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Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in counseling and applied psychological science or are preparing for graduate programs in counseling or related fields. The program provides a foundation in counseling theories, counseling skills, career and lifespan development, ethics and research methods, and multicultural competence. Graduates will not be license-eligible as professional counselors, but will be prepared to enter an undergraduate degree program in counseling and applied psychological science. Graduates of the associate's program may qualify for entry-level employment such as social and human service assistants or psychiatric technicians in community agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other behavioral healthcare delivery settings to support counselors and other mental health professionals.

Students who complete a bachelor's degree within the field may be prepared to enter a graduate program in counseling or pursue careers including but not limited to: social and community service managers, social science research assistants, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, and education administrators (postsecondary).

Upon completion of a graduate degree students may pursue a number of careers, including but not limited to: clinical, counseling, and school psychologists; educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors; substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors; marriage and family therapists; mental health counselors; rehabilitation counselors; and college/university faculty.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8137
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

This program aligns with the requirements of the Counseling and Applied Psychological Science (BS) MyPath2ASU at Arizona State University (ASU), Polytechnic, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts and the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Applied Human Behavior 90/30 at Northern Arizona University (NAU).

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Describe foundational counseling theories, research methods, and data analysis.
  • Demonstrate use of oral, written, and interpersonal communication and basic helping skills needed within the counseling field.
  • Develop an awareness of self and others in a multicultural society.
  • Explain fundamental-level ethical and professional considerations in practice and research common in the field.
  • Develop a professional development plan for employment in the counseling or related fields.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

$104,250

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

$54,280

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

$56,120

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors

$50,460

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
Critical course OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area

Note: Students planning to transfer to ASU for the BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science should take Precalculus or equivalent or higher [MA] course for which is a prerequisite.

MA 3–6
Critical course Gateway course SB 3
Critical course SB 3
or
or 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
or or or Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
or
or FYC or FYC 3
OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
or
or C or C 3
or
( and
)
or
or ( and ) or Critical course CS or CS or CS 3–4
Elective Elective 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU 3
or
or 3
or
( and
)
or ( and ) Critical course L, SG or L, SG 4
Elective Elective 3
Elective Elective 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
or or or Any approved general education course in the Natural Sciences (Quantitative) [SQ] area
Students transferring to ASU's BS Counseling and Applied Psychology (Substance Abuse and Addictions) should take or . Students transferring to ASU's BS Counseling and Applied Psychology (general) should select any BIO course that transfers to ASU as [SQ]-Science Quantitative. Check Find-a-Class on maricopa.edu or the Course Equivalency Guide on AZTransfer.com for [SQ] BIO options.
SQ or SQ or SQ or SQ 4
L 3
HU 3
Elective Elective 0–3
Elective Elective 0–3
Elective Elective 0–2

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
Critical course Gateway course SB 3
or
or 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Critical course OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area

Note: Students planning to transfer to ASU for the BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science should take Precalculus or equivalent or higher [MA] course for which is a prerequisite.

MA 3–6
Critical course SB 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or FYC or FYC 3
or
or C or C 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
or or or Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
or
( and
)
or
or ( and ) or Critical course CS or CS or CS 3–4

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
( and
)
or ( and ) Critical course L, SG or L, SG 4
or
or 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Elective Elective 3
HU 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
or or or Any approved general education course in the Natural Sciences (Quantitative) [SQ] area
Students transferring to ASU's BS Counseling and Applied Psychology (Substance Abuse and Addictions) should take or . Students transferring to ASU's BS Counseling and Applied Psychology (general) should select any BIO course that transfers to ASU as [SQ]-Science Quantitative. Check Find-a-Class on maricopa.edu or the Course Equivalency Guide on AZTransfer.com for [SQ] BIO options.
SQ or SQ or SQ or SQ 4
L 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU 3
Elective Elective 0–3
Elective Elective 0–3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Elective Elective 0–3
Elective Elective 0–3
Elective Elective 0–2
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.