Program Overview

Master of Education in School Counseling

The School Counseling Program of the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy prepares professional school counselors to serve the academic, career, and personal/social needs of culturally diverse students in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The Department strives to develop a culturally diverse student population and to draw students from local, regional, national, and international locations.

Purpose and Objectives

The M.Ed. in School Counseling program prepares school counselors for positions in public or private elementary, middle, or secondary schools. The program is designed to fulfill entry-level program standards of preparation and to enable program graduates to obtain Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Certification in School Counseling.

Program Emphasis

The program emphasizes the use of developmental perspectives by school counseling and guidance practitioners as outlined by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the most innovative school counselor training standards as described by the professional literature.

Objectives

The objectives of the school counseling program are to prepare graduates who can conceptualize and organize a school-based program around the eight goals which characterize developmental guidance and counseling programs. The objectives of the program are to prepare graduates who:

• understand school environments
• understand self and others
• understand students' attitudes and behaviors
• understand students' decision-making and problem-solving skills
• have effective interpersonal and communication skills
• understand students' school success skills
• understand students' career awareness and educational planning
• understand community pride and involvement

Competencies

Program graduates are expected to be competent in and be able to:

• provide individual counseling
• provide small group counseling
• present large group/classroom guidance
• organize and manage peer facilitator programs
• develop a series of counseling and guidance activities for dysfunctioning students
• provide leadership in organizing guidance experiences for all students within a school
• lead parent education groups
• consult individually and in groups with teachers, parents, and administrators
• consult with child study teams
• demonstrate counselor effectiveness through accountability studies

Master of Education: Emphasis in Elementary School Counseling

The courses listed below meet the coursework requirements for the M.Ed. degree, state certification as a school counselor, and licensing as a professional counselor:

• Counselor Education (CNS ED)
  • CNS ED 6000, Personal and Professional Development in Counseling
  • CNS ED 6010, Theories of Counseling
  • CNS ED 6020, Ethical and Professional Issues in Individual and Relationship Counseling
  • CNS ED 6030, Foundations for Multicultural Counseling
  • CNS ED 6040, Group Procedures in Counseling
  • CNS ED 6050, Individual Inventory
  • CNS ED 6200, Foundations of School Guidance
  • CNS ED 6270, School Counseling Practicum
  • CNS ED 6280, School Counseling Field Experience (6)
  • CNS ED 6400, Career Information and Development
• Psychological Foundations and Human Development (ED PSY)
  • ED PSY 6210, Lifespan: Individual & Family Development
  • ED PSY 6532, Psycho-Educational Differences in Childhood
• Educational Research and Evaluation Methods (ED REM)
  • ED REM 6710, Educational Research Methods and Design
• Electives
  • Six credit hours from CNS ED or related courses, such as:
    • CNS ED 6600: Theories and Techniques of Counseling Children and Adolescents
    • CNS ED 6500: Introduction to Systems Theory for Couples and Family Counseling

Total Credit Hours

Total 48 hours.

Comprehensive Examination (Capstone Experience)

Please note that a comprehensive examination is required as part of the program.

State Certification

Individuals seeking certification as a professional school counselor in the State of Missouri who are non-teacher certificated must take the following courses in addition to their counseling degree:

• ED PSY 6111
• SPEC ED 6412
• SPEC ED 6325
• ELE ED 6411 or SEC ED 6415 Students seeking K-12 certification must take both ELE ED 6411 and SEC ED 6415. A passing score on the relevant Praxis test is also required for state certification as a school counselor.