Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• GMS MH 712: Marriage and Family Counseling
  This elective course will help students gain a basic conceptual understanding of the theory, process and practice of family systems therapy, incorporating cultural concepts and understanding of ways in which ¿family¿ is defined. In addition, students will begin to develop skills and strategies for the assessment and treatment of family systems approaches within mental health systems and to practice these skills during in-class role-play exercises. 3 cr. Year 2, Spring sem.
• GMS MH 713: Human Sexuality
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This elective course explores physiological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of human sexuality, focusing on trends in the field, including teen sexuality, pregnancy, and early sexual experiences, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted infections, sex addiction, sexuality across the lifespan, and ethics. 3 cr, Yr. 2, Spring sem.
• GMS MH 714: Behavioral Medicine
  This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the central concepts of behavioral medicine and health psychology, with a focus on adult populations, utilizing a biopsychosocial approach. The emphasis of the course is on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of illness as well as practical application, and the ways in which information can and should be utilized in multidisciplinary care. Theory and content will be presented and applied to specific acute and chronic health conditions, including eating disorders and chronic pain. Heatlh-related stigma will also be discussed.
• GMS MH 715: Professional Orientation and Ethics
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course is process-oriented with an emphasis on personal and professional development as it pertains to preparation to assume a professional role as a clinical mental health counselor within various clinical settings. The focus of the course revolves around developing clinical knowledge and professional skills to help facilitate adjustment to and preparation for field training. Skill development in the areas of assessment, advocacy, treatment, appreciation of cultural complexities in the clinical environment, balancing professional and personal roles, and understanding the role of a clinical mental health counselor in behavioral healthcare settings will be discussed throughout the seminar. 3 cr, Yr. 1, Fall sem
• GMS MH 716: Career and Vocational Counseling
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course provides an overview of the history and theories of career development; students will learn how to conduct a career interview and review and discuss the influence of developmental, ethnic, racial and gender differences for career counseling. Students will also complete and review several career tests and present their personal career development plan in preparation for entering the field. 3 cr, Yr. 2, Spring sem
• GMS MH 717: Theory and Practice of Child and Adolescent Counseling
  Graduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor - This elective course presents evidence-based practices designed to impact children and adolescents. The course will focus on theoretical underpinnings and options for intervening directly with children/adolescents, with parents/guardians, and in schools and other environmental settings. Sensitivity to multicultural perspectives and competencies will also be reviewed. 3cr Year 1, Fall sem.
• GMS MH 718: Psychological Trauma Across the Lifespan
  Graduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor - This elective course provides students with a foundation in psychological trauma and its impact on mental and physical health. Two frameworks-- biopsychosocial and developmental psychopathology--will be used for students to gain up-to-date knowledge on the consequences of traumatic experiences and other serious adversities along the molar (behavior) to molecular (neurobiology) continuum and across the lifespan. With an emphasis on evidence-based practice, students attain core clinical competencies in the assessment and treatment of trauma-related symptoms and problems through various didactic and experiential activities. Evaluation strategies will encompass the utility of diagnostic nosologies (i.e., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM]) as well as case conceptualization. State-of-the-science interventions are be covered so that students acquire knowledge and skills in helping traumatized individuals to successfully ameliorate their symptoms and improve their functioning. 3 cr. Yr. 2, Fall sem.
• GMS MH 803: Advanced Ethics
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course provides a review of professional ethics governing the field of counseling, to include ethical decision-making, confidentiality and informed consent, competence and supervision, malpractice, use of technology, self-care, and medical ethics. The course includes a careful review of the American Counseling Association and American Mental Health Counselors Association Codes of Ethics. This is an advanced ethics course, building upon ethical concepts covered throughout the program, with a focus on critical thinking skills and cultural sensitivity as applied to ethical practice. Discussion of student¿s training experiences is also emphasized. 3 cr., Year 2, Spring sem
• GMS MH 810: Psychopharmacology
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course provides an overview of psychopharmacology for the non-medical clinical mental health counseling provider. There is overview of the neurobiology of mental health disorders and the medications commonly used in their treatment. 3 cr, Yr. 1, Spring sem.
• GMS MH 812: Addictions
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - The aim of this course is to provide the necessary knowledge base for understanding and treating addiction. This course places emphasis on acquiring clinically useful knowledge and skills for recognizing and treating substance use disorders. Topics covered in this course include: recognizing drug intoxication and withdrawal, assessment of substance use disorders, Community Reinforcement Approach, Family Systems Treatment Models, Motivational, Enhancement Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral/Skills Building approaches, 12-Step Recovery/Mutual Support Groups, and Addiction Medicine. 3 cr, Yr. 2, Fall sem.
• GMS MH 814: Clinical Field Research Seminar
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This elective course is designed to provide students with knowledge and experience in the conduct of clinical trials. Students enrolled in this practicum will become part of a clinical research team investigating the efficacy of clinical and/or medication management of a discrete mental health and/or medical disorder. Topics of study are dependent on site of interest currently conducting trials and availability of staff to supervise students. Training will include readings, presentations, observation, web- based training, and direct experience working with research participants. Availability and variability in options for this course are necessarily dependent on the existence of trials in stages of funding that will provide appropriate education and skills-training and is available for only a small number of students.Var cr, Yr. 1, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS MH 902: Practicum Supervision
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course is a group supervision experience where the faculty supervisor provides the opportunity for students to present and discuss cases from their Practicum placement and to receive feedback from the faculty supervisor and peers. Course content and activities are designed to foster students' identities as clinical mental health counselors, to sharpen their diagnostic and intervention skills, and increase students' awareness of ethical and legal considerations. In addition, students complete bedside interviewing in inpatient medical units of the campus-based hospital (Boston Medical Center), conducting brief psychosocial assessments of patients. This facilitates the application of skills for medical concerns, exposure to a medical environment, and learning about a variety of medical conditions. 3cr. Yr. 1, Spring sem.
• GMS MH 921: Internship Supervision
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This is a group supervision course in which students enroll while they are on the first of two semesters of their internship training. This course does not take the place of on-site supervision, provided by a clinician where they complete their internships. In this course, students meet weekly with a faculty member and several fellow students present cases in oral and written format, discuss differential diagnosis, actively apply theory and clinical techniques, within a socio-cultural lens, work through ethical challenges, and process their experiences on site. 3 cr. Yr. 2, Fall sem.
• GMS MH 922: Internship Supervision
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course is a group supervision experience for students during the second semester of their academic year-long Internship training. As part of this experience, faculty supervisors mentor students to develop more advanced assessment and counseling skills, as well as to develop their identifies as professional mental health counselors. Students also complete a Capstone Project, consisting of an oral and written case presentation, focused on psychosocial assessment and intervention, incorporating the academic and didactic components of the two-year program. Successful completion of the Capstone is required for graduation in the program. 3 cr. Yr. 2, Spring sem.
• GMS MH 972: Directed Studies in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine
  Var cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS MI 701: Concepts in Virology
  The goals of this course are to provide a fundamental understanding of virus molecular biology. The course will build on prior understanding of mammalian cellular and molecular biology and will follow the replication cycle of animal viruses, focusing in detail on the molecular mechanisms underlying viral replication. The course will examine key concepts in molecular virology, including virus structure, how viruses can attach and enter cells, express and replicate their genomes, take advantage of the host cell translation machinery, and package and release virus progeny. There will also be lectures on antivirals and how viruses can be manipulated and used as tools. The course will be aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and taught by Microbiology Department faculty with expertise in virology. The content will include a combination of PowerPoint presentations and discussion of primary research papers. Reading materials will include primary literature and suggested review articles. Students will be evaluated on their discussion of papers, written work, and a presentation.
• GMS MI 713: Comprehensive Immunology
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - Immunology is a key discipline that interweaves itself through almost every aspect of human health and disease. This course provides a basic yet comprehensive understanding of the immune system for students entering immunological disciplines as well as those from computational, bioengineering and biotechnology fields. It is designed to be accessible to graduate students and advanced undergraduates who have solid backgrounds in biology, genetics and biochemistry. Lectures include both interactive and conventional teaching modes as well as discussion of some assigned papers from the current literature. Topics include in depth looks at both innated and adaptive immunity, cell trafficking, mucosal immunity and the integration of this complex system. Prior exposure to an immunology course is not formally required, albeit extra textbook reading may be necessary by students without such exposure. 4 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS MI 715: Immunological Basis of Disease
  Journal article-based survey of mechanisms underlying diseases caused by abnormal immune system function. Emphasis will be on normal vs. pathological immune system processes towards reinforcing how basic immunological concepts have immediate clinical significance. 2 cr, Spring sem. alternate years
• GMS MI 811: Microbiology Seminar
  Presentation and discussion of problems of current interest. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS MI 812: Microbiology Seminar
  Presentation and discussion of problems of current interest. 2 cr, Spring sem.