Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the onsite classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an eight-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. 

Exam (20%) The final exam will include a case vignette for which students will provide a list of questions designed to provide a comprehensive clinical appraisal of the client. This includes questions based on the Zimmerman text, those required to ascertain a mental status, and other questions appropriate to the presenting case material.

Group presentation (20%). Students will for groups of 4 and give a professional presentation on an assessment topic of their choice. An outline with documented sources supporting the material is required.

Mental Status Exam Exercise (10%). Students will view a recorded professional interview with a client, and then write a one page mental status on the client.

Appraisal Report (10%). Students will prepare one appraisal report that includes the purpose of the appraisal, the type of formal and informal information sought, the summary and interpretation of the result, and recommendations based upon the finding. The report will be a self-appraisal, based upon the tests assigned for you to take during the first two weeks of class.

Final Project: Mock Testing Service Proposal (30%). This project requires that you imagine that you have just found your first counseling job after obtaining your degree. Your supervisor decides that it would be helpful for your new work setting to have a testing service. You are asked to prepare a 15-20 page proposal that would describe how you would establish such a service for the purpose of persuading the appropriate funding authorities. Your proposal should begin with the description of the setting that includes the type of services provided, the population served, including relevant cultural and socio-demographic factors, and the type of appraisals required. You must include instruments from a minimum of four domains of formal assessment instruments that we cover in this course with a detailed review for each instrument with a rationale for their inclusion. One of your test reviews must be at least 8 typewritten pages that includes a minimum of six published references, formatted according to the APA Publication Manual, 5th edition. The following are some guidelines that you should consider when writing your report. Please note that not all categories will apply to each instrument, but note whether or not the information is unavailable or not applicable.


1. Exact title of appraisal instrument
2. Author
3. Publisher
4. Copyright date(s)
a. date first published
b. date(s) of revision(s)
c. date of version being reviewed
5. Description of stated purpose and use
6. Appropriate respondent characteristics (e.g., age, grade, reading level, mental abilities, or physical characteristics)
7. Available forms
8. Current cost information
9. Content
...a. categories assessed/measured
...b. types of items used
...c. type(s) of responses required
10. Administration procedures and requirements
11. Time factors and considerations
12. Administrator qualifications
13. Interpreter/user qualifications
14. Scoring options and procedures
15. Type(s) of scores derived/reported
16. Normative data
17. Validity information
18. Reliability information
19. Statistical information other than validity or reliability
20. Miscellaneous information
21. Your personal evaluation
...a. advantages for use in counseling or student development
...b. disadvantages for use in counseling or student development

Class Participation (10%). Students are expected to engage actively in class discussions and to attend course meetings regularly and on time.