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M.S.Ed. School Counseling

The Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in School Counseling is comprised of 60 graduate credits. Program graduates are prepared to obtain employment as school guidance counselors, or student assistance counselors, in various types of educational settings, including:

• public schools,
• private schools,
• charter schools,
• cyber schools,
• alternative schools,
• intermediate units,
• and university career, admissions, and advising offices.

Graduates of the School Counseling Program receive the program's endorsement for certification as both elementary school counselors and secondary school counselors. In Pennsylvania, applicants for school counseling certification are required to pass the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) exam and the Praxis II-Professional School Counselor (0421).

Graduates of the School Counseling Program are also prepared to obtain employment in mental health settings, which may include outpatient and inpatient settings, mobile therapy, substance abuse counseling, career centers, etc., and are eligible to pursue licensure as a professional counselor (LPC). The main requirements for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania include 1) a master's degree of at least 48 graduate credits, 2) a total of 60 graduate credits, 3) 700 clock hours of fieldwork, 4) passing one of 4 national exams, including the National Counselor Exam (NCE), and 5) 3,000 clock hours of supervised experience under a qualified supervisor.

According to the 2010 Department of Labor (DOL) projections, there is expected to be a 19% increase in the number of School Counseling positions by the year 2020. By 2020 ONETonline projects there to be average (10-19%) job growth for School Counselors.

You can find more information about career opportunities for professional counselors at:
http://www.counselingdegree.org/careers/

You can find more information about scholarship opportunities for professional counselors at:
www.CounselingDegree.org/Scholarships

Accreditation

Accreditation by CACREP and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)

Duquesne University's School Counseling Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This means that the program uses a nationally recognized, rigorous curriculum based on a core set of standards. The standards for school counseling certification and licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in many states, including Pennsylvania, are based on the CACREP model. Graduates of CACREP accredited programs often find it easier to obtain licensure or certification in other states, and in some states you cannot obtain certification as a school counselor, or licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) without graduating from a CACREP accredited program. CACREP students receive training that is based on the most recent trends in theory and research. Furthermore, CACREP requires that students receive more intensive fieldwork supervision and more hours of fieldwork than many other school counseling programs. There are only approximately 10 school counseling programs in Pennsylvania that are CACREP accredited. The program is also accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for the preparation of students for elementary school counselor (K-6) and secondary school counselor (7-12) certifications.

Program Sequence

To find out information about which courses are required for this program, please review the School Counseling Program Sheet.

FAQ

Still have questions about our program?  Find your answers here.