Master of Education (MEd) in School Counseling

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About the program

This program is not accepting new admits as of Autumn 2023.

The MEd in School Counseling program is designed to prepare you for a school counseling position in an elementary, middle, or high school.

This degree is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Its successful completion will qualify students for a Washington Initial Educational Staff Associate (ESA) P–12 certificate as a school counselor.

A School Counseling “Certificate Only” program is also available for those who already hold a master’s or other advanced degree.

Comprehensive examination

A comprehensive exam is required in order to earn the degree. Exams are typically taken online, in Winter Quarter of the third year of the program.  

Practicum

The school counseling practicum consists of individual and group practicum courses and a 100 experience in the schools spanning winter and spring term. The focus is on enhancing individual and group counseling skills as well as the opportunity to learn school culture and begin exploring the role of school counselors in K-12 settings.  The practicum experience is a pre-requisite to the internship.

Internship

A year-long, 9-credit internship comprises a part of the degree program in school counseling. This vital, integrative experience, in which you conduct supervised counseling in a school setting, has as its primary objective the provision of practical experiences in the duties and activities of the school counselor.

The internship includes a minimum of 600 hours participation in a variety of meaningful activities related to the competencies required by CACREP, as well as the state of Washington knowledge base for school counselors.

Admission requirements

Applicants must submit the following items to Graduate Admissions:

• Online application and $50 application processing fee.
• Official transcript(s) from each college/university attended.
• If your degree is not from a U.S. college or university, please arrange for your transcript to be evaluated by a NACES member-recognized credential service. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).
• Résumé.
• Personal statement, including personal goals for the program and long-term professional goals (maximum of 500 words).
• Two letters of recommendation
• Copy of teaching certificate*, front and back; if applicable.
• Moral Character and Personal Fitness Policy form (found in the online application).
• Character and Fitness Supplement form found in the online application.

Applicants who meet the regular application deadline requirements, including an initial screening of their complete application file, will be interviewed by a School Counseling faculty member.

All correspondence regarding the interview process will be carried out by email using the address provided in the application. Please set your email filters accordingly.

*Teacher certification is not required.

Enrollment policy

• Students must be continuously enrolled in required SPU courses to earn this master’s degree, or until officially withdrawing from the program. Exceptions to continuous enrollment must be approved by the program director.
• Students may be granted a leave of absence for up to four quarters by the program director. Once the leave of absence has expired, the student will either enroll in graduate coursework or be dropped from the program.
• University academic policy requires continuous enrollment to remain admitted in a graduate program. After four quarters of non-enrollment, students will be placed in “inactive status” and will need to reapply for admission.
• If a student decides to no longer pursue a master’s degree, the student may officially withdraw from the program and SPU by notifying the program director and the associate director of graduate programs.