Deadlines are looming for a number of Faculty of Education master’s programs that expand career opportunities for today’s educators.

For Beth Mills (MC ’15), completing a Master’s of Counselling at the University of Lethbridge was challenging and intense but worth every late-night study session.

“I felt I learned so much as a person and as a professional,” she says. “I had a really good experience. It is hard work but if you have a passion for counselling and for learning, it’s 100 per cent worth it. It’s an experience I would never take back.”

She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the program to others. The Faculty of Education offers a Master of Counselling (MC) and a Master of Education (MEd). Students in the MEd program can choose from concentrations in curriculum and assessment, educational leadership and counselling psychology. Anyone interested is encouraged to apply to either program by the Dec. 1 deadline.

Mills (BA ’09), now a student program advisor in the Faculty of Arts and Science, majored in psychology as an undergraduate and took as many counselling courses as she could. After graduating, she worked for the Canadian Mental Health Association in their Pathways to Housing program.

“Through that work, I was able to consult with many mental health practitioners in Lethbridge and see the many positive benefits that can arise from a focus on mental health and wellness. It was this experience that really awakened my passion to pursue an education in counselling,” says Mills.

When she researched possible master’s programs, the three-year Master of Counselling, with its blend of online learning and in-class sessions during the summer, suited her schedule because it allowed her to continue working full time.

The final year is devoted to a practicum working directly with clients and completing a final project or portfolio. Mills chose to pursue a final project, as she wanted to learn more about different ways to promote positive self-esteem in adolescents. Along with a literature review on adolescent self-esteem, Mills studied group process work and a holistic wellness model to create a program for use with adolescents.

The group program was based on work she completed with a fellow MC graduate, Katherine Coleman. They had the opportunity to run the group together with students at a local middle school.

Mills’ work earned her a School of Graduate Studies medal of merit.

More information about Faculty of Education graduate programs and other master’s programs can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website.