Counseling and Psychology Degrees Offered at Oregon Institute of Technology
Oregon Institute of Technology appears in our ranking of the 50 Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs.
Oregon Institute of Technology offers behavioral science degrees in a range of disciplines including both a bachelor’s and master’s degree related to counseling. At the undergraduate level, the B.S. in Applied Psychology provides students with a solid scientific foundation in the field. All students take core classes in the areas of social psychology, abnormal psychology, biopsychology, introductory counseling techniques, and behavior modification. This core is designed to help students determine their areas of interest and develop career goals. A total of 180 credit hours is required to graduate including at least 12 hours of fieldwork and career preparation which is typically completed in the junior or senior year. This applied experience can consist of an internship, externship, research and lab work, a senior project, youth mentorship, or other special projects or training. The applied psychology program is offered on the Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses. In addition, there is an entirely online option available for students.
At the graduate level, the Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy is also available on the Klamath Falls Oregon Tech campus. Throughout the program, students complete 90 credit hours of coursework, and upon graduation, they are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the marriage and family therapist license. Along with introductory counseling theory and practice, the curriculum includes three specialty areas that all students complete. There are a series of medical family therapy classes which prepare students to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary medical environments like hospitals or family practice clinics. Courses include Introduction to Medical Family Therapy in Rural Areas and Advanced Medical Family Therapy.
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In addition, all graduates meet educational requirements for the Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor credential. Classes like Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Disorders: Systemic Assessment and Diagnosis, Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders, and Families, Substance Abuse, and Addiction are part of this track. Finally, there is a focus on rural mental health care with students completing Rural Considerations in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention and Rural Mental Health Care and MFT, as well as a related 12-credit-hour clinical practicum. Upon completion of all coursework, there is a required 3-term internship as well as a clinical capstone and special project for more hands-on, advanced training prior to graduation.
About the Oregon Institute of Technology
Beginning as a vocational school, the institute opened in 1947 in response to the need to retrain veterans returning home from World War II. The first official bachelor’s degrees were offered in engineering in 1970. Today, Oregon Tech offers 45 different degree programs in a variety of disciplines utilizing the quarter schedule. The school has also expanded to include a robust online platform and three campuses in the cities of Klamath Falls, Portland-Metro, and Salem, Oregon. On all campuses, sustainability is a key focus including a plan to become carbon neutral by 2050 and abundant opportunities to use alternative forms of transportation. Additionally, all programs emphasize the importance of hands-on learning experiences along with theoretical education. The Oregon Institute of Technology is known throughout the West as a top-tier school, being ranked #2 on the list of Top Public Schools and the 5th best university in this region by the U.S. News and World Report.
Oregon Institute of Technology Accreditation Details
Oregon Tech has earned regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1962 and is due for its next Mid-Cycle Review in 2019. This means that the school has met all minimum quality standards covering all aspects of the institution from academics to the governing board and financial structure. These benchmarks are divided into five categories consisting of Mission and Core Themes, Resources and Capacity, Planning and Implementation, Effectiveness and Improvement, and Mission Fulfillment, Adaptation, and Sustainability. To maintain accreditation, each school must consistently demonstrate adequacy in all areas throughout the continuously repeating seven-year review cycle. In addition to university-wide certification, the Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree track at Oregon Institute of Technology has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists has also approved the program which makes graduates eligible for licensing.
Oregon Institute of Technology Application Requirements
Undergraduate applicants to Oregon Tech need to submit an application for admission, $50 fee, and all previous high school and college transcripts. SAT or ACT scores are also required for most individuals with an exception for those who graduated from high school more than three years prior to their application. Applicants to the Oregon Tech’s graduate counseling program need to submit their application along with $50 fee and complete transcripts from all previous colleges and universities. In addition, the MFT department requires a personal essay, three letters of recommendation, and a resume including previous research, leadership, and community service experience. Submission of GRE scores is highly recommended but can be omitted if one letter of recommendation speaks directly to academic ability and preparation. For the best chances of acceptance, students are advised to have at least a 3.0 GPA in the most recent 90 quarter hours of study. The university will also examine a criminal background check prior to admission.
Tuition and Financial Aid
There are three different rates for undergraduate tuition at Oregon Tech. Residents of Oregon can expect to pay about $184 per credit hour, and non-residents are charged $585 per hour. There is a discounted rate of $276 for out-of-state students from one of the other 15 states participating in the Western University Exchange. Graduate tuition rates are $427 per credit hour for residents and $717 for all out-of-state students. The Oregon Tech Foundation does provide over $350,000 worth of scholarships to students at all levels, and the financial aid office works with each incoming family to determine a reasonable tuition plan. In addition, the graduate school offers assistantships to many MFT students which allows them to gain experience in their field while offsetting some tuition costs. Many counseling students at Oregon Institute of Technology also take advantage of the Student Loan Repayment Program offered by the federal government through the National Health Service Corps which provides loan forgiveness in exchange for full-time work in underprivileged areas including Klamath County.