M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling

The Human Development Counseling Program (HDC) prepares students at the master's degree level to meet the many human needs of the normally developing population, who sometimes become blocked developmentally and require professional help. Through a rigorous and humanistic training model and a two-year curriculum, students develop a strong theoretical grounding in human development and counseling. This theoretical base is then shaped and honed through a one-year internship experience that provides opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills primarily in the areas of:

• Social Service Agencies
• Mental Health Centers
• Schools (K-12)
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Other Human Services Delivery Programs

Our students learn that counseling begins and ends with the needs of human beings. Meeting those needs with the methods informed by the findings of current research and by the unique nature of each person makes graduates of the HDC program uniquely qualified to counsel diverse populations in diverse human settings.

The HDC program recognizes the dynamic relationship between individuals, environments, and human systems. Directing theory and research toward the intersection of people and environments, the HDC program trains counselors sensitive to the complexities of human development who can translate sound theoretical knowledge into effective counseling programs.

A faculty with years of experience in counselor education committed to close interaction with graduate students gives the HDC program at Vanderbilt a unique educational model that practices what it teaches. The close working relationship between faculty and students makes classroom time more productive and the internship experience more valuable. The program maintains a low student-faculty ratio, allowing classes to be small in size and informal in atmosphere.

The HDC program is designed for both full- and part-time students. Courses are offered during regular weekday hours, early evenings, and weekends. Some weekend courses, which meet on Friday evenings and all day Saturday, are required.

For further information, please choose any of the following:

• Admissions
• Program Tracks
• Courses Offered
• HDC Handbook (pdf)
• Links for Counselors
• Chi Sigma Iota

Please email hdc@vanderbilt.edu or call 615-322-8484 for more information.