East Tennessee University is located in the heart of Johnson City on 340 acres in the shadow of Buffalo and Cherokee Mountains. The school was founded in 1911 as East Tennessee State Normal School, dedicated to educating teachers. In 1925, the school name changed to East Tennessee State Teacher’s College, expanding in 1943 to a full range of liberal arts courses. At that time, the school name changed to East Tennessee State College until gaining university status in 1963. There are 11 colleges that use four campuses and several satellite facilities at East Tennessee. The area surrounding the campus offers a variety of restaurants, music venues and a thriving community theater to keep students occupied when they are not attending classes in state-of-the-art facilities.
Department of Counseling and Human Services
The Department of Counseling and Human Services at East Tennessee University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the area of Human Services and Counseling. Students who enter the department develop the skills necessary to become competent, ethical and caring counselors in a variety of industries. Programs include clinical opportunities that include practicums, internships or other types of field placement so that students gain on-the-job knowledge to accentuate their classroom learning.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Community Agency)
The Community Agency concentration in Counseling prepares students for positions as counselors in community mental health centers, private practice or substance abuse centers, as well as many other types of counseling agencies. Programs can be designed so that students may become Licensed Professional Counselors. The program requires 60 credit hours as well as practicums and internships. All prerequisites for practicum and internships must be passed with a “B” or higher.
Higher Education
The Higher Education Counseling concentration is designed for students who professionally identify as counselors and who work in higher learning institutions. Students are prepared to meet the needs of students attending colleges, universities and community or technical colleges. Because college is a unique time in a person’s life, there can be issues that face students at college they did not face while attending high school. It may be a student’s first time away from family or a non-traditional student may be facing a new career. Students in the Higher Education concentration intern at various sites throughout the East Tennessee campus.
Couple and Family
Counselors have been working with couples and families for more than 100 years, but it has been over the past 35 years that the need for couple and family therapy has become prominent. Couples and family therapy is different than individual and group therapy in that family systems can provide unique challenges. The faculty members who teach Marriage and Family Therapy courses have more than 100 combined years of experience, bringing real world perspectives into the classroom.
School Counseling
Students in the School Counseling concentration at East Tennessee fulfill the requirements of the State of Tennessee for full licensure as a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 school counselor. In addition, the coursework is often reciprocal with other states. School counselors are considered professional counselors and educators. Students who enter this concentration have a passion for helping children and adolescents through providing a program of well-coordinated services within a school.
Accreditation
- Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
Contact
School of Graduate Studies
Box 70720
Johnson City, TN 37614
Telephone: 423-439-4221
Email: gradsch@etsu.edu
Program Website