About Low-Residency Format Courses
The low-residency format is a type of class format offered for those pursuing a counseling master's degree (Master of Science in Education (MSE)) in the areas of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, or Student Affairs and College Counseling. The low residency format means that you will receive both in-person and online instruction via two residency weekends in both the fall and spring semesters.
Residency Counseling Cohorts
Cohort groups begin each fall semester. In addition to your regular 16-week courses across the entire semester, 6-8 of your 20 classes are taught in an intensive eight-week format. Each of these classes begin with an in-person residency weekend. The corresponding residency will occur on the weekend following the first week of the eight-week term.
Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and the School Counseling program will take eight classes as low-residency.
Students in the Student Affairs and College Counseling program will take six classes as low-residency.
Features and benefits of the low-residency format
- Learn in a supportive community of peers from diverse personal and professional backgrounds
- Build relationships with career professionals for lifelong collaboration and consultation
- Learn innovative counseling research, theory, and treatment approaches applicable to your counseling career
- Develop and refine counseling skills to serve the diverse needs of a wide variety of clients, communities, and agencies
- Readings, writings, and discussions are based on cutting-edge theory and practice and support the learning of individuals seeking an MSE in counseling.
- Participants support one another through face-to-face and online discussions throughout the program.
- Courses focus on the integration of research literature and practical counseling competencies and skills application.
- Courses are facilitated by faculty who are licensed mental health practitioners or by highly qualified practitioners in the field.
- Counseling competencies and experiential skills building are integrated throughout the entire program.
Residencies take place in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sundays at the Wayne State College main campus in Benthack Hall in Wayne, Neb. There are no virtual options to attend residency. If you become ill or are unable to attend the weekend residency, you will need to drop the corresponding class for that semester. Students must arrive on time and attend the entire residency in order to successfully remain in the class for that semester. Students who do not attend 100% of the residency weekend may be required to take the course at a later date.