M.S. in School Counseling

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The M.S. in School Counseling program is offered by Walden University, an institution accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The Master of Science in School Counseling degree is designed to prepare students to serve as certified or licensed school counselors in pre-kindergarten through high school (PreK–12) school settings. The M.S. in School Counseling program will include curricular experiences, residency experiences, and fieldwork experiences all designed to best prepare students to serve as professional school counselors in the field. Walden graduates will be prepared to support PreK–12 students in diverse school settings to be emotionally, socially, and academically successful.

Learning Outcomes

After graduating from the M.S. in School Counseling program, students will be able to:

Develop a professional orientation as a school counselor.
Apply legal and ethical standards and serve as an advocate and agent of social change.
Demonstrate multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, and opportunity.
Use evidence-based research to inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies in schools.
Serve as a leader in the school environment who collaborates and consults with key stakeholders to promote academic success of all students.
Work to promote academic success and to close the achievement gap for all students.
Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, and evaluation to develop comprehensive school counseling programs.

Specializations (Optional)

Degree Requirements

General Program Requirements

Total credits 75 cr.
Core Courses (66 cr.)
Practicum—100 hours (3 cr.)
Internship I—300 hours (3 cr.)
Internship II—300 hours (3 cr.)
General Program - M.S. in Human Services
Optional Specialization (10 cr.)
Optional Accelerated track allows completion in 21 months (three courses per quarter).

Core Curriculum

Foundation Course (1 cr.)

COUN 6101 - Foundations for Graduate Study in Counseling♦

Core Courses (65 cr.)

Field Experience (9 cr.)

M.S. in School Counseling–General Program Option

General—This is the traditional track in which students either complete one or two courses per quarter.
Accelerated—This is the track where students can complete three courses per quarter.

Course Sequence

Quarter	Course	Credits
1	COUN 6110 - Foundations of Graduate Study in School Counseling	1 cr.
1	COUN 6111 - Introduction to School Counseling	5 cr.
2	COUN 6210 - Ethics and Legal Issues in School Counseling	5 cr.
2	COUN 6301 - Counseling Theories for School Counselors	5 cr.
3	COUN 6302 - Counseling Techniques in the Schools	5 cr.
	Residency 1
3	COUN 6311 - Leadership, Advocacy, and Consultation in the Schools	5 cr.
4	COUN 6214 - Lifespan Development	5 cr.
4	COUN 6312 - Multicultural Counseling in the Schools	5 cr.
5	COUN 6317 - Child and Adolescent Counseling	5 cr.
5	COUN 6320 - Group Counseling and Guidance in the Schools	5 cr.
6	COUN 6322 - Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster Response	5 cr.
6	COUN 6324 - Assessment in Counseling and Education	5 cr.
	Residency 2
7	COUN 6354 - Academic and Career Counseling	5 cr.
7	COUN 6328 - Research and School Counseling Program Evaluation	5 cr.
8	COUN 6401 - School Counseling Practicum	3 cr.
8	Optional Specialization Course 1	5 cr.
9	COUN 6500 - School Counseling Internship I	3 cr.
9	Optional Specialization Course 2	5 cr.
10	COUN 6501 - School Counseling Internship II	3 cr.

Program Data

Walden is committed to providing the information you need to make an informed decision about where you pursue your education. Click here to find detailed information for the M.S. in School Counseling program relating to the types of occupations this program may lead to, completion rate, program costs, and median loan debt of students who have graduated from this program.