Program Overview

School Counseling Program

The School Counseling program at the University of Denver aims to develop the next generation of school counselors into agents of change, embracing a holistic approach to meeting the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of students from diverse backgrounds within the P12 school system and throughout the communities in which they serve.

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in School Counseling is offered 100% online. The program is grounded in the following learning objectives, adopted from the 2024 Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards:

• Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice Students will be able to articulate the elements related to professional identity, including the history and philosophy of the counseling profession, the value of professional organizations, the need for legal and ethical practice, and advocating for the profession and clients that are served.
• Social and Cultural Identities and Experiences Students will demonstrate multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary for competency in working with a diverse population.
• Lifespan Development Students are able to demonstrate an understanding of development across the lifespan and the impact on normal and abnormal functioning.
• Career Development Students are able to utilize career development theory in the development of individualized and developmentally appropriate career development activities and interventions.
• Counseling Practice and Relationships Students are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to engage in an effective and therapeutic helping relationship.
• Group Counseling and Group Work Students demonstrate competency in preparing and facilitating group counseling.
• Assessment and Diagnostic Processes Students demonstrate the ability to identify effective assessment strategies in order to facilitate treatment planning.
• Research and Program Evaluation Students will demonstrate an understanding of research methods to inform evidence-based practice.
• School Counseling Focus Students will demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply the foundations, contextual dimensions, and practice of school counseling as a specialty area, with emphasis on promoting the academic, career, and personal/social development of all P-12 students through data-informed school counseling programs.

Certification

The School Counseling program can lead to licensure as a School Counselor. The program meets licensure requirements in the state of Colorado, and students from other states should verify whether the program meets licensure requirements in their state.

Academic Programs

The Morgridge College of Education offers various academic programs, including:

• Counseling Psychology
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
• Higher Education
• Library & Information Science
• Research Methods and Statistics
• School Counseling
• School Psychology
• Teacher Education Program

Research

The college has various research areas and projects, as well as publications and presentations.

Centers, Clinics & Institutes

The college is home to several centers, clinics, and institutes, including:

• Center for Rural School Health & Education
• Fisher Early Learning Center
• Kennedy Institute
• Marsico Institute
• Positive Early Learning Experiences Center
• Ricks Center for Gifted Children
• Counseling & Educational Services Clinic