How many credits to take each semester during M.S. in counseling psych?

[MasterOf.Science.]

I've selected a two year plan, which seems to be the fastest the college wants their student to complete the program. They also have 2.5, 3, and even 3.5 year plans.

It's a 60 semester hour program. The last two semesters(spring and summer) require 35 hours a week of an internship. I've been messing around with it, trying to rearrange classes so I would be finished with all classes at 1.5 years instead of 2. I would just have my internship to finish in the summer. It would be about 15 credits each semester and 7 in the summer.

Is this crazy?
I'm coming straight from undergrad and am used to taking 17-20 credits a semester. I know this program will take more time, however.

Also, I am lucky enough to not have to work at all during my program. I actually did work all through undergrad, though.

Is 15 credit hours a semester in a 60 credit hour counseling program too much? How many would you suggest? I have no idea what's normal.

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[MAClinician]

What's the rush? 15 credit hours is a lot for graduate programs. I took 3 or sometimes 4 classes but very rarely was it 4. There is a lot of reading and papers in grad school. Also, doing your internship in 1 semester is VERY POOR ETHICAL practice. Clients expect to meet with a counselor for more than 3 months. How will you develop your skills in 3 months? I would hope your program would not approve of that plan! However, given what you have posted already, it seems the professional development of students is not a priority for that school.

 

[MasterOf.Science.]

What's the rush? 15 credit hours is a lot for graduate programs. I took 3 or sometimes 4 classes but very rarely was it 4. There is a lot of reading and papers in grad school. Also, doing your internship in 1 semester is VERY POOR ETHICAL practice. Clients expect to meet with a counselor for more than 3 months. How will you develop your skills in 3 months? I would hope your program would not approve of that plan! However, given what you have posted already, it seems the professional development of students is not a priority for that school.

Oh, the internship is required to be a minimum of 2 semesters. I just thought it would be nice to be able to focus on strictly the internship for the last semester(which would be the second semester of internship), considering that it's going to be 35 hours a week.

I think I'm going to stick to 4 classes for now, however.