Program Overview

School Counseling Master's

The graduate counseling program at UNT is frequently ranked among the top counselor preparation programs in the nation, and the K-12 school counseling concentration meets the educational requirements for certification as a public school counselor in Texas.

Program Details

• Program Type: Master's of Education (M.Ed.) or Master's of Science
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 2-3 years
• Credit Hours: 60

Why Earn a School Counseling Master's?

You’ll become familiar with school counseling and guidance services, and develop better self-understanding and the competencies of professional school counselors. Our program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Our Master of Science and Master of Education degree programs prepare you to work in a variety of counseling settings.

Faculty Expertise

Many of our faculty members are renowned experts in the field. They’ve earned recognition from the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Counseling Association, and Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for students, professional counselors, and counselor educators. Their research interests include:

• Counseling methods and techniques
• Current issues in the discipline
• Measurement and evaluation
• Theoretical perspectives

More targeted research has been conducted on suicide prevention, mental health services for low-income clients, counseling and play therapy in schools, near-death experiences, and spiritual transformation.

Marketable Skills

• Use and critique theory for advocacy purposes
• Knowledge application and integration
• Design and evaluate effective educational interventions
• Leadership ability
• Design/use assessment results to inform for improvement

Program Highlights

• College of Education ranked 1st in the North Texas region among public graduate schools, 3rd among public graduate schools in Texas, 68th among public graduate schools, and 89th overall in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
• College of Education ranked 9th in Texas and 66th in the South by Best-Education-Schools.com
• Many faculty members are recognized experts in their field, earning recognition from the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Counseling Association, and Chi Sigma Iota international honor society.
• Each year, our program offers conferences where nationally known speakers present current perspectives on counseling issues.
• UNT's Center for Play Therapy encourages children’s development and emotional growth through play therapy, a dynamic interpersonal relationship between a child and a trained therapist. The center provides training, research, publications, counseling services, and scholarships. It also acts as a clearinghouse for literature in the field.

Career Opportunities

The school counseling M.Ed. track prepares you to become a school counselor for children in preschool through 12th grade.

Sample Courses

• Program Development, Leadership and Ethics in School Counseling (3 hrs) Introduction to the school counseling profession. Covers ethical standards, leadership and advocacy strategies, and development and management of the comprehensive developmental guidance program.
• Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 hrs) History and philosophy of counseling and clinical mental health counseling and ethical, legal, professional, and emerging issues specific to clinical mental health counseling.
• Diagnosis and Treatment Planning in Counseling (3 hrs) Principles of culturally sensitive biopsychosocial assessment and case conceptualization leading to appropriate counseling treatment plans or referral within a managed care framework. Diagnosis according to the most recent edition of the DSM and evidence-based treatment planning are studied.
• Addiction Counseling (3 hrs) Etiology and principles of addiction as well as counseling practices relevant to substance abuse and addiction counseling.
• Group Counseling Theories and Procedures (3 hrs) Group dynamics and major approaches to group counseling with emphasis on how to start a group counseling program, how to counsel effectively with groups, and how to evaluate results. Development of skills of group membership, leadership, and working with groups are stressed.
• Career Development and Information Resources (3 hrs) Survey of career development and counseling with emphasis on the occupational, career, and educational information service.