| Course | COUC 521 Assessment Techniques in Counseling (COUC521) |
|---|---|
| Credit hours | 3 |
| Program | MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling |
| Length | 8 Module/Weeks, online |
| Weeks with written work | 8 of 8 |
| Samples on this site | 8 week sample papers |
| Sources | Liberty's 2026-2027 catalog and the published COUC 521 course guide |
| Updated | October 2026 |
What COUC 521 covers
Forums fall in Modules/Weeks 1, 3, 6 and 8 and are short: a 200-to-250-word thread and one reply of 75 to 100 words; the intake interview, mental status exam and psychological report in Modules/Weeks 2, 4 and 5 all use the same student-designed character.
Two papers judge tests directly: a 2-to-4-page reliability and validity analysis in Module/Week 3 and a 7-to-10-page test critique with six required sections and at least three journal articles in Module/Week 7.
This course is designed to provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society. Comprehension and application of basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized testing and other assessment techniques, including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, inventory methods, psychological testing, and behavioral observations are examined. Social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations are discussed. Identification of applicable ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling are evaluated.
COUC 521 week by week, with the sample for each
| Week | Written work in the course guide | Points | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | DB Forum 1 (checklist and Quiz 1 also due) | 40 | Read the Week 1 sample |
| Week 2 | Project 1: Initial Interview (Quiz 2 also due) | 100 | Read the Week 2 sample |
| Week 3 | Exploring Reliability and Validity (DB Forum 2 and Quiz 3 also due) | 40 | Read the Week 3 sample |
| Week 4 | Mental Status Exam (Quiz 4 also due) | 100 | Read the Week 4 sample |
| Week 5 | Psychological Report (Quiz 5 also due) | 180 | Read the Week 5 sample |
| Week 6 | DB Forum 3 (Quiz 6 also due) | 40 | Read the Week 6 sample |
| Week 7 | Test Critique (Quiz 7 also due) | 180 | Read the Week 7 sample |
| Week 8 | DB Forum 4 (Quiz 8 also due) | 40 | Read the Week 8 sample |
Where COUC 521 papers lose points
COUC 521 work slips when forum posts run past 250 words, when intake and mental status reports interpret instead of describe, when psychological reports list scores without integrating them or treat personality types as diagnoses, and when test critiques praise an instrument without reporting its norm sample, coefficients and limits.
Using a COUC 521 sample well
The samples cite Drummond, Sheperis and Jones, Lambert and Shimokawa, Hays, the DSM-5-TR, Kroenke and colleagues, Levis and colleagues, Huang and colleagues, Trzepacz and Baker, Posner and colleagues, Beck and colleagues, Johnson, Goldberg and colleagues, Pittenger, Spitzer and colleagues, Löwe and colleagues, Plummer and colleagues and the ACA Code of Ethics.
COUC 521 questions, answered
What textbook does COUC 521 use?
Drummond, Sheperis and Jones's Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals (2016), with a 10-question open-book quiz on each assigned chapter.
Which COUC 521 assignments use the same client?
The Initial Interview, the Mental Status Exam and the Psychological Report all follow the student-designed character and referral question created for Project 1.
What tests are required in the COUC 521 Psychological Report?
The IPIP-NEO and the Jung Personality Test, plus two additional assessments the student selects, administers and interprets, combined into a 4-to-7-page report.
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