practicum at Westside Psychological Services, the on-campus training clinic, totaling 700 hours across fall and spring terms. Advanced Clinical Practicum in Year 3 requires 500 hours. Year 4 offers either School Psychology Internship or Additional Clinical Practicum at 600 hours. The culminating Year 5 Doctoral Internship demands 1,750 hours, with program requirements totaling a minimum of 2,000 internship hours.
MSW students commit 13 to 18 hours per week over two consecutive semesters. Foundation year field instruction requires a minimum of 400 hours. Concentration year advances to 500 hours.
A dedicated fieldwork coordinator works with you throughout your placement. Practicum sites span college wellness centers, community mental health clinics, forensic facilities, hospitals, private practices, schools, neuropsychological institutes, Veterans Affairs centers and residential treatment centers. Field experience courses receiving grades below B- face referral to the Academic and Professional Evaluation Committee.
What sets Roberts Wesleyan University apart?
Roberts Wesleyan University’s counseling programs distinguish themselves through faith-informed practice integrated with rigorous academic training. The university’s mission centers on preparing thoughtful, spiritually mature, service-oriented professionals who help transform society. This Christian foundation pervades counseling degree programs at Roberts Wesleyan University. Students explore their worldview from classroom discussions to clinical applications.
The educational philosophy addresses students as whole persons and includes physical, psychological, social, rational, and spiritual dimensions. Faculty members bring extensive clinical experience among academic credentials. Dr. Tami Sullivan contributes over two decades bridging clinical practice, counselor education, and advocacy. She has national recognition for trauma-informed school mental health and play therapy. Dr. Jennifer Aube combines clinical psychology expertise from McGill University with research in interpersonal psychology, gender studies, and faith-informed practice.
The PsyD program holds a difference as the only doctoral program in the United States providing training in both clinical and school psychology from a Christian perspective. This combined-integrated model ensures students learn competencies in a variety of settings while maintaining a practitioner-scholar approach grounded in evidence-based practice. American Psychological Association accreditation through November 26, 2033 verifies program quality.
Students benefit from spiritual formation opportunities and academic rigor. The Office of Spiritual Life provides counsel, community groups, and formation workshops that deepen faith while developing professional identity. Faculty expertise spans cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and family systems approaches. This commitment to serving diverse and underserved populations fits with the university’s Christian heritage and prepares graduates to deliver psychological services with integrity and professionalism.
U.S. News ranks Roberts Wesleyan at #84 among 170 Regional Universities North, while local recognition has RBJ Reader Rankings Top 3 for Best Graduate Program.
Next steps
Begin your application trip by completing the free online application for counseling degree programs at Roberts Wesleyan University. The application process requires you to submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities you’ve attended. You can email these to admissions@roberts.edu or send them electronically through a secure transcript platform.
Admission requirements vary by program, so contact your enrollment representative to discuss program-specific prerequisites and deadlines. The Doctor of Clinical/School Psychology program accepts applications until December 15th, 2025. This program requires three recommendations (two academic and one professional preferred), a resume, an autobiographical statement, and official transcripts. You need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Qualified applicants have access to financial support. All accepted PsyD students receive a $30,000 scholarship distributed over the first two years. Roberts Wesleyan University degrees also come with access to scholarships and payment plans.
Programs accommodate busy schedules with full-time, part-time, in-person, hybrid, and online formats. International students can apply by doing this through specific guidelines available from the admissions office. Contact the graduate admissions team for tailored guidance on your application.