Degree Title: Master of Education

Program Name and Number: School Counseling - ME6274

Department/Unit: Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus with an annual fall intake. May be offered at Ohio University regional campuses but not annually.

Program Mission: The mission of the Master’s Program is School Counseling is to prepare highly competent professional school counselors to effectively serve the pre-K-12 population by assuming leadership and advocacy roles to promote optimum development for all students, including those from low income and culturally diverse populations.

Program Learning Objectives: Successful completion of the M.Ed. specializing in school counseling prepares students to:

1. Become familiar with the requirements for a professional school counselor, the body of literature and research that is central to the field, and professional preparation standards which impact the field as a whole as well as school counseling.
2. Develop an understanding of the school counseling program in relation to the academic and student services program in the school setting.
3. Learn the role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school.
4. Learn to develop strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools.
5. Acquire knowledge of the school setting, environment , and pre-K-12 curriculum
6. Identify current issues, policies, laws, and legislation relevant to school counseling
7. Understand the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, physical and mental status, and equity issues in school counseling
8. Develop knowledge and understanding of community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance, as well as barriers that impede, student academic, career, and personal/social success and overall development.
9. Develop knowledge and application of current and emerging technology in education and school counseling to assist students, families, and educators in using resources that promote informed academic, career, and personal/social choices.
10. Acquire an understanding of ethical and legal considerations related specifically to the practice of school counseling.

Program Overview:  The Master’s program in School Counseling at Ohio University is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). By maintaining CACREP accreditation, the program strives to provide the highest quality of faculty and curriculum standards. The master’s program in school counseling consists of core coursework in counseling required for all counseling majors, including coursework in theory and techniques, appraisal, human development, research methodology, and group counseling. The school counseling specialization requires  additional coursework in professional school counseling, and counseling and assessment of children and adolescents. All students must complete a supervised practicum of 100 hours and an internship of 600 hours in a k-12 school under the supervision of a licensed school counselor. Graduates of the program are eligible for licensure as School Counselors in the state of Ohio, and would have to pass the School Counseling examination required by the Ohio Department of Education. Upon successful completion of the academic requirements in the School Counseling program, the Counselor Education program will formally endorse the student for the School Counselor license and/or employment appropriate to the school counseling program.

Concentrations: Students completing the school counseling specialization may elect to complete coursework for specializations in the area of CMH counseling. This would require additional coursework and practicum and internship experiences.

Opportunities for Graduates: Graduates will be eligible to apply for school counseling positions (sometime referred to as guidance positions) within k-12 schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Graduates may also be eligible to apply for advising positions in 2 and 4 year universities.

Link to Program: http://www.ohio.edu/education/academic-programs/counseling-and-higher-education/counselor-education/school-counselor-education.cfm

Graduation Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 semester hours required
• Practicum of 100 clock hours and Internship of 600 clock hours to be completed in a k-12 school under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.
• Expected time to degree if studying fulltime is 6 semesters.

Admission Requirements: Applicants for the M.Ed. specializing in school counseling must apply online to Ohio University’s Graduate College http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply/

Beyond Ohio University requirements for graduate admission including a minimum of a 4-year undergraduate degree and a TOEFL of 80+ or an IELTS of 6.5 for non-native English speakers, the following materials are required to be submitted:

• Transcripts showing a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.9 or higher
  • Students with a GPA lower than 2.9 may apply by submitting Verbal and Quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Three letters of recommendation written by current or former professors or supervisors, or others in the field who can address the applicant’s suitability for a graduate program in counseling.
  • Note that letters of recommendation must be submitted online by the authors of the letters. However if your references prefer to submit hard copies please contact Graduate College to check on how to submit hard copies. Program faculty may contact your references for further information.
• Personal Statement of approximately 5 double-spaced typed pages from the applicant addressing specific questions including:
  • What are your career goals? What experiences and/or persons in your life have influenced your career goals?
  • What experiences have you had that you believe would help you be successful in a graduate program in counselor education?
  • Describe your personal characteristics that will be assets and challenges to your study in counselor education. What qualities do you possess that you think would enable you to become an effective counselor?
  • Describe your culturally relevant interpersonal experiences with individuals or groups who are different from you (race, gender, age, disability status, etc.).
  • Counselor preparation involves a great deal of self-exploration and discovery. How will you manage your personal and professional boundaries in this process?
  • What distinguishes you from other candidates for the counselor education program?