Course Syllabus

HR 5563 - Career Counseling

Faculty Contact Information

Course Details

For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Course Description

This course will provide students with conceptual and functional tools for enhancing career development of children, youth, and adults in both counseling and corporate human resources relationships. Students will have the opportunity to apply theories and techniques to career counseling case studies using "real-world" situations. Additionally, all students will have the opportunity to self-administer a variety of career counseling assessment tools, conduct an interview, develop their personal career profile, and demonstrate comprehension by completing a multiple-choice final exam.

Course Prerequisites 

• HR 5003 - Theoretical Foundations in Human Relations Counseling / HR 5533 - Counseling Theories in CMHC
• HR 5402 - Psycho-Social Development / HR 5923 - Human Growth & Development
• HR 5883 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession
• HR 5483 - Diagnosis in Human Relations Counseling
• HR 5453 - Ethics in Human Relations Counseling
• HR 5643 - Crisis Intervention / Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling
• HR 5593 - Multicultural Counseling
• HR5503 - Research for Counseling
• HR 5893 - Psychopharmacology
• HR 5663 - Psychopathology
• HR 5433 - Group Counseling
• HR 5613 - Assessment & Evaluation in Counseling
• HR 5463 - Counseling Skills 
• HR 5493 - Couples & Family Counseling
  • Note: Depending on which semester your cohort started, you may or may not have completed this course prior to the Practicum and that is okay. There may be situations where you are taking this course while in the Practicum course.
• HR 5283 - Practicum
• HR 5633 - Advanced Counseling Skills
  • Note: Depending on which semester your cohort started, you may be taking this course while you are in the Internship in Human Relations I course.

Course Materials

• American Counseling Association: Code of Ethics
• National Career Development Association: Code of Ethics
• Zunker, V.G. (2016). Career counseling: A holistic approach (9th ed.). Florence, KY: Brooks/Cole. ISBN 1305087283. 

Methods of Instruction

The following will be used in the delivery of this course:

• Independent readings
• Lecture
• Synchronous discussion (Live Sessions)
• Videos
• Presentations
• Technological resources 
• Online content (Canvas)

Minimum Technology Requirements

Participating in OU Online programs requires specific technologies. To participate in class and navigate other technological requirements, you will need the following:

• Computer with webcam
• Microsoft Office
• Google Chrome/Firefox
• Reliable Internet
• OU Email

Consider the following tips:

• To be effective in your courses you will need regular access to a computer and a stable internet connection.
• Although mobile devices (i.e., smart phones) are great for checking your grades or watching a video, OU does not recommend relying on them as your primary method for taking a course online or face to face.
• Many times, professors will add course media and assignment drop boxes to Canvas and you need reliable access.
• Computer labs are available on campus in the OU library and rooms can be reserved for privacy.
  • Most town libraries will also have access to technology labs in your hometown.
• You can watch and participate in online courses on your smartphone, but it may make reading the PDFs provided more difficult. We recommend a larger device to access online course content.
• Weather, or shelter-in-place mandates may require at home access to technology. Weather may be unpredictable and can cause alternate sources of class time such as an online zoom meeting. Accessing a webcam and microphone is important.
• Online courses typically have opportunities for students to use audio/video to submit assignments or participate in activities. These accessories will increase course interactivity and can connect you to your instructors as well as your fellow classmates.

For more support contact the OU Instructional Technology Service Portal

You are expected to:

• Check your OU email daily and OU Canvas for updates on classes.
• Use word processing programs such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs for assignments.
• Send or receive email attachments and communicate with your instructor or advisor.
• Search databases for research in the library resources.

Learning Outcomes & CACREP Standards

Career Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track

Grades

Breakdown

*Indicates Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This is an intentional formative assessment to assure you take away the core information necessary to be a successful professional counselor.

Scale

Course Components

Participation

You can earn participation points in two ways:

1. Live Sessions
   • Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Submit Assignment" button at the top of the Live Session page. Your self-reported attendance log will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
   • Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, please review the recording of the Live Session then write a 2-3 paragraph summary of the Live Session from your perspective. Click on the "Start Assignment" button to type (or copy/paste) your paragraph into the text field. Make-up session summaries are due Sunday by 11:59 PM following the missed Live Session.
2. Discussions
   • You will have 2 discussions in this course. Your initial responses will be due by 11:59 p.m. Central on Friday and your responses will be due by 11:59 p.m. Central on Sunday.

 Interview and Theory Application Paper

This assignment involves two written parts including:

1. An informal interview
2. Theory application

Midterm Exam

The midterm exam will cover materials from the first half of the course. This material may include all texts, readings, lectures and discussions and will be primarily about career theory. This exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.

*Final Project (Career Project)

*Indicates Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This is an intentional formative assessment to assure you take away the core information necessary to be a successful professional counselor.

In your future counseling endeavors, you will likely be asked to develop programs or intervention strategies for particular groups, populations, or settings. The career project in this course will give you an opportunity to develop a career-focused program or intervention based on current career theory and research findings. 

Note: You may choose to complete this project as a paper or as a presentation.

Course Policies

Communication 

Feedback 

Late Policy

Late submissions of work will be penalized ten percent of the value of the assignment per calendar day of lateness. This may be adjusted upon verification of emergency or extenuating circumstances per my evaluation. 

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

per CACREP Standards 1.I. & 1.M.8

The OU CMHC program fosters a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. Our OU Human Relations faculty and students are diverse in their cultures and beliefs. Throughout the OU environment, including the CMHC program, we uphold the pillars of awareness, education, and advocacy. We critically examine campus climate with its biases, assumptions, institutional structure, and worldviews. We strive together to mitigate inequities, to grow intellectually and personally through meaningful diversity interactions, conscious conversations, and meaningful experiences. We work to reduce barriers, to promote conscious civil conversations, and to help all contribute as individuals, community members, and professionals in preparing our students to compete in a diverse, global, and integrated world.

As faculty of the CMHC program and mental health professionals, we strive to uphold ACA ethical guidelines important to the counseling profession in addition to the OU values of empathy, accountability, civil dialogue, collaboration, equity, integrity, and mutual respect. The goal of the CMHC program is to engage, serve and yield qualified and diverse students, equipping them with the tools needed to serve, educate, and empower our diverse communities.

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries. 

University Academic Policies and Student Support

Access the University Academic Policies Document.