Degrees for Education

Our mission is to prepare highly effective educators and school counselors who believe in full inclusion, who value diversity, and who are reflective and knowledgeable about best practices.

The School of Education offers a variety of programs that are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), first in 2001 and more recently in 2007. Such accreditation is a formal recognition of the high quality and standards of preparation future teachers receive here at Sage.

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School of Education programs and advisors

This provides the program of study, showing the specific requirements of each program, as well as a link that will allow you to email the program advisor. Program advisors will be happy to talk with you about the requirements, what background is required for teachers in New York State, when courses are offered, employment prospects, and other relevant topics.
School of Education Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual framework is a statement of the philosophy that drives all of the offerings of the School of Education. There is also a reference list and a bibliography of fundamental sources that guide our practice.

To see further information about employment prospects and trends, certification guidelines, New York State Teacher Certification Tests and accreditation - click Resources.

The Counseling Program at IU Southeast offers two degree options:
Option 1: A 48-hour masters degree for students without a previous masters degree in education. There are nine (9) hours of pre-core classes taken before applying to the clinical cohort. The two years of the clinical program has 39 hours. Applicants to the clinical cohort must also satisfy two pre-requisite courses (Introduction to Special Education and Classroom Management); these may be undergraduate or graduate courses. The pre-requisites do not count in the 48 hours of the M.S.
Option 2: A 36-hour second masters degree for students who already have a masters degree in education. The 36 hours include the courses in the two year clinical cohort minus the elective. Applicants for option 2 must satisfy both pre-requisites (from either undergrad or grad courses) and the 9 hours of pre-core classes before applying to the clinical cohort.

Students who complete the M.S. in Education with the Counseling major are approved for the Indiana License and the Kentucky License as a School Counselor, K-12. More than 40 states do not require teaching certification to be a school counselor. Students should check the website of the American School Counselor Association: www.schoolcounselor.org to determine certification qualifications for other states.

Completing the School Counseling program does NOT qualify students for the Indiana or Kentucky Mental Health Counseling License, which is necessary for any non- school counseling position.

This is an exciting time to be a School Counselor. We believe that School Counselors can make a crucial difference in helping all students have a successful school career.

“School Counselors work with all students, school staff, families and members of the community as an integral part of the education program. School counseling programs promote school success through a focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention activities, advocacy, and social/emotional and career development.” (American School Counseling Association)

“School Counselors have skills in leadership, advocacy, teaming and collaboration, counseling and coordination, and assessment and use of data for individual and systemic change.” (Education Trust Transforming School Counseling Initiative)

ED 701 Introduction to School Guidance Counseling
Description: This course will survey the philosophy, objectives, principles and program of comprehensive developmental school guid_ance programs at the K-12 level. The course will focus on National and State Models of School Counseling.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

ED 705 The Changing Role of the School Counselor
Description: This course will review the historical and philosophical bases for school counseling programs, explore traditional roles for the school counselor, and examine the ethical and legal responsibilities of school guidance counselors. Focus will be given to recent applications of contemporary theories in educational settings as well as the role of the counselor in assisting all students in academic, career, and personal/social domains.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

ED 710 Practices in Counseling Young Children and Adolescents
Description: Students will explore the implications of child development for counseling interventions. Participants will review counseling theory and explore developmentally appropriate counseling techniques. The course will also address the physical, emotional and social development of children and adolescents and examine the relationship between development and counseling needs. Emphasis will be given to working with parents and other family members.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

ED 750 Field Experience in School Counseling
Description: The field experience will prepare counselor trainees to be effective school counselors and assist them in acquiring school-based experience needed for Maine State Certification. Field placements will promote the application of theory at each school level. A minimum of 15 hours of program coursework is required prior to the field experience.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

ED 760 Internship in School Counseling
Description: This supervised experience in school counseling includes both field work and class instruction. Students will spend a minimum of 300 hours over the course of two consecutive semesters engaged in counseling, consultation, and program development activities under the direct supervision of practicing school counselors. A minimum of 27 hours is required, including all school counseling courses.
Prerequisites: ED701, ED705, ED710, ED750
Credit Hours: VARIABLE 1 - 6 CR. HR.

PY 702 Human Growth and Development
Description: This course includes a survey of the physiological, social, and psychological factors that influence the development of personality. It seeks to understand what makes a person distinctively different, along with a critical evaluation of various theories of personality development.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 703 Research and Program Evaluation
Description: Students learn to conceptualize research problems and develop hypotheses. Emphasis is on defining and measuring the important variables, design of research strategies, analysis of data, interpretation and inference, and writing and implementing a research proposal.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 705 Theories of Counseling
Description: This course provides an intensive look at selected theories of counseling and psychotherapy. The major concepts of each theory are reviewed and critiqued in light of current research and theory. Students are encouraged to begin to define their own theoretical approach.
Prerequisites: Graduate Student in Psychology
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 710 Counseling Techniques
Description: An intensive counseling experience designed to enhance self-awareness, promote personality exploration, and provide case discussion and analysis. Fundamentals of the therapeutic relationship and essential skills are examined.
Prerequisites: Graduate Student in Psychology
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 712 Group Process
Description: This course enable students to understand the types of groups, their purpose, development and dynamics, counseling theories, and group counseling methods and skills. Ethical and legal considerations of group counseling are also explored. Students are required to participate in small groups for educational and self-assessment purposes.
Prerequisites:
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 721 Assessment in Counseling
Description: This course explores the use of measurement and results in the counseling professions. It offers an understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories, statistics, and approaches to measurement, as well as techniques for gathering data and information. Concepts of validity, reliability, and factors that influence measurement are covered.
Prerequisites: Graduate Student in Psychology
Credit Hours: 3 CR. HR.

PY 722 Career Development and Counseling
Description: This course provides students an understanding of career development and related life factors. Students study career development theory and decision-making models, procedures for planning and conducting effective job searches, assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision-making and the use of career information. Emphasis is placed on understanding the inter-relationships between career development and career decision-making, family, socio-economic status, leisure, individual interests, and abilities.
Prerequisites:

The Ed.M. Program in Counseling at WSU Tri-Cities is designed to develop high caliber community and school counselors. It is offered through the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology.

Students are trained in the scholar-practitioner model. The common thread of all training is a balance of applied, theoretical and scientific components in the practice of counseling. All students complete core course requirements including a counseling internship. This degree also requires a final comprehensive written examination.

Program Overview

The primary goal of the master’s programs in counseling is to train scholar-practitioners who understand counseling, understand clients, and counsel in context. Students develop the skills to critically evaluate the scholarly literature and to apply it in their counseling. The common thread of all training is a balance of applied, theoretical, and scientific components in the practice of counseling with a knowledge base drawn from existing practice, theory, and research in counseling. We recognize that there is no single approach to counseling and expose our students to the theoretical tenets, techniques, and research bases of the major counseling theories. Students are expected to select one of these theories or to develop a personal integrated approach to counseling that they demonstrate in their case conceptualizations and fieldwork. The program emphasizes the importance of understanding the world view of individuals. We emphasize the importance of counselor empathy and developing skills related to empathic understanding and the communication of empathy. The program seeks to enhance students’ understanding of children, adolescents, and adults by providing them with knowledge related to specific client problems, developmental tasks, current major counseling foci, and emphasizing the need to understand individuals in a socio-cultural context. We recognize that we will be preparing professionals who will be functioning in a diverse, constantly changing society who will need to be adaptable and flexible in their response to change.

The School Counseling and Community Counseling programs are available at both the Pullman and
Tri-Cities campuses. Most Pullman students are enrolled full-time. Most Tri-Cities students are enrolled part-time. The curriculum for both programs includes course work in theory, research, and techniques in individual and group counseling; vocational/career counseling and assessment; professional and ethical issues; life-span development; counseling diverse populations; statistics, measurement, and research design. In addition, students in the School Counseling program complete a two-course sequence on current issues in school counseling, a course in program evaluation, and two semesters of internship in the public school setting. Students in the Community Counseling program take additional coursework in individual appraisal and two semesters of internship in community mental health settings. For both programs, additional courses are available on an elective basis, including courses on psychopathology, hypnosis, counselor supervision, Chicano/Latino psychology, cross-cultural counseling research, eating disorders, counseling at risk youth, and psycho-social aspects of disability.

Graduates of the School Counseling program are eligible to obtain residency certification as school counselors in the state of Washington. Specifically, they are prepared to serve K-12 students within the framework of comprehensive, developmental counseling models using the knowledge and skills required by state standards as well as the National Model for School Counseling of the American School Counseling Association. The school counseling program is approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In addition, program oversight is provided by a Professional Education Advisory Board comprised of practicing school counselors, teachers, and principals, as well as program faculty.

The Community Counseling program prepares students to work in a variety of settings including community mental health centers, college counseling centers, and individual or group practice. The program prepares students for licensure as a mental health counselor.

Saint Martin’s University (SMU) has developed an excellent reputation for educating compassionate, capable, effective school counselors over the last 20 years. Based on follow up studies of our graduates, 90-100% of each year’s graduates searching for positions have found jobs within 1 year. To a large extent, this results from (1) effective use of the PEAB in constantly updating the program and course contents to meet the changing needs and realities of school counseling, and (2) the program’s emphasis on increasing the counselors’ compassion and practical counseling skills while also strengthening their own unique skills and abilities. Most classes are small (average of about 7-15 students). The program is flexible with most classes in the evenings. Many of our students work during the day. Although the program must be completed in 7 years the speed of completion is up to the student (up to a maximum of 12 credit hours per semester).

The school counseling program prepares prospective school counselors to work with ethnically and racially diverse populations in New York City public and private schools. Working from a holistic approach, candidates are encouraged to develop the necessary skills for engaging all members of the educational community-parents, administrators, teachers, students, and community organizations-in the process of making schools more responsive, equitable, and caring environments that foster life-long learning and growth. Internships and supervised field experiences are an integral part of our course of study.
The program includes two levels of study: the master of science in education provides graduates with New York State initial certification as school counselors; the advanced certificate in school counseling qualifies candidates with New York State professional certification. A 12-credit specialization in bilingual school counseling is also offered.
Graduates of our program are sought after by public and private schools where they counsel students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

This degree prepares students to meet the state requirements to become certified as school counselors.

Requirements
Course work required to complete the Master of Education degree in Counselor Education includes:
Survey of Exceptional Children
Classroom Management
The School in a Multicultural Society
Research Techniques and Procedures
Principles of Guidance
Career Information and Career Counseling
Ethical and Professional Issues in Psychology and Counseling
Methods and Techniques in Counseling
Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Psychology of Learning
Measurement and Appraisal
Methods of Group Process
Counseling Practicum (350 clock hours in an SBEC accredited school)

Special requirements
Students must complete all courses with a grade of “C” or higher and must satisfactorily complete an oral comprehensive examination. In addition, they must be admitted to candidacy.

Students must also complete a practicum, consisting of a minimum of 350 clock hours, in a University-approved setting.

In addition to completing the course work listed above, students wishing to be certified as school counselors must have a master’s degree and at least two years of teaching experience in an accredited school. They must also successfully complete the required state certification exam.

Advantages and opportunities
Students in the Counselor Education program are prepared to receive certification and to provide quality services as a school counselor.

Program Overview:

The master’s degree in school counseling prepares students to become licensed school counselors in Ohio, Michigan, and other states.

School counselors work in elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools. School counselors assist students’ growth and adjustment with academic, career, personal, and social issues through individual and group counseling, testing, guidance and advising, and consultation with parents, teachers, and other professionals.

Of Special Interest:

Nationally accredited by CACREP.

Applicants do not have to be certified teachers.

A faculty advisor is assigned to assist each student.

Curriculum Information:

48 semester hour program that takes 2 years full time or 3-5 years part time.

Admissions Information:

Applications are processed in the College of Graduate Studies on the MAIN campus. Applications are processed on a first in first out basis. Processing within the College of Graduate Studies takes approximately 5-7 business days once a complete application is received. Once the application is processed it is sent to the department for review. Each department maintains their own internal admissions timeline. Completed application materials should be received by September 15‚ January 15‚ or May 15 to ensure enough time for review prior to scheduling interviews. Late applications may still be considered only if time permits.

The faculty and staff welcome all school counseling Masters, Education Specialist, and Certification students or those interested in becoming students, to the school counseling program at Valdosta State University. We are committed to helping make this educational experience positive and to increasing you educational, personal, and professional growth. It is our goal to assist our students in developing the skills and competencies needed to work effectively with the students in the K-12 school system and also to help you work toward your professional goal as a school counselor. Our school counseling program is host in the Department of Psychology and Counseling, a department in the university’s College of Education.

The mission of the Valdosta State University School Counseling Program is to educate professionals who will be leaders in the school environment and who accept responsibility for removing barriers and offering equal access to services for all students. The main emphasis of the School Counseling Program is to train school counselors who function as leaders utilizing data, advocacy, collaboration and consultation to provide academic, career, and personal/social counseling and services to assist students from diverse backgrounds in achieving high levels of academic success.

The vision of the School Counseling Program is to educate and train school counselors dedicated to promoting success for all students by:

· developing and implementing comprehensive developmental school counseling programs that will assess and meet academic, career, and psychosocial needs of all students;

· developing community partnerships that provide support to the school counseling program;

· facilitating communication between students, family, school professionals, and the community through teaming and collaboration;

· serving as leaders and role models for students as a means of promoting positive student contributions to the school and community;

and working with teachers and other school personnel to create a learning environment that will provide students with the skills necessary for academic, career, and personal success in a rapidly changing and diverse society.

Admission Requirements
Admission is based on the following criteria: GRE test results; grade point average in previous academic work; relevance of student goals and interests to the program; letters of recommendation; previous experiences.

Program Description
Master’s programs in counseling focus on one of two professional options: school counseling, which prepares students for initial certification as K-12 school counselors, and community counseling, which, in combination with the fulfillment of additional post-degree requirements, prepares students for licensure as a mental health counselor. Students who are pursuing certification as school counselors receive additional training to be effective in school settings. The Ed.M. program is generally pursued by those who intend to work in a K-12 educational or community/agency setting. The M.A. in education, which requires a thesis, is used by students who plan to pursue a doctoral program or who have interest in conducting research. The Ph.D. program in counseling psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The program was awarded the Suinn Minority Achievement award, which is awarded by the APA to programs that are exemplary in the recruitment and retention of diverse students and in a program focus on cultural diversity. The graduate certificate program in school psychology represents a joint effort between Washington State University and Eastern Washington University. Graduates receive an educational staff associate certificate, which allows them to practice school psychology in Washington and, through reciprocal arrangements, throughout the United States.