Master of Education (MEd) in School Counseling

VIEW DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

• School Counseling- Master's Degree with ESA Certificate

About the program

The MEd in School Counseling program is designed to prepare you for a school counseling position in an elementary, middle, or high school.

This degree is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Its successful completion will qualify students for a Washington Initial Educational Staff Associate (ESA) P–12 certificate as a school counselor.

A School Counseling “Certificate Only” program is also available for those who already hold a master’s or other advanced degree.

Comprehensive examination

Comprehensive exams are scheduled during Winter Quarter. To take the comprehensive exam, you must have completed all school counseling courses except the internship. The exam will be scheduled by the graduate programs manager and you will be informed when it will take place.

Internship

A year-long, 9-credit internship comprises a part of the degree program in school counseling. This vital, integrative experience, in which you conduct supervised counseling in a school setting, has as its primary objective the provision of practical experiences in the duties and activities of the school counselor.

The internship includes a minimum of 600 hours participation in a variety of meaningful activities related to the competencies required by the state of Washington knowledge base for school counselors (WAC 181-78A-270), as well as those recommended by the School of Education.

Admission requirements

Applicants must submit the following items to Graduate Admissions:

• Application and $50 application processing fee.
• Copy of teaching certificate, front and back; if applicable.
• Official transcript(s) from each college/university attended.
• If your degree is not from a U.S. college or university, please arrange for your transcript to be evaluated by an accredited transcript evaluation company such as FIS or WES. Have the report forwarded directly to Graduate Admissions.
• Résumé.
• Personal statement, including long-term professional goals (maximum of 500 words)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Moral Character and Personal Fitness Policy form (found in the online application).
• Character and Fitness Supplement form (found in the online application).

Applicants who meet the regular application deadline requirements, including an initial screening of their complete application file, will be interviewed by a School Counseling faculty member.

All correspondence regarding the interview process will be carried out by email using the address provided in the application. Please set your email filters accordingly.

Enrollment policy

• You must be continuously enrolled in required SPU courses to earn this master’s degree, or until you officially withdraw from the program. Exceptions to continuous enrollment must be approved by the program chair.
• You may be granted a leave of absence for up to four quarters by the program chair. Once the leave of absence has expired, you will either enroll in graduate coursework or be dropped from the program.
• SPU’s Student Academic Services requires continuous enrollment to remain admitted in a graduate program. After four quarters of non-enrollment, students will be placed in “inactive status” and will need to reapply for admission.
• If you decide to no longer pursue a master’s degree, you may officially withdraw from the program and SPU by notifying the program chair and the graduate programs manager.