M.S.E. – Counseling program provides valuable experience in a needed field

For many students, the process of selecting where to pursue an undergraduate degree can seem like a daunting and potentially life-changing process. Navigating a balance between academic offerings, extracurricular activities, location and overall campus feeling can be overwhelming. The task doesn’t get any easier for students pursuing graduate degrees, who may be juggling work and family responsibilities.

For graduate student Tanner Prochaska, who is pursuing a master’s in counseling, selecting the University of Wisconsin-Superior came down to family.

“I was interested in pursuing a master’s degree and my brother had lived up in the Duluth/Superior area for about 10 years and really loved it,” said Prochaska, who grew up in Stewartville, Minnesota. “I decided to check it out for myself, and the program was affordable, and I enjoyed my tour, so I went with UWS.”

The Master of Science in Education – Counseling program at UW-Superior is designed for students who want to become professionals in counseling and related fields. The program checked many of the boxes Prochaska had on his list.

“Looking at different colleges around the area and what programs they offered, I wanted to do an in-person program and not an online program, which was [also] offered here at the time,” he said. “The idea of counseling other people was daunting. If I had to say what excited me the most though, I would say it was the idea of connecting with my peers and my professors. I also was excited to learn more about myself and gain more knowledge of why people are the way they are.”

Students in the M.S.E. – Counseling program at UW-Superior engage in two years of intensive professional development, building skills and gaining knowledge through traditional classroom instruction, practicums and an internship experience. Experienced faculty are dedicated to student success.  

“I went through the program with a lot of really amazing people and continue to meet more each step of the way,” said Prochaska. “I feel lucky to have gone through the program when I did because I felt like we grew together as a cohort and were able to support each other when it was needed. In my experience, the professors were knowledgeable, reasonable, and caring. The entire experience is something that I will always have and am a better person because of this.”

UW-Superior’s M.S.E. – Counseling program has three areas of concentration – both on campus and online – for students to choose from. Areas include Marriage and Family, Licensed School Counselor and Clinical Mental Health Counselor, which is the area Prochaska chose.

“I felt like this program did its job in terms of preparing me and giving me the necessary tools to be a competent and effective counselor,” he said. “In this program, I did pre-practicum where my classmates and I would counselor each other. Then I took group-practicum where we did therapy as a group. After that is Practicum where we got to counsel undergraduate students and community members.

“I am now currently on the tail-end of my internship. All of these experiences have been really impactful in the sense that I was able to gain experience, make mistakes in a low-risk environment, and feel supported the entire time.”

For Prochaska, who is set to graduate this spring, the program has provided a foundation for a successful career.

“Overall, the counseling program at UWS was what I was looking for in my pursuit of figuring out what is going to be fulfilling for me,” he said. “Much of the time that I spent in the program, I felt a sense of imposter syndrome as if I was in the wrong field or incapable of being an effective counselor. The main thing is that I felt supported and that gave me the confidence to feel like I can do this job. It can be a difficult task to sit with someone through their emotions and be present with them in what they are going through, but it also can be incredibly rewarding.”

Whether you choose to study online or on-campus, the UW-Superior M.S.E. – Counseling program will provide the support and skills for students to become a knowledgeable and skilled advocate and leader in a local school or community. Most on-campus classes are offered from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. on weeknights. Some weekend and online classes are also available within the on-campus delivery format. Most students complete the program within two-and-a-half to three years.