Program objectives and outcomes
Grounded in Malone’s Foundational Principles, the graduate programs in counseling are designed to equip students with the knowledge, practical experience, and clinical skills necessary to become effective and intentional professional counselors. Through a combination of educational and hands-on training, these programs foster the development of practitioners who are committed to advocating for the growth and well-being of their clients and students.
The following outcomes outline the key knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students are expected to achieve during their time in the Malone University counseling programs.
Foundational Beliefs
Malone strives to prepare professionals who:
- As advocates, practice with multicultural competence, with a holistic understanding of human nature, and as problem solvers in collaboration and consultation with others;
- With intentionality, and proactive and reflective practitioners, are grounded in sound theory and techniques, with an ability to utilize technology;
- Understand that one’s faith informs one’s practice and that people have a spiritual dimension that needs valued, nurtured, and accessed for growth and development; and
- Exhibit professional competencies including modeling a professional manner in all settings, demonstrating honed intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, practicing with integrity in an ethical and legal manner, and meeting standards for State licensure and certifications.
2023-2024 Academic Year (August-August)
| Graduates | Completion Rate | Exam Pass Rate | Job Placement Rate | |
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 34 | 70%[2] | 90% first attempt Ohio NCE | 95%* |
| School Counseling | 4 | 70% | 78% first attempt Ohio OAE040 | 75%* ** |
*Among those who are actively seeking employment or pursuing doctoral admissions.
**The reduced job placement rate for School Counselors may be impacted by the number of full time classroom teachers gaining licensure, but who are not ready to leave the classroom, and plan to pursue a School Counseling position in the future.
Program Objectives
The program objectives for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs were designed to be consistent with the requirements in the 2024 CACREP standard 2.B., which states that program objectives should (1) reflect current knowledge and projected needs concerning counseling practice in a multicultural and pluralistic society; (2) reflect input from all persons involved in the conduct of the program, including program faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies; (3) address student learning; and (4) are written so they can be evaluated. The following is a list of the program objectives.
Program Objective 1 (PO-1): Students will develop strong professional counselor identities, an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all mental health professionals, the ability to advocate for clients in collaboration and consultation with other professionals, and the knowledge and skills to practice professionally and ethically.
Program Objective 2 (PO-2): Students will acquire knowledge of multicultural counseling competencies and the ability to apply them to meet the needs of diverse clients in their counseling practice.
Program Objective 3 (PO-3): Students will gain an understanding of the various theories of human development and the skill to integrate a developmental approach to their counseling practice.
Program Objective 4 (PO-4): Students will acquire knowledge and skills in career development, career assessment, and vocational enhancement strategies across the lifespan that are developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and ethical.
Program Objective 5 (PO-5): Students will gain knowledge of and skills in the use of counseling theories, models, techniques, professional resources, and ethical and culturally relevant strategies throughout the counseling process.
Program Objective 6 (PO-6): Students will develop knowledge and skills in the dynamics, theories, therapeutic factors, approaches, and ethically and culturally relevant strategies for group work and group counseling.
Program Objective 7 (PO-7): Students will acquire knowledge in statistical concepts related to assessment and the ability to apply ethical and culturally relevant strategies for conducting an initial interview, and selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and test results.
Program Objective 8 (PO-8): Students will gain an understanding of the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession and informing counseling practice and the ability to apply ethical and culturally relevant strategies for conducting, interpreting, and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation.
Program Objective 9 (PO-9): Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program students will understand and apply theories, models, case conceptualization, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning and implementation, and ethical and culturally relevant strategies to provide effective counseling practice for diverse clients.
Program Objective 10 (PO-10): School Counseling Program students will gain an understanding of the professional principles, theories, models, and interventions of school counseling and are able to apply their knowledge to assess, provide interventions, and develop and evaluate school programs in professional, ethical, and culturally relevant ways.
Program Objective 11 (PO-11): Students will demonstrate characteristics (counseling dispositions) related to clinical astuteness, intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and professionalism and ethical practice in counseling.
Program Objective 12 (PO-12): Students will meet standards and requirements for state licensure and certifications.
DEIA Statement
The Malone University Counseling Programs draw on the unique context as an Evangelical Friends institution with access to urban, rural, and suburban practice opportunities to prepare entry-level counseling practitioners who are capable of culturally inclusive practice across diverse populations, who promote social justice and advocacy, and who can ethically integrate Christian faith with counseling practice. This foundation fosters the growth of practice wisdom and scientific inquiry with an overarching purpose of enhancing the quality of life for all people. Students in the counseling programs must demonstrate and align with the standards and ethics set by the American Counseling Association and/or the American School Counselor Association. Cultural competence, humility, and responsiveness are infused throughout the counseling program curriculum. Students are expected to and required to engage in self-reflection and meaningful critique of personally held convictions, values, perspectives, and biases that will impact their work as professional counselors.
Malone University does not illegally discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other basis on which the University is prohibited from discrimination under local, state, or federal law. As a non-profit Christian institute of higher learning, the University exercises its rights under state and federal law to use religion as a factor in making employment decisions.