Master of Education (M.Ed.)
School Counseling
Program Highlights & Benefits
Earn a Master of Education degree in School Counselor Education
Become eligible for the Texas School Counselor certificate
Experience direct client contact in individual and group counseling
Take the program in-person or online
For
Experienced educators with at least two years teaching experience in an accredited school who are interested in becoming a school counselor.
What You Learn
This off-campus Counselor Education Graduate Program (CEP) of 36 hours leads to the professional school counseling credential in the State of Texas. The CEP is a hybrid program; that is, it involves face-to-face and on-line components.
How You Learn
Counseling Coursework
Face-to-Face: This is a cohort program. Students will take one course at a time, attending class one night a week from 5:00 to 8:00, with three (3) hours of commitment in additional work online every week. Every semester, students will complete two seven week courses. Toward the culmination of the CEP, COUN 5368 – School Counseling Practicum meets in a traditional, 15 weeks, face-to-face format. During Summer Session, students will attend two different night classes. Summer Session begins the last week in May and continues until the first week in July. Summer Session hours run from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Online: The School Counselor Program at the University of St. Thomas is excited to launch the School Counselor Online Program. Students enrolled in our online program will have the opportunity to earn a Master’s of Education degree in Counselor Education with a specialization in School Counseling. Students who qualify will be eligible for certification as a school counselor in the State of Texas.
Counseling Practicum
COUN 5368 Counseling Practicum is the capstone course. This course is a 15-week course. Prerequisites for this course are the successful completion of all academic courses. This course requires 160 hours of counseling, supervision, observation, and preparation, 80 hours of which are in direct client contact (individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom guidance). All counseling is done under the supervision of an on-site, administrative supervisor with whom students meet once a week for one hour. The university professor functions as the clinical supervisor. Students are required to have malpractice insurance to take this course. Demonstration of Level 3 competencies (accurate reflection of content and feeling, paraphrasing, summarizing, probing with declarative sentences) are required to successfully complete this course. The successful completion of all of the requirements of the syllabus is required before a grade is submitted.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will earn a Master of Education degree in Counselor Education and be eligible to take the TExES School Counselor Exam for counselor certification in the state of Texas.
Also, upon successful completion of the program, students will have the option of taking additional courses to earn the Licensed Professional Counselor Certificate (LPC) and/or take additional courses to become eligible to apply for the principal certification through the state of Texas.
Requirements
Students working towards a Counselor Educator Professional Certification must have two years of creditable teaching experience as a classroom teacher in a TEA approved public/public school which is documented by a copy of a valid service record. This two year requirement is not needed prior to entrance to the program. Additionally, a valid Texas Teaching Certificate is required for the Counselor Educator certificate. Generally creditable teaching experience requires both a Content Exam and A PPR Exam. The following types of experience are identified as not creditable for the purpose of Professional Certification: Librarian, Speech Therapist, ROTC Instructors, Teachers Aid, Substitute Teaching or Associate Teacher. For certification, candidates must achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) in the area of Counselor Educator.
Degree Plan
Degree Plan for Professional School Counseling:
| Course | Title | Hours |
COUN 6326 | Educational Research and Scholarly Writing | 3 |
COUN 6327 | Educational Research Design and Data Analysis | 3 |
COUN 5304 | Introduction to Counseling Methodology | 3 |
COUN 5335 | Multicultural Populations | 3 |
COUN 5339 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
COUN 5358 | Group Procedures Dynamics of Group Counseling | 3 |
COUN 5359 | Lifestyles and Career Development | 3 |
COUN 5366 | Counseling Theories and Approaches | 3 |
COUN 5367 | Appraisal Techniques | 3 |
COUN 6302 | Issues and Trends in Counseling | 3 |
COUN 5310 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling | 3 |
COUN 5312 | Responsive Services in Schools | 3 |
COUN 5318 | Developmental School Counseling | 3 |
COUN 5314 | Consultation in School Settings | 3 |
COUN 5316 | Family Counseling with Children & Adolescents | 3 |
COUN 5368 | Practicum | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 48 |
Please Note:
The chart above lists each of the courses that make up the M.Ed. degree, but it is not an official class schedule and is subject to change.
