Enhancing Program Satisfaction and Retention Among First-Year Master of Arts in Counseling Students: A Qualitative Study

Student satisfaction and retention are key issues that have been understudied in graduate education programs. More specifically, it is unclear if the known factors that impact retention and satisfaction at the undergraduate level are similar for counselor education programs. This article presents results from a qualitative study exploring a first-year social integration program designed to impact program satisfaction and retention among students in their first year of a Master of Arts in Counseling program. Implications for graduate education programs are discussed.