Master's Degree in School Counseling

Program Details

The Department of Counseling at the University of Akron offers a Master's Degree in School Counseling. This course of study is based upon CACREP* and the Ohio Department of Education's standards. It is designed to prepare students to become effective leaders in the process of transforming school counseling under the ASCA's National Model for School Counseling Programs.

The academic foundation is built upon the eight core areas of the 2001 CACREP* Standards: professional identity, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, helping relationships, group work, assessment, and research/program evaluation. Additional coursework specific to school counseling includes foundations and contextual dimensions of school counseling, and consultation. A unique focus of the program is training future school counselors in advocacy skills to assist students and families in overcoming barriers or impediments to success in learning and development.

The clinical instruction component includes a Practicum of 100 hours of training in the Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling and an Internship of 600 hours conducted in a school setting. The clinical experience utilizes live observation, videotape and audiotape of student counseling.

The program consists of a minimum of 50 semester credit hours for those with a teaching license and two years teaching experience. Applicants without such credentials are required to take an additional 10 semester hours of coursework in an effort to prepare them for the demands of school counselor's role.

Please see the Program Course Distribution for further information regarding specific course work.