Internship & Practicum

The program will take students three years to complete; the first two years are primarily in the classroom, and the third year focuses on clinical training at practicum and internship sites.

Students complete two field placement experiences. The first is accounted for by Practicum (COUN 665). The second is accounted for by both Internship I (COUN 670) and then Internship II (COUN 675). Practicum requires 100 hours of work, meaning students will work approximately 12-14 hours/week. This is broken down into two parts, 40 hours of client contact (direct hours) and 60 hours of indirect work, such as supervision, client preparation, notes, class time, etc. Each internship requires 300 hours of work, totaling 600 after both are completed, meaning students will work approximately 20 hours/week. These hours are broken into 120 hours per semester of client contact (direct hours) and the remaining 180 hours of indirect work, such as supervision, client preparation, notes, class time, etc. When all clinical experiences are completed, students will have a total of 280 client contact hours which will include at least 10 hours of group counseling leadership, and a total of 700 hours upon graduation that is a combination of direct and indirect hours. 

In Practicum and Internship I and II, in addition to direct client experience, students will also participate in group discussion of counseling issues, logistics of conducting counseling in a community agency, and identification of challenges to beginning counselors.

Career Opportunities

This program prepares students to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in the state of South Carolina and potentially other states. Students should contact their state’s boards for specific details.

LPCs are employed and provide mental healthcare in a wide variety of settings:

• Private practices
• College counseling centers
• Churches
• Hospitals
• Mental health and social service agencies
• Schools

LPCs help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.