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Trauma affects millions of people worldwide each year. Individuals affected by natural disasters, war, ethnic conflict, and gender-based violence can suffer long-lasting psychological symptoms that cause significant personal distress and interfere with optimal functioning. Despite this, trauma survivors’ psychological needs frequently go untreated.
The combination of two master’s programs at Arcadia—Counseling with the Trauma Concentration and International Peace and Conflict Resolution—gives students a unique multidisciplinary program not found elsewhere. Students with training in both trauma-specific counseling and international peace and conflict resolution will be well-positioned to plan and implement programs that facilitate psychological recovery from violence and natural disasters, both domestically and abroad.
This program is for students with specific interests in trauma recovery at an international scale as well as for students interested in serving the increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers within the United States. In order to do relief work abroad, agencies increasingly require professional credentials, so this program fulfills the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania.
If completed on a full-time basis, the program will take three years or longer depending on the individual student’s needs and preferences. Since both programs have part-time options, adapting the student’s schedule is easier than fitting additional courses into a full-time program block schedule.
Arcadia students have opportunities to integrate counseling and conflict resolution principles to service individuals affected by traumatic circumstances. These opportunities may include community projects and internships that will enhance their clinical and community-based skills, both within the United States and internationally, if desired.
Dual degree students gain a greater understanding of the scope of both counseling and international peace and conflict resolution issues surrounding communities and individuals living in post-conflict societies.
The dual degree combines the advocacy agendas proposed by both international peace and conflict resolution and counseling/trauma psychology field to most effectively address communities’ and individual problems in post-conflict societies.
There are multiple opportunities for students to work in situations that allow them to combine their Counseling clinical training with their IPCR internship requirement. One example is the Liberty Center, serving refugees and survivors of torture. Such internships prepare students to serve populations who have experienced traumas both at home and abroad, as well as address both individual and systemic causes of distress. As the fields of counseling (and especially trauma counseling) and IPCR have both a strong advocacy component, it is invaluable for students to pursue internships that integrate both perspectives. These internships will be arranged on an individual basis with the Counseling and the IPCR internship coordinator. Students also have separate faculty advisers in both academic programs.
The Counseling graduate programs are accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).
The master’s program in Counseling educates and socializes students to become practitioners skilled in the art of behavior assessment and change. Coursework integrates theory and practice—both within and outside of the classroom.
Develop professional-level competence in:
The IPCR program’s innovative curriculum allows students to develop an area of concentration within the discipline of international peace and conflict resolution, build an international network of contacts among the international conflict resolution community, and gain practical experience in the field.
Develop competencies in:
Students can complete specialized courses in areas of a student’s choosing, including international law, sustainable development, mediation, health, and human rights.
Dual degree candidates must be admitted to each of the programs in order to enroll in the dual degree program.
Students are billed on a per-credit basis based on the number of credits they enroll for in a given semester. For tuition rates, please visit our Graduate Tuition page.
Financial aid is available to assist qualified students in covering tuition and related expenses, as well as living costs. Upon review for admission, students automatically will be reviewed by the academic department for a limited number of merit scholarships. Additionally, students can apply to receive up to $20,500 annually through the Federal Direct Stafford Loan at a fixed interest. In addition to the Stafford Loan, students can choose to borrow either a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan or a private alternative student loan to cover remaining expenses. Graduate assistantships also may be available to those who qualify. Learn more about available financial aid and how to apply.
Counseling Program
Boyer Hall, Room 122
215-572-4693
International Peace & Conflict Resolution
236 Easton Hall
215-572-4094
Enrollment Management
1-877-272-ARCADIA (1-877-272-2342)
admiss@arcadia.edu