School Counseling, Southeast Missouri State University

Why Should I Study School Counseling at Southeast?

The School Counseling Program at Southeast Missouri State University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Students graduating from a CACREP program are assured a quality educational experience. The School Counseling Program at Southeast Missouri State University is also accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Options/Areas of Emphasis:
Master of Arts in School Counseling emphasis in

Elementary
Secondary
K-12
Psychological Examiner Certificate

Admissions Requirements: A bachelor's degree with a cumulative G.P.A. of no less than a 3.0 and be admitted to the School of Graduate Studies. For more information, please consult the Graduate Bulletin.

Accreditations

The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Advising Procedures/Information: Upon admission to the Counseling Program, you will be assigned an academic advisor. Your advisor will act as your primary source of contact and communication with the department. Therefore, the department encourages the formation of effective professional relationships between students and their advisors.

Capstone Requirements: The School Counseling program capstone requirements are to acceptably complete a Comprehensive Professional Counseling Portfolio (CPCP), Personal Counseling Position Paper, Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam, and a Comprehensive Oral Exam. See the Graduate Bulletin for more details.

Career Opportunities

Elementary or Secondary School Counselor
K-12 School Counselor

For a detailed career outlook as a school counselor, please refer to Occupational Outlook Handbook which states that the overall employment of counselors is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through year 2014.

Real-World Experience: The School Counseling Program offers experiential learning through practicum and internship opportunities. Students in the counseling program are also required to attend one professional workshop.

Student Organizations

Chi Sigma Iota, Professional and Academic Counseling Honor Society
Graduate Student Advisory Council

Professional Certifications & Organizations: Our students are encouraged to join professional organizations as a student member while they are in the program.

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is a professional organization representing the interests of counselors and counselors-in-training nationwide.
The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) provides insight into the forefront of advances in the school-counseling field. As a member of the ACA, branch membership in ASCA can afford students additional benefits to those gained through the ACA. Some of these benefits include: Various journal publications (The School Counselor, 5 issues annually; Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 4 issues annually), newsletters such as The ASCA Counselor, other publications which include a wide range of brochures, books, and monographs related to topics of interest to school counselors, and grassroots involvement through developmental workshops and state conferences allowing networking opportunities.
The Missouri School Counselor Association (MSCA) addresses issues involving school counselors at the state level. Student membership is available. MSCA also addresses regional issues through regional chapters such as the Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association.
Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association (SEMOSCA) addresses issues involving school counselors in the southeast Missouri area. The Association meets quarterly and also coordinates in bi-yearly conference.

Facilities: The counseling program maintains a fully functional counseling lab, outfitted with audio and visual equipment for student and faculty use. The counseling lab is used for instructional purpose, as well as for direct counseling and supervision.

Graduate Assistantship Opportunities: The Educational Administration and Counseling Department has four graduate assistant positions.

For information concerning currently available positions, visit the graduate assistantship Web site. Interested students should apply to the dean of Graduate Studies or to the department chair of Educational Administration and Counseling.