Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the Department of Counseling and Human Resource Development. CHRD offers nationally accredited degrees at the main campus at South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD) and at the Higher Education Center in Rapid City, SD.

CHRD is committed to preparing ethical and competent professionals in one of four areas of specialty: agency (community) counseling, school counseling, rehabilitation and mental health counseling, and college student personnel.

Within the department, learning experiences balance theory and supervised practice. To achieve entry level professional competence, students are expected to become knowledgeable in the following areas: dynamics of human growth and development; social and cultural foundations including multiculturalism and pluralism; helping relationships; theories and practices; family systems and interventions; lifestyle and career development; appraisal; research and evaluation; professional orientation; administrative and planning concepts;  personal growth and development: self-awareness, interpersonal relations, physical and mental health.

The specialty area in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling is dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of counselors and programs of service to people with disabilities. Educational experiences will aim to prepare qualified rehabilitation counselors, increase knowledge in the field of rehabilitation, and to apply knowledge to the growing effectiveness of rehabilitation professionals and service delivery systems. In alliance with students, agencies, consumers, and professional organizations, the specialty area will promote the independence, acceptance, and dignity of all people with significant disabilities.

Objectives:

• Meet the growing needs and diverse challenges of consumers with physical and psychiatric disabilities;

• Prepare qualified counselors for careers with federal, state, and private agencies;

• Meet anticipated work force needs in the growing rehabilitation and mental health counseling field; and

• Provide field experience and internships to develop professional counseling skills.

Accreditation

The Master's of Science with specializing in Agency (Community) Counseling, School Counseling and College Student Personnel Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Students who graduate from CACREP accredited programs score higher on the national counselor exams, are perceived by others to have better counseling abilities, and it makes state licensing easier. As a graduate of a CACREP program, students are eligible to waive the required "two years after gradution supervised field work" in order to obtain the NCC (National Certified Counselor) credential earlier.

The Master's of Science specializing in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE).  This program is designed to prepare graduates to be eligible for licensure in counseling (LPC) and certification through the Commission for Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). 

The Master’s of Education specialization in Administration of Student Affairs started in fall 2007, meets the guidelines of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).